A hydro jetter may just be the best piece of sewer cleaning equipment ever invented. Let us help you to understand it by first by explaining how it works. The basic principle of a hydro jetter is similar to that of pressure washer used to clean heavy equipment, or for industrial purposes. Both pieces of equipment use highly pressurized water to get rid of any physical object in its way. As a pressure washer is used as a cleaning machine for walls, floors, and open areas. A hydro jetter is used for enclosed spaces, such as inside a sewer pipe.
The components that make up a jetter machine
The standard configuration of a hydro jetter unit includes a pump, motor, hose assembly, and an assortment of nozzles. The unit also needs adequate supply of water. This usually comes in the form of a built in holding tank. The motor has a control panel to fine-tune the amount of water pressure sent through the hose and nozzle. As pressurized water comes out of the specially designed nozzle, it flows right through all sorts of clogs. It routinely clears out leaves, grease, rust, soap, dirt, and tree roots. As described below, there are actually specialty nozzles for each types of sewer clog.
Pressure and Flow Rate of a Hydro Jetter
Pressurized water is much more reliable and environmentally friendly for unclogging blockages in sewer pipes compared to chemicals. Professional operators can dial the right settings for flow rate, water pressure, and choose the correct nozzle. This allows the operator to get the most effective cleaning action along the inside of the sewer pipe. The correct nozzle plays an important role in determining the direction of water flow from the hose. Some nozzles can spray water all around the inside the surface of the pipe to clean any debris, including accumulated rust. The simplest nozzle has a small opening right on the tip to force water to flow in a forward direction, and pierce through obstacles ahead.
Hydro Jetters come in various makes, models, power levels, and applications
A hydro jetter comes in many different models, each with a wide range of power levels. In most cases, however, a pump with the power to deliver between 3500 and 4000psi is more than enough to pierce through stubborn home sewer blockages. They are particularly effective at ahndling tree roots or grease build-up problems. At that amount of pressure, a hydro jetter typically delivers up to 6 GPM of water. Apart from the pump and motor power, there are other factors to determine the actual performance of a hydro jetter. These factors include the water flow per minute, psi capacity, nozzle, hose, and pipe diameter.
As a rule of thumb, a wider drain pipe diameter needs more pressure and volume of water for efficient flushing. If a 2000psi hydro jetter does a good job at piercing through a blockage in a 4-inch pipe diameter, the same power will be pretty much useless in an 8-inch pipe.
The type of clog dictates the proper nozzle and cure
A professional plumber can use different models of a hydro jetter, with different volume and pressure capacity levels to get rid of any blockage in any size sewer pipe. In a residential setting, a 4000psi hydro jetter with a flow rate of 25 GPM should be more than enough to get rid of any clog in the sewer pipe. In a municipal plumbing system, flow rate of up to 125 GPM can be used for proper cleaning. Once again, everything depends on the pipe diameter, and the type of clog. Common blockages, such as soap residue, hair, grease, or dirt, can be cured using the usual assortment of nozzles that are commonly carried. A well equipped sewer cleaning technician carries four specialized sewer jetter nozzles, These four nozzle, as a group, can handle virtually any type of clog.
Other uses of a high pressure drain cleaner
You don’t have to wait until there is a clog in the main drain line to call a professional plumber. Remember that a hydro jetter has adjustable features, allowing it to be used in basically all drain lines. It does not matter if the clogging occurs in the kitchen sink, bathroom drain, shower, bathtub, and the main house drain. A hydro jetter in the hands of a trained technician is frequently the best option for many reasons:
Complete Treatment:
Using a hydro jetter to clean a blockage serves multiple purposes. It removes the obstruction and cleans the interior walls of the drain pipe at the same time. Equipped with a rotating nozzle, the water also targets inner surface of the drain pipe and removes debris attached to wall. While a snake auger may only remove the clog, a hydro jetter does a more complete job of getting rid the blockage and preventing recurrent issues in the near future.
Economical in the long run:
This is where people sometimes misunderstand the actual purpose of a hydro jetter. The initial cost of hydro-jetting by a professional plumber is almost always more expensive than a snake auger. However, since the service also cleans drain pipes more thoroughly, it prevents potential clogging in the foreseeable future. Therefore, in many cases, it is actually more economical. Instead of renting or paying for a snake auger service over and over again, it is better in many cases to hire a professional hydro-jetting service and get the job done in the first attempt.
Environmentally friendly:
The only solution used in a hydro-jetter is water. There is no need to mix a chemical-based cleaning solution at all. When utilized with the right power and the right equipment, pure water can be very powerful solution indeed.
None but skilled professionals should operate a hydro jetter
Before a hydro jetter is used, a professional plumber needs to do a proper inspection of the sewer pipe to check for severe damage such as cracks or leaks. The force of pressurized water can be too powerful for an old pipe to handle, leading to more severe damage, or the jetter getting stuck inside the old pipe. Inspection with a sewer camera also helps pinpoint the location of the clogging, pipe size, and the type of clog.
The Basic differences in Your Home’s Plumbing System
Every plumbing system consists of two main parts: fresh water supply and wastewater management. While there is little homeowners can do to about the former, they can and should be responsible for the latter. Unless you are relying on wells or storage tanks, your water is supplied by a government-owned utility. In some cases, a water utility is owned and operated by a private company. You have no control over the water supply. But wastewater-management is part of a property owners responsibility. Simply put, what you and your fellow residents, send down your drain is solely under your control. If you abuse it, you suffer the consequences.
The hydro jetter: a vital home drain system tool
As far as a residential plumbing system is concerned, sewer cleaning is one of the most demanding and common tasks you may require. All water fixtures in a home including shower, kitchen sink, and drains take used water and send it to a wastewater treatment facilities. It is your responsibility to make sure that the sewer pipes are operating as they should, without dirt, debris, or corrosion clogging the flow of water. Assuming there is a blockage, the most effective way to unclog the pipe is frequently by using a hydro jetter. It is equipment designed for trained professionals. In the hands of the unskilled or novice it can easily result in injury to that individual, and to the drain system itself. When you need a professional drain cleaning service, please contact Balkan Drain Cleaning.
