Hydrojetting or Cable Cleaning: Which Does Your Drain Need?
A cable machine cuts through a clog. Hydrojetting scrubs the pipe walls. Here is how to tell which one fits your drain, and when a camera look should come first.
Not every clog needs the same tool. A cable machine cuts a path through a blockage. Hydrojetting uses high-pressure water to scour the inside of the pipe. Each has a place, and the right choice depends on what is in the line and what shape the pipe is in.
When a cable machine is enough
Cable cleaning is fast and works well for a fresh root mass or a simple debris clog in a pipe with little buildup on the walls.
It clears a path through the blockage, but it can leave the pipe walls coated with whatever caused the clog.
When hydrojetting fits better
Hydrojetting removes grease, scale, mineral deposits, fine roots and the film that lets new buildup stick. It restores the pipe much closer to its full flow capacity.
Clogs that come back within weeks or months after cable clearing.
Several slow drains in the building at once.
Grease-coated kitchen lines that clear and then clog again.
Root debris left on the pipe walls after a cable cut.
Why a camera look can come first
Badly corroded cast iron, orangeburg pipe, or clay tile with shifted joints may not hold up to high-pressure water. When the condition of a pipe is unclear, a camera inspection shows the weak spots before jetting settings are chosen.
Older Joliet neighborhoods often have cast-iron drain lines with rust buildup. Jetting those lines clears loose scale and also shows how sound the iron really is.
Talk to us before you pick
We choose cable, jetting or a combination based on the actual condition of the pipe. If you are in Joliet, Wilmington or anywhere in Will County, call 815-926-2088 or request a quote using the links below.