Hydro Jetting for Sewer and Drain Lines
Hydro jetting cleans a pipe with a high-pressure water hose and a nozzle that scours the pipe walls as it moves. Where a cable machine punches a hole through a clog, a jetter is meant to clean the full diameter of the pipe: grease, sludge, scale and fine roots.
Jetting is also the usual first step before pipe lining, since a liner needs clean pipe to bond to. It isn’t the right tool for every line. A fragile pipe can be made worse.
Based in Magnolia at 4027 W Bertona St, Seattle
What hydro jetting is good for
- Grease buildup in kitchen lines and main lines. SPU’s defect grading treats debris and grease as a cleaning issue unless a structural defect is contributing.
- Recurring clogs where cabling only opened a channel through buildup.
- Fine root intrusion at joints. Heavy roots usually need a cutting head first.
- Preparing a line for lining or a clear inspection video.
Source: SPU: Side sewer defects and issues.
When jetting is the wrong call
SPU's guidance on choosing a rooter service warns that high-pressure cleaning tools can damage pipes further (SPU). That risk is highest in pipe that is already failing: severe exposed aggregate, holes, or badly offset joints where soil is exposed. SPU's defect guide says those defects can lead to voids, and severe exposed aggregate with holes counts as structural failure (SPU).
If the line is old concrete or clay and nobody has seen inside it, a camera look first is cheap insurance against turning a cleaning job into a repair.
Roots: cutting vs. jetting
Roots are one of the most common side sewer problems SPU describes. Older concrete and clay pipes without watertight joints are especially at risk. Owners are responsible for removing roots up to and within the connection to the main (SPU).
A mechanical cutter is typically used to cut a dense root mass; a jetter then flushes out the debris and cleans the walls. Roots grow back through the same joints, so SPU suggests regular scoping and cleaning, especially with older pipe and dense tree canopy. A permanent fix seals the joints by lining or replacement.
Talk to us about hydro jetting
Call 206-593-3737, or send us a request online and we’ll get back to you.
Jetting as maintenance
For lines with a known, monitored condition, like moderate roots or grease-prone kitchen lines, periodic cleaning can be cheaper than repair. SPU's defect grading suggests inspecting moderate to severe root intrusion every 1–2 years with routine cleaning (SPU). The camera record over time tells you whether the pipe is stable or getting worse.
Before a jetting visit
Jetting needs a way into the line, usually a cleanout. When you call, tell us where the cleanout is, if you know, and whether the line has ever been scoped. If there’s a past camera video, have it handy.
How a job works
- Call or send a request. Tell us what’s happening. If water or sewage is coming up, we’ll walk you through stopping it first.
- Find the cause. Clear the line or open the access, then look: a camera for sewers, a test for leaks and water heaters.
- Options in plain English. What we found, where it is, and the repair choices. You decide before work starts.
- Permit, work, inspection. Where Seattle requires a permit (SPU for side sewers, Public Health for plumbing), the work is permitted and inspected.
Hydro Jetting: common questions
Is hydro jetting safe for old sewer pipes?
It depends on their condition. SPU cautions that high-pressure cleaning can damage pipes further. Pipes with holes, severe exposed aggregate or bad offsets should be assessed on camera first.
Does hydro jetting remove tree roots permanently?
No method of cleaning is permanent. Roots return through the same joints. SPU recommends regular scoping and cleaning, and lining or replacement seals the joints.
Is jetting better than snaking?
They do different jobs. A cable opens a blockage; a jetter cleans the full pipe wall. Many jobs use both: cut first, jet after.
Where we offer hydro jetting
- Magnolia: our home neighborhood (98199).
- Queen Anne
- Interbay
- Ballard: grease-prone kitchen lines in multifamily and mixed-use buildings
- Fremont: root maintenance for older 98103 side sewers
Related services
- Drain Cleaning: Kitchen, bath, laundry and main-line clogs cleared, with a camera when the clog keeps coming back.
- Trenchless Sewer Repair: Replace or reline a sewer pipe with less digging, where the pipe and site allow it.
- Sewer Camera Inspection: See inside your side sewer: roots, cracks, sags and offsets, and what the video and findings should show.
- Sewer Repair: Broken, sagging, root-filled or backed-up sewer lines, diagnosed on camera before any digging.
Get help with hydro jetting
Call 206-593-3737, or send us a request online and we’ll get back to you.