Every building and road are vulnerable to slow or clogged sewers/drains regardless if it’s a house, business, commercial or industrial building. Causes of these blockages can be anything from materials like toys, nappies shoved down a toilet, a build-up of food, plaster, grease, debris in drains, routes from trees growing through them
There are many ways for you to clear drains. Two of these come to mind:
- a plumbing auger/Snake or
- a hydro-jetting
Each has its own purpose depending on the type of blockage and circumstance.
What is Hydro-jetting and what are the pros and cons?
A Hydro-jet is a powerful high-pressure machine that has a special hose and nozzle with a high-pressure centre and 180-degree outer spray, designed to blow through anything in front of it and apply tremendous pressure to force any obstacles in its path. More regularly used as a reactive method but when used as a form of maintenance it can be a major cost saver.
Pros of Hydro-Jetting
- Effective and fast method of unclogging the most stubborn and toughest blockages from pipes and drains
- Clears any residual or build-up of grease or limescale from drains and pipe walls
- Environmentally Friendly – hydro-jetter only use water with no chemicals which are safer for the environment and for your pipes
- Cost saver if used as a preventative – regular jetting at least once a year can reduce the need for an emergency plumbing call outs, and prevent big build ups that may lead to clogs and blockages
Cons of Hydro-jetting
- Can get stuck while trying to spin through the obstacles
- Not effective for liquid clogs
- Doesn’t always get through the blockages
- If you have old and fragile pipes the pressure from the hydro-jetter may cause damage
What is a Plumbing auger/ snake and what are the pros and cons?
A plumbing auger is a machine with long hose that can have multiple tool connections that help to cut anything by spinning rapidly in a pipe/drain.
Pros of a plumbing auger/snake
- Can cut through easy obstacles in drains
- Environmentally Friendly – Better than using chemicals
- Great for reactive pipe blockages
Cons of a plumbing auger/snake
- Can get stuck while trying to spin through the obstacles
- Not effective for liquid clogs
- Doesn’t always get through the blockages
- Can be abrasive on pipes
- If you have old and fragile pipes may cause damage
Why choose hydro-jetting over plumbing auger/snake?
Whilst a plumbing auger is effective to get through root’s in a drain they are also known for their abrasive impact on the pipes and statistically known to more than likely damage your pipes. A hydro-jetter will break through the blockage and flush out anything in its way. For us, it’s a quicker and safer solution.
A great example of the two can be seen in this video below:
Again, it’s not about hydro-jetting vs. plumbing snake, both could do the job it just depends on which is available and which is more suitable for the works you are carrying out. For us, we prefer the hydro-jetter as its a more efficient and friendlier on your plumbing systems pipes.
