SINCE 2010
Hydro jetting in Southwest Florida
Slow drains all over the house, or one line that clogs again a few weeks after it was snaked? That usually means build up on the pipe wall, and hydro jetting clears it. We call it line jetting. High pressure water scours grease, roots, sand and scale off the inside of the pipe and puts the line back to full bore. We do it for homes, restaurants, property managers and cities across six Southwest Florida counties. Call the office and a real person answers.
When you need it
Most people call about jetting after a cable has been down the line once or twice. The drain runs for a while, then slows again. That means the pipe wall is coated, not just plugged.
More than one drain in the house is slow at the same time. A tub or floor drain gurgles when the toilet flushes. A sewer smell comes up from a drain or from the cleanout in the yard.
For a restaurant it is the kitchen floor drain that backs up during the dinner rush, or the line between the sinks and the grease trap that keeps slowing down. The grease trap is the tank that catches fat before it reaches the sewer or the septic tank.
For a city or county it is a storm line or sewer main that does not carry what it should, or a pipe that has to be clean before a camera can inspect it.
What we do on the visit
First we find the access point. On a house that is usually the cleanout, a capped pipe near the foundation or in the yard that opens into the sewer line. No cleanout? We work from the septic tank or a roof vent. For a city, the manhole.
If we do not know what the pipe is made of or what is blocking it, we run a camera down first. Jetting pressure has to suit the pipe, and a look inside tells us whether we are cutting roots, grease or sand.
The jetter is a hose with a nozzle on the end. The nozzle sprays water backward at high pressure, which pulls the hose up the line and scours the pipe wall. A forward jet cuts through the blockage. We work the line in passes until it runs at full bore: the whole inside width of the pipe open, not just a hole through the middle.
The loosened material flushes back to the access point and we remove it. Bigger jobs get the vacuum truck.
On a tough line we run the camera again and show you what we found. If there is a break, a belly (a low sag that holds water) or a root ball that keeps coming back, we tell you what a fix would take and give you an honest price on the spot.
What affects the job here
Southwest Florida is sand and shell over limestone. Sand gets into a line through any cracked joint and settles in the low spots. Jetting pushes it out, but if the joint is open it comes back, which is why we like to see the line on camera before and after.
The water table sits high for much of the year, highest in the wet season, roughly June to October. When the ground is saturated, groundwater leaks into old lines through the same cracks. A line that only backs up in summer is often telling you that. Jetting alone will not stop it.
On a septic system the house line is only part of the story. If the tank is full or the drain field (the buried trenches that soak water into the ground) is under water, the line is not the problem. We check the tank rather than jet a line that has nowhere to drain.
Trees and shrubs here grow all year, and roots follow the water into a leaking joint. Jetting cuts them out but does not seal the joint, so we will talk about how often the line needs a pass, or whether a repair makes more sense.
Jetting needs no permit. If the camera finds damage on the septic side, the repair may need one through the county office. We handle that paperwork with the repair.
Homes, businesses, or both
All three. Line jetting is one service we do for every kind of customer.
For homeowners it is the fix for the drain that keeps clogging, and for the line between the house and the septic tank. If it is two in the morning and everything is backing up, call anyway. We offer 24/7 emergency service and a real person answers.
For restaurants and property managers it is the kitchen line and the line out of the grease trap, on a schedule so the crew comes before the line slows the kitchen down. Builders call us to clear construction debris from a new line before final inspection.
For cities and counties we jet storm lines, sewer mains, and lines that must be clean before a camera inspection. Call the office to talk about scope, scheduling and a contract if you want one.
Call (239) 225-2255. It is the direct office line, not a tracking number, and a real person answers. Tell us what is going on and we will get you on the schedule.
Common questions
Is hydro jetting the same as line jetting?
Yes. It is the same job under two names. We say line jetting, and most people search for hydro jetting. Either way it is high pressure water through a hose that cleans the inside of the pipe.
Is hydro jetting safe for my pipes?
On sound pipe, yes. On old cast iron or clay we run a camera first and match the pressure to what we see. If the pipe cannot take it, we tell you before we start and talk through a repair instead.
Will jetting fix my septic backup?
Sometimes. If the line between the house and the tank is blocked, jetting clears it. If the tank is full or the drain field is under water, the line is not the problem, and we check the tank on the same visit so you do not pay for the wrong fix.
How is jetting different from snaking the line?
A cable pokes a hole through the clog and leaves the rest of the build up on the pipe wall. Jetting scours the whole inside of the pipe. That is why a snaked line often slows down again in a few weeks and a jetted one does not.
How often should a restaurant have its lines jetted?
It depends on how much grease the kitchen puts down and how far the trap sits from the sinks. We set a schedule after the first visit, once we have seen the line. Call the office and we will get you on the schedule.
Do you jet storm drains and sewer mains for cities?
Yes. Line jetting is one of the services we do for cities and counties, along with lift station work and hydro excavation. Call the office to talk about scope, scheduling and a contract if you want one.