Hydro jetting is a powerful technique that uses high water pressure and a variety of specialty nozzles to clear heavy debris out of pipes. Think of it as a super high-end pressure washer.
Plumbers can use it to clear and remove tree roots, grease, scale, compacted soil, and other substances that are clogging a pipe, grease line, sewer line or main line.
Hydro jetting to the rescue: a commercial plumbing story
When we first received a call from a local business in the construction industry, they were simply requesting that we check the toilets at their headquarters. One toilet was leaking, one was filling slowly, and others weren’t flushing quite right.
This led our plumbing crew on an expedition of sorts: What was causing these simultaneous issues? Where was the obstruction? What was the obstruction? And what was the best way to clear it without damaging the pipes?
On paper, it looks like a straightforward job. Our team evaluated the problematic water closets (that’s plumber-speak for toilets) and found the blockage in the mainline underneath the slab. Then they ran a camera down the pipe, removed and drained the toilet, shut off the water, hydro jetted the line to remove the obstruction, and ran a camera down again to confirm that the obstruction was gone.
Behind the scenes, though, it was a lot tricker—and a lot messier.
When they ran a camera through the pipe they saw the culprit: shop rags, those thick, absorbent disposable towels that are great for cleaning up grease but that shouldn’t be anywhere near a toilet.
To get them out, Tom Redding, our lead plumber, said once the team drained the water out of the toilet line and disconnected the water supply, they discovered that the angle of the plumbing wouldn’t allow them to run the hydro jetter directly down to the main line.
They tried to get to it through the ceiling, which didn’t work. As a last resort, “we had to cut a 12–by-12 square out of the wall five feet above the toilet to make the sweep,” he said.
To get the shop rags out, they had to start with a cable machine to fish out the sopping rags. Then they were abel to get the hydro jetter in to flush the rest of the debris (a.k.a raw sewage) through the line. But not before it had partially flooded the bathroom—let’s just say they dealt with a lot of unmentionable stuff that day.
What was the result?
Toilets that work! If you ever needed an object lesson about why you’re only supposed to flush organic waste and toilet paper down, this would be it.
Thank you to Tom and the crew for persevering through a pretty involved job and helping our customer out.
Our Company
Capital Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric has been serving the South Sound in Washington state for three generations. Our highly trained technicians deliver top-notch service and the latest in home systems innovations.
Our Expert
Tom Redding is the lead plumber for Capital Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric and has more than 30 years of experience in the field. In addition to repairs, he designs and installs complex plumbing and mechanical systems.