When jetting earns its place
- A kitchen line that clogs again within months of being cabled
- A main that keeps getting sludge build-up in a low spot
- Root fines left behind after a root-cutting head has done its job
- Ahead of a camera run, so the pipe wall shows clearly
Safety first: look before you jet
Jetting at full pressure into a cracked clay tile or a cast-iron pipe with its bottom rotted out can make things worse. On mains in older homes we run a camera first. If the pipe is badly broken, jetting is not the answer and we will say so. In PVC and sound cast iron it is safe and very effective.
How the job runs
- Find the best access, usually a cleanout on the main stack or at the front wall.
- Choose the nozzle: a penetrating head to open a hard blockage, then a flushing head to clean the wall.
- Feed the hose upstream from the cleanout and let the rear jets pull it along while it washes debris toward the city sewer.
- Make several passes over problem areas, then run the camera again to show you the result.
Expect plenty of water during jetting. We protect the cleanout area with tarps and buckets, and you may hear the line roar for a while. That is normal.
Making the result last
A cleaned kitchen line stays clean if grease stays out of it. For roots, jetting buys time, but a pipe with open joints will be found again. Our sewer line repair page covers longer-term fixes.
What we open up on this job
| Part | Where we find it | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Clay tile lateral | Pre-1970s streets in Woodbridge and Thornhill | Root cut, camera, spot or full replacement |
| Cast-iron building drain | Houses of the 1950s to 1970s | Scale cut, inspect for cracks and channelling |
| PVC lateral | Most homes from the 1980s on | Clear, locate sags or offset joints |
| Backwater valve | Required in many new builds and retrofits | Open the lid, clean the flap, test the gate |
Signs it is time to call
- All the fixtures go sluggish together
- Water comes up the floor drain when you do laundry
- Toilet bubbles while a sink drains
- Soggy dip in the grass above where the lateral runs
- Roots pulled back on the cable last time
On the truck for this one
- Sectional machine with root cutter
- Hydro-jetter with sewer nozzles
- Push camera with locator sonde
- Receiver to mark depth on the lawn
- Test plugs and ball
Quick answers
Will jetting damage my pipes?
A healthy pipe shrugs it off once the pump is set to suit the diameter, which is why older mains get a camera pass before any water goes in.
How long does it take?
A kitchen branch can be done quickly; a full main with root debris takes longer. We give you a time estimate when we see the access.