Hydro-Jetting vs Plumbing Snake

June 14th, 2012 Posted in Drain Cleaning
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Two common methods of clearing clogged sewer and septic lines are high pressure hydro-jetting and using a mechanical plumbing snake.  Traditionally, plumbers and sewer-septic professionals used plumbing snakes to clear clogs, but in recent years hydro-jetting has become an increasingly popular tool for cleaning sewer lines.

A professional plumber snake is also referred to as a cable machine, an auger, or a rooter.  It is similar to those homeowner’s plumbing snakes sold at the local home improvement center, but far more powerful and sophisticated.  A professional cable machine has a heavy duty flexible steel cable with cutting heads attached to the end of it.

The cable is inserted into a clogged sewer line or drain line and an electric motor spins the cable and cutting heads.  The cutting heads will cut through most types of clogs including tree roots, paper, sludge, and other debris.  When operated by an experienced plumber, a plumbing snake or auger is a safe and effective means to clear tough clogs in drain lines and sewer lines.

Hydro-jetting is a relatively recent innovation for drain cleaning.  Instead of using a mechanical cutting head, hydro-jetting works a little like a common pressure washer and uses jets of high pressure water to cut through sewer line and drain line clogs.  A hydro-jetting machine has a high pressure hose with a special spray head attached to the end of it.  This end is inserted into the pipe and high pressurized water spray blasts away grease, sludge, and other debris.  Hydro-jetting is even powerful enough to cut through tree roots.

Both methods work well, but depending on situation including the type, nature, and location of the clog, your plumber will choose the method that will get the best result.

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Professional Drain Cleaning Alternatives

June 14th, 2012 Posted in Drain Cleaning
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A slow or backed up drain at your home or business is at best an inconvenience and at worst a sign of a serious problem.  Unless the clogged drain responds quickly to a few simple techniques that most homeowners can handle, an experienced plumber should be called as soon as possible to clear the clogged drain.

Not only does your plumber have the experience and equipment to handle drain cleaning quickly and safely, but they also be able to tell if your slow or backed up drain is a localized clog or a sign of a much more serious problem.

If the problem is with a single sink, toilet, tub, or other drain, then the homeowner may want to try clearing the clog using a household plunger or plumbing snake.  Be careful if using a plumbing snake.  Used improperly they can damage pipes and if it gets caught in the plumbing you will have an even bigger problem.

When these methods fail, or if more than one drain is backed up, it’s time to call a drain cleaning professional.  There could be a problem such as a collapsed sewer or septic drain line or the drain line could be infiltrated by tree roots.

A sewer septic professional will be able to identify these and other problems using a high tech video camera to inspect the inside of the pipes.  Once the problem is identified, your plumber can provide repair alternatives or clear the clog using high pressure hydro-jetting or professional powered drain cleaning augers.

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Septic Tanks Need Pumping!

June 14th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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If your home is on a septic system and you have asked friends and neighbors about how often the septic tank should be pumped, you have probably gotten answers ranging from “every year” to “never”.  The correct answer is it depends, but for most systems pumping the septic tank every three to five years is enough to will keep it working great.

If you ask enough people about septic tank pumping, you will eventually talk to someone who says something like “we’ve had a septic tank for 20 years – never had it pumped and it works just fine.”  That may be true, but every septic system is different and waiting 20 years to have a septic tank pumped is just inviting disaster.

Septic tanks need to be pumped regularly because over time, the layer of solid material at the bottom of the tank (the sludge layer) grows.  As the sludge layer gets deeper, it takes up more space in the tank and there is less room for the liquid effluent.  The septic tank is sized to hold the liquid waste for about 48 hours before it flows out to the leach field, but when the sludge layer gets too deep it causes the effluent to flow out to the leach field sooner.

When this happens, the effluent carries more solid material with it which will start clogging up the leach field (also called the drain field).  It can take months or years, but once the leach field becomes clogged its capacity to dispose of liquid waste will decrease and untreated liquid sewage will start making its way to the surface instead of leaching into the soil.

In most cases, the only response to a clogged, failed drain field is to abandon the existing drain field and install a new one.  Avoid the expense of drain field repairs or a new drain field by having your septic tank pumped every three to five years.

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