High Pressure Water Jetting Explained
When plungers and chemicals fail, high pressure water jetting is the ultimate solution for clearing stubborn blockages and restoring your drains.
If you have a severely blocked drain, standard rodding or chemical cleaners often aren't enough. They might punch a small hole through the blockage, allowing water to drain temporarily, but the core issue remains. For a complete, long-lasting clean, professionals turn to high pressure water jetting.
At CleverWorks, we frequently use water jetting in conjunction with a CCTV drainage survey to ensure drains in London are left spotless and structurally sound.
What is High Pressure Water Jetting?
High pressure water jetting (often just called "drain jetting") involves pumping water through a specialized nozzle at extremely high pressures—often up to 4,000 PSI. The nozzle is fed down the drainage pipe, and the force of the water blasts away anything in its path.
The nozzles are designed to spray water forwards to break up the blockage, and backwards to propel the hose through the pipe and scour the pipe walls clean.
What Can Drain Jetting Clear?
Water jetting is incredibly powerful and versatile. It is the preferred method for clearing:
- Fatbergs: Solidified masses of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) that plague commercial kitchens and residential drains.
- Tree Roots: Specialized cutting nozzles can slice through fibrous tree roots that have infiltrated the pipe.
- Scale Buildup: Hard water scale and uric scale can narrow pipes over time; jetting strips this away, restoring the pipe to its original diameter.
- Silt and Debris: Heavy buildup of mud, leaves, and construction debris.
Why is it Better Than Rodding?
Drain rodding involves pushing flexible steel rods down the pipe to physically dislodge a blockage. While useful for simple, soft blockages near the manhole, rodding has limitations. It only clears a path the width of the rod, leaving grease and scale clinging to the pipe walls.
High pressure water jetting, on the other hand, cleans the entire circumference of the pipe, providing a much more thorough and longer-lasting solution.
The Importance of a CCTV Drainage Survey First
Because water jetting is so powerful, it is crucial to know the condition of the pipe before starting. If a pipe is old, fragile, or already collapsed, blasting it with 4,000 PSI of water could cause further damage.
This is why CleverWorks often recommends a quick CCTV drainage survey before jetting. By inspecting the pipe with a camera first, our engineers can assess the structural integrity and adjust the water pressure accordingly, ensuring a safe and effective clean.
Need your drains professionally cleaned? Book a drain jetting service today or call CleverWorks on 01932 544 095.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is high pressure water jetting?
High pressure water jetting is a professional drain cleaning method that uses water blasted at extremely high pressures to cut through blockages, fatbergs, scale, and tree roots, restoring the pipe to full capacity.
Is drain jetting safe for old pipes?
Yes, when performed by trained professionals. We often conduct a CCTV drainage survey first to assess the pipe's condition and adjust the water pressure accordingly to ensure no damage is caused to older or fragile pipes.