Is Hydro Jetting Safe for Old Pipes?

Are your drains sluggish? Is water pooling in your sink? If so, you probably need to clean your drains and pipes. But don’t reach for that drain snake or, worse yet, a corrosive drain cleaning fluid. 

The best way to clean out your system is to get a hydro jetting service from a trained, professional plumber. You might well ask, “Is hydro jetting safe for old pipes?” The short answer is yes, but there are a few things to consider first, including pre-existing damage to your pipes.

At Babe Plumbing, we are Mankato’s hydro jetting services premier specialists, offering drain cleaning services to Mankato, MN, and its neighboring cities. Our licensed and certified technicians can handle your toughest clogs, using state-of-the-art eco-friendly hydro jetting technology to clear everything from sludge and grease buildup to ingrowing tree roots.

What Is Hydro Jetting?

Hydro jetting uses a portable device called a jetter. The components of a jetter include a high-capacity water tank, a pressurized nozzle, and a long hose to reach deep into your plumbing system. The jetter sprays water at high pressure into the pipe to clear away the clog. 

Jetters also have their own mini cameras so your plumber can see inside the drain as they clean it out. This video camera enables the accurate direction of the pressurized water to get your most stubborn clogs out.

A jetter typically exerts a water pressure of 4,000 psi, but it can go as high as 35,000 psi. These pressure levels can be dangerous for inexperienced users to handle and can lead to serious injury. That’s why you need to hire a trained and certified professional whose regular plumbing service options include hydro jetting.

Is Hydro Jetting Safe for Old Pipes?

This is the most frequently asked question about hydro jetting. The answer depends on what your pipe material:

• Clay pipes: Clay pipes are relatively durable, but due to the porosity of clay, they can disintegrate over time. This is especially true for buried pipes that are subjected to rain and groundwater seepage.
• Copper pipes: Copper pipes are known for their long-term durability and tensile strength. However, copper rusts and corrodes over time, leaving the pipes cracked and damaged, so do a video inspection before scheduling hydro jetting.
• Cast iron pipes: While they are strong, cast iron pipes are prone to corrosion. Corrosive sediment also collects inside the pipe, causing blockages that affect your entire drainage system.
• Polymer composite pipes: PVC and ABS pipes are common in modern homes. Their key benefit is that they don’t rust or corrode. However, they do become brittle over time and lose their structural integrity, especially when exposed to very cold temperatures.

So, is hydro jetting safe for old pipes? The answer is yes, if your drainage system has been well-maintained over the years. If your pipes are more than 50 years old, snaking may be a safer option.

How Do I Know If Hydro Jetting Is a Viable Option for My Property?

The first step in hydro jetting is to inspect your pipes for any structural damage. This includes:

• External inspection: A visual inspection of all your exposed, above-ground pipes to look for cracks, pinholes, and other structural damage.
• Internal inspection: A camera inspection to look inside your pipes to pinpoint the location of your clogs. This also allows technicians to assess the general structural integrity of your pipes.

If your pipes are structurally sound, hydro jetting is a great way to get even the most stubborn clogs out of your system. Unfortunately, seriously damaged pipes are not a good candidate for hydro jetting because the pressure of the water stream can cause compromised pipes to burst.

If your plumber finds a significant amount of damage in your drainage system, they might recommend replacing the damaged portions before hydro jetting.

Risks of Hydro Jetting

When carried out by licensed and trained professionals, hydro jetting is a safe and eco-friendly method of clearing your plumbing lines, drains, and sewer pipes. However, if you don’t hire a trained plumber, you could run into problems such as:

• Burst pipes: Hydro jetting damage is rare if your pipes are not yet 50 years old and are in good condition. If your pipes are brittle or cracked, hydro jetting can cause them to burst, causing water damage to the surrounding area.
• DIY hydro jetting: Hydro jetting is a dangerous job because of the extremely high pressure used to shoot the water through your plumbing system. It’s always important to work with a licensed and certified plumber who has experience with hydro jetting and training on the Minnesota Plumbing Code.

Benefits of Hydro Jetting

Hydro jetting offers a number of benefits over traditional drain cleaning methods:

• Eco-friendly: Using pressurized water means you don’t have harsh, toxic chemicals running through your system. 
• Maintains structural integrity: Traditional drain cleaning gels and liquids contain corrosive chemicals that can corrode your existing pipes. Hydro jetting cleans your system without causing further damage to your system.
• Long-term solution: Hydro jetting clears out clogs in the center of your drainage and sewer pipes and cleans the internal surface of the pipes. Your system will be less prone to developing new clogs and blockages after the service.
• Fast service: Unlike traditional methods, hydro jetting clears out your entire system with one service call. Most calls last about two hours, including post-service clean-up.

Call Babe Plumbing for Hassle-free Hydro Jetting

When it comes to cleaning your pipes, the key points to remember are that you need to have your plumbing system thoroughly inspected before you start. It is also crucial to work with a plumber who is trained and certified in hydro jetting. Is hydro jetting safe for old pipes? The answer is yes, it is a perfectly safe, non-invasive method of drain and pipe cleaning.

At Babe Plumbing, we can answer questions like “How long does hydro jetting take?” and deliver fast, professional service to fix slow drains. 

Call us at (507) 418-8387 for high-quality hydro jetting services for commercial and residential properties in Mankato, MN, and the surrounding area.

Author Bio:

Jeff Jordan and Anne Jordan

The wizards at Babe Plumbing. With synchronized finesse, they flawlessly orchestrate service excellence, transforming appointment chaos into a harmonious symphony of plumbing solutions, leaving customers impressed and ever-grateful for their unrivaled coordination.