Jetting versus cabling
A drain cable bores a hole through a blockage. Water flows again, the homeowner is happy, and everything that was coating the pipe wall is still there. That is why cabled lines so often back up again within months.
A jetter sends water through a nozzle at high pressure. Forward jets break up the obstruction and rearward jets pull the hose along while scouring the full circumference of the pipe. The line comes back closer to its original bore rather than just open enough to drain.
Why the camera comes first
Jetting is the right tool on sound pipe and the wrong one on pipe that is already failing. High-pressure water through a cracked clay line, badly corroded cast iron, or deformed Orangeburg can turn a blockage into a collapse.
So we scope the line before the jetter comes out. If the pipe is sound, jetting is the most thorough clean available. If it is not, we will tell you that and talk about repair options instead of selling you a clean that makes things worse.
What jetting is good at here
- Grease and soap scale. Kitchen and laundry lines in older Littleton homes build it up over decades.
- Root debris after cutting. Jetting flushes out what a root cutter leaves behind.
- Scale in cast iron. The 1950s to 70s housing here has a lot of it. Descaling nozzles take it back toward bare metal.
- Sand and silt. Lines with a slight belly collect it, and a cable just pushes it further along.
- Pre-lining preparation. A liner will not bond to a dirty wall, so jetting is a required step before CIPP lining.
What jetting will not fix
A clean pipe is still a broken pipe if it was broken to begin with. Jetting does nothing for a belly, a collapsed section, separated joints or a line that has lost grade. If the camera shows any of those, cleaning buys time rather than solving anything, and we will say so.
Line backing up again and again?
Repeat blockages in the same spot usually mean the pipe, not the clog. Let us look.
Call (303) 555-0147Questions we get asked
Is hydro jetting safe for old pipes?
Not always, which is why we camera the line first. On sound clay, cast iron or PVC it is safe and thorough. On cracked clay, badly corroded cast iron or deformed Orangeburg, high-pressure water can turn a blockage into a collapse.
How often should a sewer line be jetted?
Most Littleton homes never need it on a schedule. Where a line has a known root problem or a slight belly that collects silt, every 18 to 24 months is a common interval. If you need it more often than that, the pipe itself is the problem.
Will jetting get rid of tree roots permanently?
No. Jetting and cutting remove the roots that are in the pipe, but the entry point at the joint is still there and the roots come back. Lining the pipe closes the entry points, which is the permanent fix.
Jetting or cabling — which do I need?
Cabling is fine for a one-off blockage in a sound line. Jetting is the better answer for grease, scale, silt, repeat blockages, and anywhere a liner is going in afterwards. The camera run usually makes the choice obvious.
Jetting or something else?
Jetting is right for grease, scale and silt in a sound pipe, and wrong for a line that is already cracked. We camera first for exactly that reason.
Platte Sewer Co. — sewer line repair in Littleton, CO. Open 24 hours.