Hydro jetting - London, Ontario
Your drain was cleared. So why is it clogged again?
A snake punches a hole through the blockage. Hydro jetting strips the pipe walls clean - the grease, scale and root fibre that cause the clog to come back.
Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm - same-day answer
5.0 on GoogleSnaking versus jetting
Both have their place. The difference is what is left behind in the pipe.
| Category | Drain snake | Hydro jetting |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Bores a channel through the blockage | Scours the full diameter of the pipe wall |
| Grease and soap buildup | Left coating the pipe | Stripped off the walls |
| Root fibres at joints | Partly torn through | Cut back and flushed out |
| Scale narrowing the line | Untouched | Removed |
| Typical result | Flow restored through a narrowed pipe | Line back to full diameter |
| Camera-checked before and after |
Snaking versus jetting
Both have their place. The difference is what is left behind in the pipe.
Bores a channel through the blockage
Scours the full diameter of the pipe wall
Left coating the pipe
Stripped off the walls
Partly torn through
Cut back and flushed out
Untouched
Removed
Flow restored through a narrowed pipe
Line back to full diameter
How a jetting job runs.
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Camera first, always
The line is inspected before jetting. Not every pipe should be jetted - the line has to be sound enough to take the pressure and free of collapse.
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In through the cleanout
The jetting hose is fed in and a nozzle directs high-pressure water forward and back to scour the full pipe diameter.
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Buildup flushed downstream
Grease, soap, scale and root fibre come off the walls and flush away. The pipe is left smooth, not merely open.
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Camera again to confirm
A second camera pass confirms the line is genuinely clean and shows anything the buildup was hiding.
The homeowner's guide
The clog is not the problem. The buildup is.
A drain snake punches a hole through a blockage. Water flows again and it feels fixed - but the grease coating the walls, the root fibres at the joints, and the scale narrowing the pipe are all still there. That is why the clog comes back.
How jetting is different
Hydro jetting does not punch a hole - it strips the pipe walls clean. A specialized nozzle directs high-pressure water, up to 4,000 PSI, backward and forward to scour the full diameter of the line. Grease, soap buildup, mineral scale and root fibre come off the walls and flush downstream, leaving the pipe smooth instead of merely open.
Every jetting job is camera-checked before and after: before, because not every pipe should be jetted; after, to confirm the line is genuinely clean and to show anything the buildup was hiding. Done this way, jetting is safe for sound pipe of any age - the pressure is matched to the line, not run at maximum by default.
When jetting is the right call
- Recurring clogs in the same drain - the same line snaked more than once
- Grease-loaded kitchen lines, where a snake clears a channel and leaves the coating
- Commercial kitchen and restaurant drains under constant grease load
- Scale and buildup narrowing older lines
- Root fibre at the joints after the roots have been cut
When it is not
A cracked, collapsed, or badly deteriorated pipe should not take high-pressure water - which is exactly what the camera inspection before the job is for. If the line cannot handle jetting, you are told, and we talk about repair instead of selling you a cleaning that will not hold.
What jetting actually removes
The nozzle scours the full interior of the pipe, not a channel through the middle. Off the walls and flushed downstream go:
- Grease laid down in layers over years of kitchen use
- Soap and detergent buildup from bathroom lines
- Mineral scale narrowing the pipe's diameter
- Root fibres clinging at the joints after cutting
- Sediment and sludge settled in low spots
Jetting, snaking, or camera first?
For a first-time clog, a standard drain cleaning is usually the right and cheaper call. For a drain you have cleared before that keeps coming back, jetting removes the cause instead of the symptom. And when nobody knows why a line keeps failing, the camera comes first - because the answer might not be buildup at all.
Whichever it is, the price is quoted flat-rate before work starts, based on what the camera actually shows - and the work carries a warranty on parts and labour.
Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm. Same-day answer, flat-rate quote before any work.
Real Serpa jobs
Drain and sewer work
Common questions about hydro jetting
Straight answers before you call.
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A snake clears a path so water runs again. Jetting removes what is lining the pipe - which is what makes the clog return. If you have had the same line snaked more than once, the buildup is the actual problem.
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It is, in a sound line - which is why a camera inspection comes first. If the pipe is cracked, collapsed or too deteriorated to take pressure, jetting is not recommended and you will be told so.
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Repeat clogs in the same drain, grease-loaded kitchen lines, commercial kitchen drains, and preparing a line before further work.
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Quoted flat-rate after the camera inspection, because the price depends on the line and what is in it. You approve the number before work starts.
Same drain, again?
Same-Day Answer
Call or send the job and you hear back from Steve the SAME business day - what it likely is, what it likely costs, and when he can come.
Call (519) 777-5741Replies Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm
Planning the work?
Flat-Rate Quote First
Describe the job and get a written flat-rate quote before any work starts. The number you approve is the number you pay.
Get a Flat-Rate QuoteWarranty on all work