Hydro jetting: what the machine does.
A jetting hose carries water at high pressure to a nozzle with forward and rear facing jets. The rear jets pull the hose through the pipe, and the forward jet breaks up the blockage. The spray also scrubs the pipe wall, which a cable cannot do.
That scrubbing is the point. A cable punches a hole through a clog and leaves the grease and scale on the walls. The hole closes again over weeks. Jetting takes the buildup off the walls, so the pipe is close to its full diameter again.
Sewer backup: what to do first.
- Stop the water. No sinks, showers, washing machines or flushing until the line is open.
- Close the lids and plugs on floor drains and tubs that may back up.
- Keep people and pets out of any area where sewage has come up.
- Do not pour bleach or cleaners into the backed up fixture.
- Photograph the damage for your insurer before cleanup starts.
Once the water is down, we jet the line and check the result with a camera if you want proof the pipe is clear.
When jetting is the right tool.
Grease buildup.
Restaurant lines and older kitchen drains collect grease that cables cannot remove.
Tree roots.
Fine root hairs growing through a joint can be cut and flushed out, though a damaged joint still needs repair.
Scale and sludge.
Years of hard water minerals and soap residue narrow the pipe.
Repeat backups.
If a cable fixed it only for a few weeks, the walls are the problem.
Before relining.
A pipe must be cleaned thoroughly before a liner goes in. See sewer line repair.
Cable or jetting.
Neither tool fixes a broken pipe. If the line is damaged, we say so and show it on camera.
Cable machine.
- Good for a single soft clog.
- Quick and lower cost.
- Leaves buildup on pipe walls.
- Can snag in a broken or offset pipe.
Hydro jetting.
- Cleans the full circumference of the pipe.
- Best for grease, scale and root hairs.
- Needs a clear cleanout to feed the hose.
- Not suited to a pipe that is already cracked or collapsing.
When we do not jet.
Jetting pushes high pressure water into a pipe, so the pipe has to be sound. Brittle cast iron, a cracked clay line or a joint that has dropped can be damaged by the spray. That is why we often run a camera first on older Garfield lines and decide on the evidence.
If the camera shows a break, a belly that holds water or a collapsed section, the job moves to sewer line repair. Cleaning a broken pipe only delays the failure.
What a jetting visit includes.
Find the access point.
A cleanout in the cellar or yard is best. If none exists, we explain the options for adding one.
Pre check.
A cable or camera identifies the obstruction and the condition of the pipe.
Jet the line.
We feed the hose and nozzle in, working back and forth until water runs clear.
Confirm.
We flush the line and, if you want, record a camera pass after cleaning.
Garfield lines that benefit most.
Mixed use buildings along Passaic Street often have restaurant or laundry drains tied into old lines, which makes grease and lint a regular problem. Hard water in Belmont and the south end of town, noted in the city's 2018 water quality report, leaves scale on the same pipes.
A commercial kitchen can also be handled under commercial plumbing, with a maintenance schedule that fits your hours.
What affects the price of jetting.
You hear the price before the hose goes in. If the camera shows a repair is needed, we explain the choices and cost before moving on.
Related help.
Standard clogs are covered on the drain cleaning page, and mainline work is on sewer line cleaning. Neighbors in Elmwood Park and Saddle Brook reach the same crew.
Questions homeowners ask us.
Yes. A sewer backup does not wait for business hours, and the emergency line answers 24/7. A technician will confirm whether jetting or a cable is the right first step.
On a sound pipe it is safe when done correctly. On a cracked or collapsed pipe it can make things worse, which is why we often run a camera first.
It depends on the cause. Grease and scale cleaned from the walls stay away longer than a cable clearing, but roots and damaged pipe can return.
It clears fine root hairs and sections of root. Roots that enter through a broken joint grow back until the joint is repaired.
Yes, the equipment is larger. It makes sense for repeat clogs or buildup, not for a simple sink clog.
It often helps if the pipe is intact. If the camera shows heavy corrosion, we advise on repair before jetting.
Written by the Garfield Express Plumbing team. Updated October 16, 2026.