Hydro Jetting in Cartersville, GA

Hydro jetting clears a sewer line by feeding a hose and nozzle through it and blasting the inside of the pipe with water at high pressure. What that achieves depends partly on where the line ends. Depending on the property, a house may send its waste to a public sewer main or to a septic tank in the yard, and while the cleaning method stays the same, the questions around it change.

Find out where your line goes

If a sewer charge appears on the water bill, the house is very likely tied into a public main. If not, or if there is a tank lid or riser somewhere in the yard, it probably drains to a septic tank. Paperwork from the purchase, such as septic installation records or an inspection report, can settle the question. The technician will ask, because the answer changes how far the jetter goes and what a backup might mean.

Jetting a line that runs to the public sewer

On a house connected to a city main, the private line runs from the foundation to the point where it joins the public system. Grease, wipes, roots and scale in that private run are what jetting removes. The nozzle is usually sent from a cleanout near the house toward the street, scouring the pipe along the way. A sewer camera inspection before and after can show the visible condition of the pipe and whether a blockage sits on the private side or farther out.

Jetting a line that runs to a septic tank

With a septic system, the building sewer runs from the house to the tank inlet. Jetting can clear grease and paper from that pipe just as it would from a city connection. What it cannot do is empty a full tank, unblock an outlet baffle or revive a saturated drain field. If every drain is sluggish and the line looks clean on camera, the trouble may be in the septic system itself, and the tank should be checked by a septic company. Cleaning only the house line in that situation would not end the backups.

What jetting will not fix on either kind of line

• A pipe that has collapsed, cracked open or separated at a joint
• A sag where water and solids sit in a low spot
• Roots that grow back through joints left open
• Fragile older pipe that cannot take high pressure

For those conditions, the camera footage becomes the basis for main sewer line repair, and jetting either waits or serves as preparation for the repair.

How the visit goes

Expect questions first: which drains are slow, whether anything has backed up, how old the house is and where the line ends. Then the technician locates a cleanout, runs the camera if the line allows it, picks a nozzle and pressure for the pipe, and jets in passes. A final camera run checks the result. If there is no cleanout, the access options are explained before work begins. Our broader hydro jetting overview has more on the jetter and how it is used.

Septic and sewer questions in Cartersville

Can hydro jetting harm a septic system?

Jetting the line from the house to the tank adds water and flushes loosened debris into the tank, so the method and handling of loosened material need to suit the septic system. Do not open a tank lid yourself; have a septic professional assess access and system condition. Cleaning only the building sewer does not reach the drain field. A septic tank normally holds liquid at its operating level. Excess solids, an obstructed outlet or a failing or saturated field can make added flow a problem, so a septic professional should assess the system before cleaning.

Who deals with a blockage in the public sewer main?

If the camera shows your line is clear and the problem lies beyond it, contact the utility that runs the sewer main. Camera footage helps show whether the problem lies in the private line or beyond it. If it is beyond, the next call is to the utility, and the recording gives them a clear picture of what was found.

Should the septic tank be pumped before the line is jetted?

Not as a rule. If the camera shows a clog in the line itself, the cleaning plan still needs to account for the tank and disposal of loosened material. If the line looks clear but drains still back up, or the tank has not been serviced in years, a septic company should assess the tank, outlet and field before deciding whether pumping or another action is appropriate. Pumping alone does not restore a failed drain field.

Schedule a cleaning or a camera look

Whether your Cartersville house drains to the street or to a tank out back, Alpha Plumbing and Sewer can look at the line and tell you whether jetting fits. Call (404) 409-4448 to set up a visit.