Hydro Jetting in Smyrna, GA
A 1.6-gallon flush carries waste well through a smooth, well-sloped line, but less well through a rough or sagging one. Smyrna homeowners who notice clogs after switching fixtures often find the pipe, not the toilet, is the weak link.
Hydro jetting comes up more often than you might expect in houses that have switched to water-saving fixtures. A Smyrna home that trades old toilets, a top-loading washer and a thirsty dishwasher for efficient models uses far less water, which is welcome, but the drain lines get less water to carry waste with. In a sound, well-sloped line that rarely matters. In an older or poorly graded one, it can show up as buildup and slow drains.
Less water per use, the same waste
Toilets sold in the U.S. since the mid-1990s have been limited to 1.6 gallons per flush, and many current models use less. Front-loading washers and newer dishwashers also use a fraction of the water their predecessors did. The paper, solids, grease and lint going down the drain have not shrunk to match. Each flush or drain cycle sends a smaller slug of water down the line, and that water still has to push everything the full distance to the street.
Why some lines notice the difference
Waste moves through a drain riding on a surge of water. On a smooth pipe with a steady slope, even a modest surge carries it out. Where the line is long, nearly flat, rough inside from scale, or has a sag, a smaller surge can run out of momentum and leave solids behind. The next flush has to push that deposit along too, and if it cannot, the pile grows. Lines that coped with older, heavier-flushing fixtures sometimes start clogging soon after a bathroom remodel for exactly this reason.
Signs the line is struggling to carry waste
- A toilet that needs a second flush even though the bowl empties normally
- Paper or waste sitting in the pipe when the outdoor cleanout cap is opened, in a line that should be empty
- The main line slowing down within months of new fixtures going in
- Backups that tend to follow heavy use, such as several showers and loads of laundry in a row
What jetting and a camera can do
Jetting clears the deposits and strips scale or grease from the wall, giving the reduced flow a smoother path. A sewer camera inspection afterward shows the pipe's grade, any sags that hold water and any rough joints that catch paper. If the line is sound and simply needed cleaning, it may stay clear for a long time. If a sag or broken section is trapping waste, fixing that spot through main sewer line repair solves what cleaning cannot; in Smyrna, that work is permitted through the city's Community Development Department, which takes applications online. The method is outlined in our Georgia overview of hydro jetting.
Keep the efficient fixtures
The answer is rarely to go back to wasteful fixtures. Choosing a toilet with strong flush performance, using sensible amounts of paper and keeping wipes and grease out of the drains do far more good. If one particular toilet consistently struggles while the line tests clean, the model may be the weak link rather than the pipe, and a plumber can help you tell which.
Low-flow fixture questions in Smyrna
Does a front-loading washer affect the sewer line?
It sends far less water per load, so lint and detergent residue ride out on a smaller flow. In a sound, well-sloped line that makes little difference. In a long or flat one, some owners notice the main slowing after the switch, and a camera look shows whether lint and residue are settling. A lint filter on the discharge hose helps either way.
Should I replace a low-flow toilet that keeps clogging?
Not before checking the drain. If other fixtures are fine and the clog is always in that toilet's bowl or trapway, the model itself may be the problem, and some flush much better than others. If the line beyond it is slow or the main shows deposits, cleaning the pipe is the fix and the toilet can stay.
How can I tell whether my sewer line has enough slope?
The camera is the practical test. Water that pools for a stretch, or a waterline that rises and falls as the camera travels, marks a flat or sagging section, and the locator can mark it on the ground. Some camera systems can also report the pipe's angle. Fixing poor grade means relaying that section rather than cleaning it.
Match the pipe to the fixtures
Did the drains in your Smyrna home start acting up after an upgrade to efficient fixtures? Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, at (404) 409-4448, can check whether the line needs a cleaning or a closer look.