Snaking vs Water Jetting: Which Drain Cleaning Should You Choose?

You have probably encountered this situation at least once in your life:

You know that mixture of irritation and dismay when you are standing inside the shower in your home with your feet half-buried in dirty bathwater. You are almost halfway through your usual routine of taking a shower, but this time something about the experience is different. The water washing down your body is collecting around your feet, instead of washing down the drain.

Snaking vs Water Jetting

This problem doesn’t only happen in the shower, you can also have the same issue with your kitchen sink. But the worst kind of drain clog to experience in the home is with the toilet. You remember that disgusting feeling of looking into the dirty water swirling inside the toilet bowl, as it slowly increases in volume with revolting human waste floating on its surface. 

Clearly, when you have these kinds of problems, you know your toilet or shower drain is clogged but what is the best way to solve the problem? If you are the typical homeowner, you will have a drain snake somewhere in the home. Your initial reaction will be to try to clear the blockage with the snake. Landlords usually do this too when they receive complains from tenants. But before you do that, you may want to read the rest of this post.

When to Use a Drain Snake and Why

A drain snake is one of the simplest tools for unclogging a drain. The beauty of drain snakes is they are easy to use and mostly don’t require a source of power. All that is needed is to pass the snake into the opening of the drain and prod or twist until the water starts flowing again. But in spite of their simplicity, drain snakes have certain flaws.

The problem with using a drain snake

  • The chief limitation of a drain snake is you can only use this method for clogs that are very close to the drain opening.
  • Secondly, drain snakes are completely ineffective for removing certain types of drain clogs. For instance, if the material clogging the drain is sludge or some kind of slurry a drain snake will not solve the issue. The most it can do is poke a hole in the blockage.
  • A drain snake can worsen the clog by pushing the obstruction further into the drain or jamming it tighter, thus making it harder to remove.
  • Using a drain snake can damage your pipes. If you push too hard with a drain snake you can weaken the joints in your drainpipes or even punch a hole in the pipe.

When should you use a drain snake?

Use a drain snake if:

  • The clog is not recurring. It is not a problem you encounter often. If the issue happens frequently, it has gone beyond what drain snaking can fix.
  • The cause of the clog is near the opening of the drain. If you can see the object blocking the drain, using a drain snake is a good way to unclog your drain.
  • Your pipes are not old. The risk of pipe damage via drain snaking increases with the age of your pipes. Older pipes have thinner walls that are likely to spring leaks after snaking.

You are probably wondering; if you cannot use a drain snake in these situations, what is the recommended method for unclogging a blocked drain?

Water Jetting and Why You Should Use It for Drain Cleaning

water-jetting-service

Water jetting is a drain cleaning technique that uses pressurized water. A high-pressure hose with a special nozzle at one end is inserted into the drain. The other end is connected to a machine that sends a powerful stream of water into the drain to clear clogs inside the pipes. Water jetting does not have all the shortcomings associated with drain snaking.

Pros of water jetting

  • Water jetting uses only water. There is no risk of a pointed tip poking a hole in your pipes as is the case with a drain snake.
  • Water jetting is effective for removing obstructions, no matter how deep inside the drain they are located. Water jetting will make small work of sludge and similar obstructions.
  • Water jetting will completely shear away tree roots that have invaded the pipes and balled up inside it.
  • You can use this water jetting for cleaning any size of drain or sewer pipe.
  • Unlike drain snaking which only clears a section of the pipe (if it helps at all), water jetting will clean the entire drain line.

When should you use water jetting instead of drain snaking?

Water jetting is the preferred method in the following circumstances:

  • You have a clog that has persisted for a long time.
  • The clog is located deep inside the drain and snaking the drain has not helped.
  • You suspect that you may have tree roots obstructing the pipes.
  • You want to clear your drain and sewer pipes as part of the maintenance schedule for your home’s plumbing systems.

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