Short answer: snaking opens a path through a clog so water can drain again. Hydro jetting washes the whole inside of the pipe clean. Snaking is usually enough for a one-time blockage close to a fixture. Hydro jetting is the better choice when a drain keeps clogging, when grease or roots are involved, or when the main sewer line is the problem.
How does snaking a drain work?
A drain snake, also called a cable machine or auger, is a flexible steel cable with a cutting head on the end. The plumber feeds it into the pipe and spins it. The head bores through the blockage or hooks it so it can be pulled out. It is fast, it works on most household clogs, and it is gentle on fragile pipes.
The limit is that a cable only clears a channel about as wide as its cutting head. Grease, soap and scale stay on the pipe wall around that channel, and the next clog forms on what was left behind.
How does hydro jetting work?
A hydro jetter pumps water through a hose at very high pressure. The nozzle on the end has jets that point backward to pull the hose down the line and forward to cut into the blockage. As the hose is drawn back, the spray scrubs the full circumference of the pipe and flushes the debris downstream. You can read more on our hydro jetting service page.
When is snaking the right choice?
- A single slow or blocked sink, tub or toilet with no history of trouble
- Hair, a small object or a wad of paper close to the fixture
- Old, fragile pipes that a camera shows cannot take pressure
- A quick way to restore flow before the line is inspected properly
When is hydro jetting the right choice?
- The same drain clogs again within weeks or months of being snaked
- Kitchen lines coated with grease, especially in restaurants and other commercial kitchens
- Tree roots in the main sewer line
- Scale and sludge in older cast iron drains
- Several fixtures backing up at once, which points to the main line
- Cleaning a line before it is lined with a trenchless repair
Which one lasts longer?
Hydro jetting. Because it removes the buildup that clogs form on, a jetted line typically stays clear far longer than a snaked one. Snaking treats the symptom. Jetting treats the cause, as long as the pipe itself is sound.
Can hydro jetting damage pipes?
Not when the pipe is in reasonable condition and the pressure is matched to it. This is why a sewer camera inspection comes first. If the camera shows a collapsed, cracked or separated pipe, no cleaning method will fix it, and the conversation moves to sewer repair or a trenchless sewer line.
What should I ask a plumber before they start?
- Will you run a camera through the line before and after?
- What caused the blockage?
- Is the pipe in good enough condition for jetting?
- Where is the cleanout, and is there one?
If your drain keeps coming back, All Service Plumbing can inspect the line and tell you which method fits. Call (888) 300-9648, 24 hours a day, anywhere in Orange County or Los Angeles County.
