Sewer jetting on Long Island

Every fixture in a building drains into one main line, called the building sewer. On sewered properties it runs to the public sewer connection. On cesspool and septic properties it runs to the cesspool or septic tank in the yard.

Because it carries everything, a restriction in this pipe affects the whole house, not just one sink. Single-fixture clogs are covered on our clogged drain service page.

The jetter hose goes in through a cleanout, an access fitting on the main line. Water at high pressure drives the nozzle along the pipe while the jets break up the blockage and scour grease, sludge and fine roots from the walls.

The loosened material is flushed downstream as the hose is pulled back. Then the line is tested with water to confirm it drains freely. The same method on smaller interior pipes is explained on our hydro jet drain cleaning page.

Main sewer lines on older properties may be clay or cast iron, and a cracked, offset or collapsed section can be made worse by high pressure. When a line has repeat problems or its condition is unknown, a sewer line camera inspection shows whether jetting is safe.

If the camera finds a break or collapse, the line needs blocked sewer line repair rather than cleaning.

On a cesspool or septic property, a full system looks a lot like a clogged main line: drains slow down and the lowest fixtures back up. Jetting the pipe won’t help if the cesspool has no room left.

JET services both, so the technician can check the level in the system as well as the line. If the system is full or overflowing, see pumping or emergency septic pumping.

Restaurants, apartment buildings and offices push more water and grease through their main lines than a typical house, so their lines tend to build up faster. Jetting on a schedule can keep them from backing up during business hours.

For larger properties, see our commercial services. Our sewer service page covers the full range of main line work.