Drain cleaning in High Point: snake vs hydro-jet

One slow drain or the whole house?

One fixture (a single sink, tub or toilet) usually means a clog close to that fixture. A plumber can often clear it with a hand or machine snake.

Several fixtures at once, especially if a toilet gurgles when the washer drains or water comes up in the tub, usually points to the main sewer line. That's a bigger job and worth handling quickly before it backs up into the house.

Snake (auger)

A cable with a cutting head is fed into the pipe to break up or pull out the clog.

• Good for: hair, soap buildup, small objects, most single-fixture clogs
• Limits: it opens a path through the clog but doesn't scour the pipe walls, so grease buildup or roots can come back

Hydro-jetting

High-pressure water scours the inside of the pipe.

• Good for: heavy grease, repeat clogs, tree roots in a sound pipe, cleaning a main line before a camera inspection
• Limits: it can make a cracked or collapsed pipe worse, so many plumbers run a camera first

Questions to ask before they start

1. Will you start with a snake, or do you recommend jetting? Why?
2. Is a camera inspection included, or extra?
3. If the line is damaged, will you show me the camera footage?
4. Is there a warranty if the clog comes back within 30 days?

Things to avoid

• Repeated chemical drain cleaners on a fully blocked drain: they can damage pipes and make the job harder for the plumber
• Anyone who recommends replacing a sewer line without showing you camera footage

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