Two jobs walk into a plumbing truck. One is a slow kitchen drain that started a month ago. The other is a sewer line that backs up every three years.
Same symptom category — drainage problem. Different solutions.
Standard drain cleaning (snaking)
A drain snake is a rotating cable that physically breaks up or hooks a clog and pulls it out. It is fast, effective for most household clogs, and costs less than jetting. It works well on hair, grease buildups at the trap, and most single-point blockages.
What it doesn’t do: fully clean the pipe walls. The snake punches through. Grease, soap, and mineral deposits that coat the inside of the pipe stay behind.
Hydro jetting
A hydro jet sends pressurized water (typically 3,000–4,000 PSI) through the line via a specialized nozzle. It scours the pipe walls clean — grease, scale, roots, debris — and flushes everything downstream. It is the right call for:
- Recurring clogs in the same line (snaking cleared it before but it came back)
- Main sewer line cleaning before camera inspection
- Grease-heavy lines (restaurant, commercial kitchen, older homes with cast iron)
- Tree root intrusion in early stages
Camera first for sewer lines
Before any sewer line work at Staggs, we run a camera. Hydro jetting a fragile or cracked pipe can make damage worse. Camera first means we know what we are working with before pressure hits the line.
Quick guide
- Slow sink drain, first time: snake it
- Same drain slow again within 6 months: hydro jet and camera
- Sewage backup: camera first, then appropriate repair
Call 682-284-0966 for a straight answer on your specific situation.
