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Hydro Jetting
A Cable Makes a Hole. A Jetter Makes a Clean Pipe.
A drain cable does one thing well: it breaks through a blockage. What it leaves behind is the layer on the pipe wall that caused the blockage in the first place, whether that is years of kitchen grease, the mineral scale our hard water leaves inside old cast iron, or the fine root hairs that regrow from a joint the cutter passed through. That layer is why some drains clog every few months no matter how often they are cabled.
Hydro jetting takes the layer off. A hose with a specialized nozzle is fed into the line, and jets of water at high pressure pull the hose forward while scouring the pipe wall behind it. Grease emulsifies and washes out. Scale flakes off. Roots are cut back to the pipe wall with a root nozzle. What is left is a pipe at close to its original diameter, which is the only version of “cleared” that lasts. No chemicals go into the line and nothing gets dug up.
It is not the right tool for every drain, and we will not sell it as one. A first-time bathroom sink clog needs a cable. A line with a break or a collapsed section needs a repair, and jetting it is a waste of your money. That is why our plumber runs a camera first when there is any doubt about what the pipe can take, and again afterward so you can see the wall is clean. Every jetting is covered by our no-backup guarantee, and current drain specials are on our offers page.
- The whole pipe wall, not a hole Grease, scale and roots come off the wall and wash out to the main, instead of waiting to catch the next thing.
- Camera-checked A look inside before jetting when the pipe’s condition is in question, and a look after so you can see the result.
- No-backup guarantee If the line we jetted backs up or slows, we check it at no charge and make it right if it is related to our work.
When It Is the Right Call
Signs a Drain Needs Jetting, Not Another Cable
Jetting earns its price when the problem is what is coating the pipe, not what is stuck in it.
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The same line clogs every few months
A cable opened it and the buildup on the wall closed it again. The wall needs cleaning, not another hole.
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A kitchen line that drains slowly year-round
Grease sets up in the cool pipe under the slab and a cable slides right through it. Hot, high-pressure water is what moves it.
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Roots on the camera
Fine roots at a joint regrow from whatever a cutter leaves behind. A root nozzle trims them flush to the wall, which buys a lot more time.
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Slow drains all over an older home
Scale and corrosion narrowing every cast iron line at once. Jetting the branches and the main in one visit resets the whole system.
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A main line that has been cabled more than once this year
Each cabling is a service call. One jetting, with a camera to confirm the pipe is sound, usually ends the cycle.
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You are getting a line lined or coated
Trenchless pipe coating needs a clean host pipe. Jetting is the preparation step that makes the liner stick.
What We Jet
Kitchen Branches to the City Tap
Pressure and nozzle matched to the pipe, so old lines get clean without getting hurt.
- Kitchen grease lines The most common jetting job in a Texas home. Grease emulsifies under pressure and washes out instead of being pushed farther down.
- Main sewer laterals The full run from the cleanout to the city main, cleared of roots, wipes, grease and sediment in one pass.
- Root cutting A rotating root nozzle cuts intrusions back to the pipe wall. We will tell you honestly if the joint itself needs a repair.
- Scale in cast iron Hard water scale and rust tuberculation in older Austin and San Antonio drains, removed at a pressure the pipe can handle.
- Whole-home jetting Every branch line and the main, jetted in a single visit. The reset for an older home where everything drains slowly.
- Prep for pipe lining Cleaning the host pipe to bare wall so a trenchless coating bonds properly and lasts.
How It Works
What Happens on a Hydro Jetting Visit
Look first, then jet, then look again. You see what you paid for.
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We look at the pipe
A camera pass confirms what is coating the line and that the pipe is sound enough to jet. If it is broken, we tell you before spending your money.
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You approve the price
A written price for the jetting, based on what the camera showed. It is the same price on a weekend as on a weekday.
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We jet the line
Nozzle and pressure matched to the pipe, run from the cleanout in passes until the wall is clean and the debris has washed to the main.
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We verify and show you
A second camera pass and a flow test at the fixtures. You see the clean pipe, and the no-backup guarantee stands behind it.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Tired of Clearing the Same Drain?
Get the pipe wall cleaned once, properly. Radiant answers 24/7 across Austin and San Antonio.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
I had a clogged drain that was slowly getting worse. Radiant was timely in communication and arriving. I was presented with the options to unclog drain without any pressure. Even though I went with the cheapest option to snake the drain, they were thorough and after discovering there may be bigger issues, the manager was sent out and video scoped the pipes at no cost to show (while I watched) the actual issue, which was a half filled slow draining pipe due to foundation issues and the pipe rising. The location was pinpointed and was exactly where we had floor tiles crack due to ground fluctuations. All in, they were here for about three hours and I was only charged for the drain cleaning service and I now know my options for a long term solution. Again, all of this with no sales pressure not even to fix the ultimate issue after an estimate was given. Highest recommendation for their service, especially in an industry where it can be hard to find someone you trust.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Hydro Jetting Questions
What is hydro jetting, and how is it different from snaking?
Snaking, or cabling, sends a steel cable with a cutting head down the pipe to break through a blockage. It is fast and it is the right first step for most single-fixture clogs. Hydro jetting sends a hose with a high-pressure nozzle down the same pipe. Rear-facing jets pull the hose forward and scour the wall behind it; a forward jet cuts through whatever is ahead. The difference is what is left afterward. A cable leaves the buildup on the wall with a channel through it. A jetter leaves a clean wall. That is why jetting costs more than a cable and why it is the better buy for a line that has been cabled more than once. Neither uses chemicals.
Is hydro jetting safe for older cast iron or clay pipes?
Yes, when it is done by someone who has looked at the pipe first and set the pressure accordingly. Jetting equipment is adjustable, and a plumber who knows the line is fifty-year-old cast iron under an Austin slab or clay tile in a San Antonio yard will run it well below what a new PVC line can take. The real risk is not the water; it is jetting a pipe that already has a crack, a separated joint or a collapsed section, which can make a bad situation worse. That is exactly why we put a camera in an older line before jetting it. If the pipe is not sound, we will show you and talk about repair instead.
How long does hydro jetting last?
Longer than any cabling, but the honest answer depends on why the line clogged. A grease line that gets jetted and then gets the same grease poured into it will slow again in time, though far more slowly than after a cable. A root intrusion cut back to the wall will regrow from the joint, usually over a year or more, unless the joint is repaired. A scaled cast iron line that is jetted clean tends to stay open a long time. What jetting cannot do is fix a belly in the pipe or a break; those will keep collecting debris no matter how clean the wall is, which is why the camera matters. Care Club members get an annual plumbing inspection, which is a good time to check on a line that has been jetted.
Can hydro jetting remove tree roots from a sewer line?
It can cut them back, and with a rotating root nozzle it does that better than a cable cutter, because it trims the roots flush to the pipe wall instead of tearing through the middle of the mass. What it cannot do is close the opening the roots came in through. Live oak and pecan roots in Central Texas find a leaking clay joint or a crack in cast iron and follow the water in, and they will keep doing it until that joint is repaired or the line is replaced. Jetting buys time, often a good deal of it, and it is the right first move on a root clog. Just know that the camera afterward is what tells you whether time is all you are buying.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
