A customer recently contacted us after his sewer jetter became stuck in a drain. He was using the jetter to try and solve a problem that reoccurred many times in one part of his home.
On rare occasions we’ve known sewer jetters to get stuck if the drain line has significant structural issues – for example severe, preexisting damage to pipes or large, solid objects caught in the line.
The best advice we’ve heard to free a stuck sewer jetter is to start by running water at low pressure through the jetter for about an hour to flush away any loose sediment that’s near the jetter nozzle. To do this, leave the pressure washer off and the water source (say, the garden hose valve) on while clamping down the trigger of your spray gun. After the hour has passed turn off the water source, disconnect the jetter, coil the exposed line, and try freeing the jetter by carefully holding the line taught and turning the coil bundle in a clockwise direction.
We also suggested that the customer hire a plumber to inspect his sewer line with a video camera. Upon doing so he learned that those repeated clogs – and the stuck sewer jetter – were the result of a severely damaged drain line caused by a shifting home foundation.
Even though this customer’s drain cleaner was damaged the people at Clog Hog cheerfully refunded his money – so trying the sewer jetter cost him mostly the time spent trying to fix the problem himself. Of course, returned sewer jetters aren’t resold; they typically become test or demo units.
We’ve learned that if you suspect your home sewer drain has significant structural problems, you’ll probably save time by contacting a licensed plumber for help.
