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For as far back as there have been sewer systems, there have been clogged pipes. Luckily with today’s advanced technology, we can deal with this age old problem in a completely modern way. For the toughest clogs, you need the toughest solution: hydro jetting.

The basic principle behind hydro jetting is using a strong jet of water to dislodge even the most stubborn of obstructions, while consequently cleaning your sewer lines at the same time. While snaking may only punch a hole through the clog to permit drainage for a short period, using a jetter will actually break up whatever is causing the stoppage and allow it to flow freely from the pipe, thus completely clearing the way for water drainage.

Hydro jetting utilizes several different styles of jetter heads to push 2-18 gallons of water through pipes at an estimated 4000PSI. Using both forward and rear facing nozzles, the head is forced forward into the obstruction while strong jets of water break it apart, as well as clean the pipe walls. The jetter head is attached to a high pressure hose which is in turn connected to a water reservoir. The reservoir allows the jetter to be used remotely and independant from an outside water source.

Depending on the size of the jetter, it can clear pipes anywhere from 1 ½ to 12 inches. While jetting is a great way to get rid of complete blockages, this can be an expensive and tedious job that will shut down traffic, businesses, and buildings. With regular routine maintenance from a high pressure jet, these problems can be avoided before they even have a chance to occur.

Hydro jetting is a great option for both commercial and residential areas. The jets are able to flush out any sand or silt buildup from a septic system, as well as clear out roots and other obstructions that snaking can’t handle. In a commercial setting the plumbing is used much more frequently, and therefore is prone to many more maintenance issues. Hydro jetting can be a great preventative tool, and will reduce the chance of losing business and inconveniencing customers. From the residential perspective a hydro jetter is usually your last option before needing to replace either part or all of your sewer line. Many times cutting the roots out with a hydro jetter can buy the home owner a year or two to save the funds needed to completely replace the sewer pipe.

Because of the expensive and dangerous nature of jetting machinery, many plumbing companies do not offer this service. Here at Harts Services we are proud to say that our technicians are highly trained and knowledgeable about the equipment used in this process. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the maintenance or repair of your pipes through jetting, please feel free to contact our office.

Hydro Jetting: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Jet

There are circumstances in life that are out of our control. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in something you aren’t even aware is an issue until it’s too late. I recently was in a spot like this myself when I experienced a back-up in my pipes. While I personally am not a plumber, I am glad to have our company as a part of my team. After this experience I can completely empathize when someone calls in and says their shower and/or sink is backing up with sewage. Thankfully, in my situation I knew the gist of what could have been the issue.

Since the situation started when I ran my washer it was most likely a back-up in my main sewer line, or a blockage in the drain line(s) leading to my house. This was also causing my toilet to leak around the base due to water pressure build up in my bathroom. Luckily, I was able to get on the schedule without too much waiting and get a tech out to my house. He found not only that my sewer line wasn’t in the best of shape, but that it was blocked with mounds upon mounds of those handy “flush-able” wipes. Given my profession, (and previous blogs) I am fully aware that anything labelled “flush-able” (unless it is toilet paper) is not, so these wipes could not have come from us. Searching for answers, I went back to the landlord of the house. They said the wipes most likely came from a combination of them and the previous owner over the years.

Assuming the owner of my house, and previous owner didn’t know about that fun little scam “flush-able” wipes companies are running, no one was truly at fault for the issue. Unfortunately it was an urgent issue. I was without service for 24 hours, as well as the next morning until it was cleared out with a hydro jetter. With this story I hope to convey that just because you aren’t guilty of causing issues with your home, doesn’t mean you won't possibly suffer from past wear and tear. It’s never too early to have someone come out and give a camera inspection on the line just to make sure it’s in good condition. In most cities, homeowners own their entire sewer line until it reaches the city main connection.

When your line needs to be repaired or replaced, it’s up to you to fix it. Preventative measures taken to protect your line are very important for making sure it will last as long as you’re there, and hopefully beyond that if you plan on moving. Luckily for you, our Tacoma plumbers have cut down the cost of our main line sewer camera inspections through a clean out. They used to go for $225.00 and now are just $89.00! That’s a price reduction of $139.00! As I’ve said before, just because you aren’t aware of an issue now there is no harm in doing routine maintenance to keep your home in the best possible shape! If you would like to have your sewer lines checked, or have any other questions on pricing on a hydro-jetter or snake please don’t hesitate to call us!

It happens to the best of us!

Recently, Harts Services has acquired a few new pieces of equipment that we are very excited for. These new items will make our drain cleaning and sewer line jobs (and your lives!) a lot easier. The first of these pieces of equipment is our new hydro-jetter!

Hydro-jetting is an effective, economical, and environmentally safe form of pipe cleaning that uses high pressurized water to clean out debris or blockages within your residential or commercial drain lines. There are multiple options for clearing out a blockage, but high-pressure water jetting seems to be the most effective compared to other methods.

For smaller clogs, getting your drain line “snaked” is the most common solution. Snaking a drain is generally most effective when there is a blockage caused by debris that is easily removed from a line such as a toilet or kitchen-sink drain. Sometimes when dealing with roots or other issues in a larger and longer line such as a main sewer line, it is not always possible for a snake to do the job. Because of its blunt end, using a snake generally just pushes through or compacts whatever the blockage may be.. On the other hand, the hydro-jetter equipment uses water that shoots out of one or both sizes of interchangeable nozzles which range from 1.5 to 8 inches in diameter. This process is very effective for removing large or small debris from your line in a very quick and easy fashion.

We recently acquired a Bruiser series cart jetter (as seen in photo above) that pumps out over 5 gallons of water per minute at 3,000 pounds per square inch! It is a fairly simple process to have your pipe hydro jetted by our technicians. After having a camera inspection done on your line, and seeing if there may be standing water, root intrusions, grease or other build up the jetter is attched to a hose spigot on one end. On the other, a hose that has a metal nozzle multiple holes is put into the drain line and started. Once the water is running, the jetter is pushed farther into the line and pulled back and forth a couple times to ensure it is effective. It is then sent to the end of the pipe length and retracted. Thats all there is to it. Usually it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours for the whole process to be completed, and the cleaning is about as good as it gets without the cost of repairs or replacement of the pipe.

If your pipe does have cracks or damage, unfortunately hydro jetting is just a temporary fix. Any line that does not have stable walls will eventually need to be repaired or replaced. There are other options for fixing that as well. For example: pipe bursting, or a pipe liner. It is always nice having alternative options to trench digging on a property. The option to jet a line that is causing issues is a growing fad that it is appreciated for its effectiveness, and how fast it can be done. We are more than happy to come out to make sure your drain line is in working, and productive order, and t assess if hydro jetting would be a good option for you. If you would like to set up an appointment to see if hydro jetting would be a good option for you, please don’t hesitate to call!

Harts new Equipment! Hydro-jetter

We all try to care about the environment as much as we can on a day to day basis. Most people don’t realize how something like their own sewer line can be affecting themselves, their cities, and their environment. A single pipe running from your home to the street way can create a huge problem if not taken into consideration.

According to Thomas Rooney, president of Insituform Technologies in Chesterfield, MO (the world’s largest sewer, oil and water-pipe repair company) “The biggest environmental problem in the world today is broken sewer pipes polluting waterways, swimming areas and drinking water all over the world.” A 2004 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Integrity Project asserted that sewage overflow both threatens the environment, and constitutes a public health crisis. Some 500,000 Americans become ill each year from contaminated drinking water, and as many as 3.5 million others get sick from swimming in water tainted by sewage overflows.

Of course there are ways to tell if your sewage line is not up to standards without the hassle of digging up your entire line. For example: getting a camera inspection of your line to see its current condition. If there are any cracks or corrosion that can lead to root intrusions, collapsing of the pipe or further damage that could cause raw sewage to be leaking out of your pipe. If you do have to root intrusions or other damage to your line you have options to get that taken care of as well. You can have your sewer line trenched (dug up), and the whole line replaced with new PVC piping which we give a full warranty on. In addition, you could also choose a trench-less option where there is one hole dug on each end of the piping, and a new pipe is “shot through” from one end to the other. Both of these issues can help get your pipe become view-able and ready for a camera scope to see if you may have any further issues that need to be assessed.

When your side sewer leaks it can cause damage to more than your home drainage system. It becomes a burden on billing, damage to your lawn, inside your home and the possibility of getting raw sewage into the streets. It can also cause odors in and around your home, as well as other serious issues. A lot of commercial and residential owners tend to pass up thinking of their side sewer due to it being out of sight, and in turn, out of mind. It is very important that you are aware of what is happening within your property and its surroundings.

According to the United States Census Program and Suburban City Stats, the population of the city of Tacoma was 203,446 in 2013. Based on that number, 79.7% of people were living in the same home for at least a year or more. There were also, 14,355 business firms open. That makes almost 79,000 homes in the city alone which makes for a frightful number of sewers that could use inspecting. In 2013, the city of Pierce County noted that there are only 17.4 houses per month on average that have their side sewer replaced. that’s a total of just over 200 per year in all of pierce county. That is something to take into consideration when thinking that side sewers are built to last for decades, but when people don’t keep up on caring for them they become worse and worse, and are much more likely to affect other things in and around the property. It is very important to stay informed on the condition of your line. Here at Harts we are happy to help with a video camera scope which is a very fast and easy process. It’s always better to be safe then sorry. We are open 24/7 for emergency services so if you are curious about your system, please don’t hesitate to call.

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Customer service and answered the phone was pleasant and helpful. Person who came on site to discuss the work was thorough, gave great advice, and made suggestions for future planning.

Hart's Services got here about 3 hours after calling them. Very courteous and helpful with going over my options for all of my plumbing needs. They are getting our emergency repair work completed for a reasonable rate.

Very friendly, very knowledgeable. Made replacing my whole sewer line as painless as possible.

Quality Plumbing Services in the Tacoma Area

At Harts Services, our #1 priority is your utmost satisfaction. We won’t just show up at your location and provide easy fixes that will eventually come undone, causing you more aggravation and costing you more money. Our plumbers provide lasting results at affordable prices, holding themselves to the highest standard for excellence in every job they undertake. We also offer peace of mind inspections, maintenance plans, and customer education to ensure complete peace of mind today and in the future.

When Others Say They Can't, We Say We Can!

Harts has amazing customer service and responded promptly to our plumbing emergency! Chris has been to our home in the past and is very knowledgeable and professional. Harts is a great local company to work with.

I was so happy to finally get my faucets outside my house fixed. Anytime I turned them on they dripped, dripped, dripped. Now I have frost free hose bibs and no drips! Thanks Harts!

Harts Services is a very professional company. We called because our sewer was backing up into our home and they had someone at our house within the hour.

Fast service, excellent follow-up, and Tim who performed the service was excellent and easy to work with. Will definitely use again if needed.

Thank you Chris McAlister from Harts Services. The service was professional, quick but thorough. Thank you

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