# Jetter Advice



## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I would like to get some suggestions on a portable jetter/nozzles that will be effective on heavy roots. 4" & 6" sewer lines. Need it on a cart, no trailer.

Thanks.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Root Rat! :thumbup:
http://www.chempure.com/3_8inchrat.htm $695
or,
http://www.jetterdepot.com/nozzles.html $689










The chains wear fast but roots don't stop this thing! :no:

Think Industrial Duty Weed Whacker!


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I have used the Root Ranger with great success. The only issue is since it is a single rear jet you will have to rotate the jetter hose back and forth to ensure you are getting the whole diameter of the pipe.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Wow rotating the nozzle sounds like a lot of work... :whistling2:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37188

root ranger is awsome and works great. To answer your question, how much do you want to spend?


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> ...To answer your question, how much do you want to spend?


As little as possible of course. I want to be sure it can pull itself a couple hundred feet or so and also have the power to shred masses of roots. What budget category does that put me in?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

The setup I was using in the link cost me about 1000 total. 350-pump & engine, 50-frame, 320-root ranger, rest was on foot pedal, hose and fittings. But I only have a 13 hp jetter. I know of someone selling a turn key 18 hp jetter for about 3k if I remember right. PM me if you want the details.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Is 13HP considered small?

What is the GPM and pressure minimums you would want for roots?


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

Redwood said:


> Wow rotating the nozzle sounds like a lot of work... :whistling2:
> 
> YouTube - Rootcut 635mm


Nah not to much. I had the Root Ranger and the Root Rat back when mustang jetters where offering the Root rat many moons ago. My Root ranger still going strong, the root rat been rebuilt five times and I gave up on it.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

SewerRatz said:


> Nah not to much. I had the Root Ranger and the Root Rat back when mustang jetters where offering the Root rat many moons ago. My Root ranger still going strong, the root rat been rebuilt five times and I gave up on it.


We've gotten some good life out of ours...

The offset of the root ranger to me says there is some hang up potential...:whistling2:

But to each their own...


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

*college drains*

A local college I do work for wants me to jet some troublesome Urinal/Lav drain lines when they shut down in June. 3" pvc. I dont have a Jetter but do have a pressure washer that put out 2.25 gpm's. With the right nozzle would that be sufficient in this instance? Three story buildings btw with bathrooms stacked.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

mpsllc said:


> A local college I do work for wants me to jet some troublesome Urinal/Lav drain lines when they shut down in June. 3" pvc. I dont have a Jetter but do have a pressure washer that put out 2.25 gpm's. With the right nozzle would that be sufficient in this instance? Three story buildings btw with bathrooms stacked.


No, to small.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> Is 13HP considered small?
> 
> What is the GPM and pressure minimums you would want for roots?


13hp is about the smallest for cutting roots and you want the root ranger nozzle. You can see by the pics I posted in the Ridgid link that 4gpm 3500 psi cuts roots just fine. If you went to the 18hp (5.5 gpm 3000gpm) then you could use the warthog which requires less skill as the nozzle rotates. 

The best advice I think I could give is to go to the ridgid forum and do a search of "jetter" and read every thread. It'll keep you busy for at least a week straight and you'll know exactly what you need.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I use an enz nozzle very similar to that.



Redwood said:


> Root Rat! :thumbup:
> http://www.chempure.com/3_8inchrat.htm $695
> or,
> http://www.jetterdepot.com/nozzles.html $689
> ...


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

http://www.drainbrain.com/jets/j3080/index.html

Good luck getting one though, there on strike....

http://www.watercannon.com/

Kind of have to build your own, but great bang for your buck


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## Nayman's Drain (Dec 17, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> A local college I do work for wants me to jet some troublesome Urinal/Lav drain lines when they shut down in June. 3" pvc. I dont have a Jetter but do have a pressure washer that put out 2.25 gpm's. With the right nozzle would that be sufficient in this instance? Three story buildings btw with bathrooms stacked.





gear junkie said:


> No, to small.


 ?????????????

2.5 aint small, what psi you got?

The lav/urinal combo prolly has soap, grease, uric salts & hair in it.
Rod it first, finish with small jetter.

I have a 1500psi, 2gpm electric I use just for that purpose.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Nayman, do you camera after you jet the line?


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## Nayman's Drain (Dec 17, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> Nayman, do you camera after you jet the line?



i used to, just for my own satisfaction, to see how good a job my equipment AND me were doing.
These days, only if the customer is paying for it.

Uric salts are not rock hard, altho a ***** to get rid of.
I use my General Wire electric jetter for that, altho I much prefer to take urinals off the wall, outside, and do it by hand.
A garden hose, a scraper and a wire brush go a looooong way.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

I've cabled through piss lines before and they were the consistency of mortar. Never jetted them before but I'll trust you if you say you jetter does a great job at cleaning the line.


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## Nayman's Drain (Dec 17, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> I've cabled through piss lines before and they were the consistency of mortar. Never jetted them before but I'll trust you if you say you jetter does a great job at cleaning the line.


I use the nozzle with a spring on the tip of it to make it go around the tight bends. It only has the back-facing jets.

I also use it to remove the black sludge in kitchen dwv's that turns into cement closest to the pipe walls. It breaks that cement up into little chunks and turns the pipe back into its original ID.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

See here:

http://youtu.be/zCgkBsMAVaY



Protech said:


> I use an enz nozzle very similar to that.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Sweet vid Protech! I didn't think it was possible to remove the scale. What nozzle is that? We have a Gorlitz GO 3000 13hp, 4 gpm @ 3000 PSI. I've been using it lately on subsurface area drains and been successful clearing out debris and roots. However I only have nozzles with rear facing jets and it seems I have to jet from both directions to get the job done. Seems to be taking a lot of time. Any recommendations?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Check this one out cutting a 2" thick concrete block... 






Of course the jetter is a little more stout....

Can a root ranger do that?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Redwood said:


> Check this one out cutting a 2" thick concrete block...
> 
> YouTube - ChainFlailEnz01
> 
> ...


Yes. Saw it done last week. a lot quicker too.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I'll tellya rule #1 with that nozzle: KEEP IT MOVING!!!!

It'll turn into an inside pipe cutter real quick if you leave it in one place :laughing:


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

I've always wondered how those chain cutters don't damage pipe. What would that thing do to a clay sewer?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

With the power of 3000 psi+, I don't see any reason to use the the chain style nozzles for 6" and under pipe. The chain cuts to the diameter of the chain or less as it rides the bottom of the pipe. The warthog and root ranger cut to the surface of the pipe and aren't restricted by nozzle diameter sizes. For the price of 1 root rat, I can buy 2 root rangers or for just a little more I can buy a warthog. I just can't see any value in the chain style nozzles for the average plumber's needs.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Will said:


> I've always wondered how those chain cutters don't damage pipe. What would that thing do to a clay sewer?


It will remove the roots from the pipe... :thumbup:



gear junkie said:


> The chain cuts to the diameter of the chain or less as it rides the bottom of the pipe.


So you make sure the chain is long enough to extend to the diameter of the pipe...

I have see the chain nozzle in action inside the pipe and I assure you the US Jetter 4018 has it riding down the center of the pipe.

I can't say for sure the smaller pressure washer type units will do that but the 4018 does...:thumbup:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Food for thought....you have your root rat sized for 4" then move into 6". How will it effectively clean 6" pipe with 4" chains?


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## waldrop (Dec 18, 2009)

gear junkie said:


> Food for thought....you have your root rat sized for 4" then move into 6". How will it effectively clean 6" pipe with 4" chains?


I agree but my 3/8 warthog will cut root in up to 8" pipe. You get what you pay for ! Warthog cost more and works better


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

waldrop said:


> I agree but my 3/8 warthog will cut root in up to 8" pipe. You get what you pay for ! Warthog cost more and works better


My point exactly.


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## Aussieplumber (Aug 12, 2010)

Redwood said:


> Check this one out cutting a 2" thick concrete block...
> 
> YouTube - ChainFlailEnz01
> 
> ...


If it does that to a concrete block... You may as well did up the drain with damage that it will do to a pvc sewer drain..


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Aussieplumber said:


> If it does that to a concrete block... You may as well did up the drain with damage that it will do to a pvc sewer drain..


You probably won't need to use it in a pvc pipe...

But if you did it would be a matter of Keep Moving...

The effect you saw was more a matter of what happens when something protrudes into the pipe...


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