# jetting footing foundation drains



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Way worse than jetting sewers are jetting footing/foundation drains or tiles. They never have a clean out to the surface and are never maintained. The old style drain tile where usually just 3" cement or clay pipe sections with a 1/4" gap between them. But they actually worked! Problem is they fill with dirt and roots then the water goes under the foundation and inside. We replace a lot of these systems but also can bring new life to systems the people don't have the funds to do the full meal deal. A chain flail spinning nozzle minus the chains is a great nozzle for the packed dirt and rocks. We used to use the warthog but have switched to this nozzle for really packed lines. Here is a link to some pictures.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.695920933777689.1073741877.182173475152440&type=1

We found there was no real good exit point for the current system and will use a pipe pusher to help create a drywell for the people tomorrow.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

A little more info on doing this: You split the average house in half and jet one short side and one long side, go to the other side of the house and do it again now all the sides have been jetted, you can't usually make the super short radius 90 fittings and if you do there is major drag on the hose. The pipe is never as cleaned out as a sewer pipe because wet dirt is falling in through the gaps as you do the job but 90% clean is far better than 90% clogged. You start in the pipe slowly moving forward until the water runs clean then advance but are always pulling back every few feet so that mud and sand don't pack around the hose and get you stuck on the way out.


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

What heads are you using to get by the 90 on the corner. I am asking because we keep squeezing our 1/2WH around. I finally purchased a 3/8WH and it seems a lot better.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

plungerboy said:


> What heads are you using to get by the 90 on the corner. I am asking because we keep squeezing our 1/2WH around. I finally purchased a 3/8WH and it seems a lot better.


If I was trying to do a 90 I would be using 3/8 and just standard non spinning (short button style) heads. I do not try to do 90's anymore because of the hose drag and then I loose my feel for what's going on in the pipe and I'm on my way to getting stuck. I don't like getting stuck so I no longer try to be super jetter man anymore.


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

I despise those hard 90 and non directional T's..... heck even directional t's are bad. interesting post thanks for taking the time


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

I just updated with a few shots of using the pipe pusher to put a 4" drain line in where there never was one before. It's kinda like pipe bursting but there is no host pipe.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I was looking at some of the pictures where you had to split some boulders before removing them; then you made a sewer repair! Amazing!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Footing drains will definitely separate the men from the boys when it comes to jetting...

But when you get proficient at it, you can end up in some really lucrative jobs...

Being able to repair an existing gravity drain in most cases will easily beat the proposals that the Wet Basement Specialists throw out there...


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

It's very nice if you can get your customer to dig up too opposite corners. Then you just have straight shots with an open ditch to pull all the mud and junk too


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Footing drains will definitely separate the men from the boys when it comes to jetting...
> 
> But when you get proficient at it, you can end up in some really lucrative jobs...
> 
> Being able to repair an existing gravity drain in most cases will easily beat the proposals that the Wet Basement Specialists throw out there...


Especially if it was you who just gave them an estimate. :laughing:
Good point. 
The only time we get calls for,, I call them area drain, is this right? Is when we get deluged with a storm that lasts for a couple of weeks. Other than that most people just deal with their flooded areas. Once every 5 years I get a call from someone who's pool deck is cresting over their door sill. For the most part it never rains in so. Ca.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

We'll have an annual average of 47.22" of rainfall in Connecticut and a very large percentage of homes have basements. Our peak chances of basement flooding happen around snow melt if we get heavy rains, the next peak may happen in the May-June month if we have a long rainy period. Late summer and fall hurricanes and tropical storms may bring basement flooding...

What makes the jetting of footing drains, yard drains, curtain drains, and driveway drains attractive is we are repairing existing systems that take care of the water before it gets in the basement...

The wet basement specialists tend to install french drains inside the basement, letting water enter before removing it or, cut the basement floor to install stone and tiles, compromising the floor...

And yea...
We're there first to jet and camera the lines so they have our repair quote in hand before they talk to those other guys...:laughing:


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

My only problem at first is that most foundation drains are buried 4-12 feet deep around the home and it was not till the 1970's that footing drains became apart of the national building code so it is hit or miss on if they have footing drains or not even there. So I have to have them pony up for at least one hole to determine the next step. Of course when we repair or install we add some nice cleanouts to the surface so that I can camera the system in the future or do some maintenance tasks if needed. But I will say this I repair more newer homes for water issues then I do 100 year old homes because either the problem has been addressed by someone over time on the older and the fact that builders put more money into the above ground eye candy like shiny door knobs and windows then things the people are never going to see like cheap perf pipe with t's. But there are still good builders who take pride and install good systems so their reputation means something in the future. But I would say they are in the minority around my neck of the woods.


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Cuda said:


> My only problem at first is that most foundation drains are buried 4-12 feet deep around the home and it was not till the 1970's that footing drains became apart of the national building code so it is hit or miss on if they have footing drains or not even there. So I have to have them pony up for at least one hole to determine the next step. Of course when we repair or install we add some nice cleanouts to the surface so that I can camera the system in the future or do some maintenance tasks if needed. But I will say this I repair more newer homes for water issues then I do 100 year old homes because either the problem has been addressed by someone over time on the older and the fact that builders put more money into the above ground eye candy like shiny door knobs and windows then things the people are never going to see like cheap perf pipe with t's. But there are still good builders who take pride and install good systems so their reputation means something in the future. But I would say they are in the minority around my neck of the woods.


I would agree. I think just about everytime I have been called to jet footings it's corrugated pipe and usually a fitting is making life difficult


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Yep! The corrugated pipe is certainly heavily used, usually going up from the outlet or, poking it into a couple of gutter drains will get you to the 1st place you'll be digging.... :laughing:


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

Unclog1776 said:


> I would agree. I think just about everytime I have been called to jet footings it's corrugated pipe and usually a fitting is making life difficult


I have never jetted a true currugated pipe. Like the rolled junk the sell at the box stores. Doesn't the head stick on every bump and wouldn't a WH or RR cut the pipe.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

plungerboy said:


> I have never jetted a true currugated pipe. Like the rolled junk the sell at the box stores. Doesn't the head stick on every bump and wouldn't a WH or RR cut the pipe.


Yes it is hard to jet but possible with low pressure and a standard no spinning nozzle that is shaped like an egg. Straight shots possible but once you go around a T you might make it back and you might not. When you get up to the real large HDPE pipe like 8" on up that is ribbed it can handle the pressure.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

We have the cheap area drains around pools and patios, just stuck together, tees, bad falls,, but not deep. Almost always impossible to snake out since they get so bad before they notice or a bad storm makes them notice. 
On what you said Cuda,, I have a customer who is a litigator specializing in helping home owners sue developers who build on bad soil, and stuff like that. Happens way to much. And boy does he have a nice home, etc.


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