# Jetting residential



## frugalrooter (Dec 10, 2010)

For OR Against? what say you?


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

Could you maybe be a little more specific.


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## frugalrooter (Dec 10, 2010)

sorry do you guys jett residential lines and do you fear flooding a home? we do a fair amount of commercial but i'm worried about the liability of residential.


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

I only jet residential. Up from the cleanout, no floods. Only problem is sucking the traps dry and stinking up the house. I follow it closely with the camera.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

We jet nearly exclusively, but I always use a shop-vac to suck up the water. Like today we pulled a toilet at an apartment complex because the main was backed up, this place was old with no outside cleanouts, and I just stuck the shop-vac into the closet flange and turned it on and started jetting. If you are using a trap hose on lavs or K-sinks just put a plastic tub under the trap and vac out of there, or sometimes you're lucky and you pop through the clog before the tub is even full, then you just dump it somewhere when you're done. I don't like to jet downstream either, but ya gotta do whatcha gotta do. Or, poke a hole through the blockage with your cable and a small cutter, then once the line is clear and the water can drain instead of running a second pass with a bigger cutter use your jet.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

How do you handle turns and problems in pipes? 

I want to look at getting a jetter to increase my market share in drain cleaning, and its a good move. Expect we have many basement cleanouts, and clay, cast iron, etc....

What type of jetter do you use?


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

I use one of these from Amazing machines, it's my first one and has performed without issue for about 3yrs.

GX390 HONDA POWERED
SEWER JETTER & PRESSURE WASHER

Model Number # J/E4040HA-CKIT2

4000 PSI @ 4 GPM

Comes complete with:

Honda GX390 Commercial Quality OHV
Air-cooled, 4-Stroke, single cylinder Engine
Low Oil Automatic Shut Down
Adjustable Pressure
Aluminum Cart
Intergrated Unloader valve
Five Foot Jumper Hose
Deluxe Jetter Hose Reel with Stand
150ft 1/4" Low Friction Sewer Hose
50ft Pressure Washer Hose
Pressure Washer Gun / Wand
General Brand - Direct Drive Pump
Ball Valve Water Flow Operation
1/4" Ram Sewer Nozzle
1/4" Laser Sewer Nozzle
1/4" Rotating Sewer Nozzle
Five Pressure Washer Q.C. Tips
Chemical Injector
Designed To Clean 2" to 8" 

So far so good. I know it's a cheapy, but for what I use it for it's fine. Only outside, lots of descaling and loose rust cleaning in mostly 4"' main drains.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

Indie said:


> How do you handle turns and problems in pipes?
> 
> I want to look at getting a jetter to increase my market share in drain cleaning, and its a good move. Expect we have many basement cleanouts, and clay, cast iron, etc....
> 
> What type of jetter do you use?


 
Before you ask me anything, Indie, be advised we are relatively new to the jetting game. Just bought our equipment last spring. I'll give you my opinion but it is nothing more than my opinion, not trying to be the jetting authority here. Just so you know.

To navigate difficult bends, you have to twist the hose to get it to go around. Sometimes, an actual cornering nozzle is needed, which is a normal nozzle but then has one jet pointed straight sideways. By twisting the hose with a little work this jet will help it jump the corner, or a small offset. 

We have several jetters. Our smaller ones are 4 gpm at 4000 psi, and our large trailer is rated for 18 gpm @ 4000 psi. We bought one of the economy jetters from Amazing Machinery just like Gitnerdun did, and have had good luck with it. We have portable hose reels in 3/8" and 1/4" and a 1/8" trap hose, so we can pretty much do any line from 1 1/2 to 18" or larger depending on how heavy of cleaning needs to be done. I have seen video of guys cleaning 36" culverts with a 18 @ 4K machine.

If we didn't have our large jetter and we had to rely totally on a cart, my feeling is I would probably buy a little larger cart, like in the 5.5 to 6 gpm range, with as high a pressure as I could find. JettersNW just recently came out with their BruiserPLUS which is supposed to produce 6 gpm at 4000.

I think your most versatile cart-only setup would be:

5.5-6 gpm @ 3500 psi minimum. This would allow you to run 3/8" hose and use a 3/8" Warthog nozzle, which is a controlled rotation, vs. the 1/4" Warthog, which is not and is a high speed spinner.
1/4" hand carry hose reel. The 3/8" will do 4" lines fine but will tend to be a little tricky on 3" lines.
1/8" trap hose for 1 1/2" to 2" lines.
Custom nozzle sets for all sizes, and one good root nozzle for the 3/8" hose like the Warthog or a Root Ranger. I think the RR is better for roots maybe, but the Warthog will be more efficient in grease lines and will cut roots as well.
This is just my idea and would set you up really nice for residential and most commercial, but you could start just fine with the Amazing 4 @ 4K machine too, I'm just giving my opinion. Go over 6 gpm and some hose bibs may have trouble keeping enough water supplied to the pump.


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

I've noticed if I'm connected to a bib from a well pump, sometimes it can't supply the water. Any thoughts about connecting a bladder tank in with the supply hose to help keep up? Would have to start and stop often to let the tank fill. Just a thought...............


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

gitnerdun said:


> I've noticed if I'm connected to a bib from a well pump, sometimes it can't supply the water. Any thoughts about connecting a bladder tank in with the supply hose to help keep up? Would have to start and stop often to let the tank fill. Just a thought...............


Try a poly tank from Tractor Supply to feed the jetter..


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## frugalrooter (Dec 10, 2010)

redwood has the best idea, but for those using cart jetters, it is for ease of transport and use i guess. the more you bolt to it the harder it becomes to set up and take down so 4gpm would be the threshold i feel for a direct connect.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Try a poly tank from Tractor Supply to feed the jetter..


That's the best idea


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

A friend of mine runs a small cart jetter and he has found that when water supplies were not adequate to his jetter using one of these pumps in line feeding his jetter helped...

They work pretty good for draining down a water heater in a basement as well... :thumbup:


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

So A liberty pump and a storage tank will work. I'm sold. Can the liberty run while I stop jetting for a few minutes or do I need to shut it down as well? I've been wanting one of those anyway. Didn't realize they are a half hp and 8 amps. Don't want to blow a hose up.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

He uses the pump in line in the garden hose feeding the jetter...
No tank...


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Somtimes with the extra tank for water you still need to stop and wait for the water supply to catch up. Our jetter uses 8 gallons a minute.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Hook the jetter up to one of these, class AA hydrants. (1500 gpm +) :laughing: shouldn't be any water shortages or wait times.


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

We jet from basement clean outs all the time. You have to be smart and think before you just kick up the psi and hope for the best. 

Start with low PSI and go up from there.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

From an inside cleanout feed in the hose by hand as far as you can then low pressure to get it against the clog. Then hit it to get through the clog and work it from the street side in reverse...

Having a garbage can under the cleanout with a pump, or a shop vac with a pump inside is helpful...


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

SewerRat said:


> If we didn't have our large jetter and we had to rely totally on a cart, my feeling is I would probably buy a little larger cart, like in the 5.5 to 6 gpm range, with as high a pressure as I could find. *JettersNW just recently came out with their BruiserPLUS which is supposed to produce 6 gpm at 4000.*


All the specs from jetters northwest are exagerated. You would need at least a 22hp engine to produce 6 gpm at 4000 psi.


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