Drain and Sewer Cleaning Equipment for Pressure Washers

The pressure washer on your rig can clear drain lines. It just needs a jetter hose, the right nozzle, and a valve setup that will not fight you. That is what this page covers, and it is a service plumbers charge $300 and up to perform. Questions about your machine? Call 301-519-9274 and we will tell you if your pump is up to the job.

How a Sewer Jetter Setup Works

A jetter nozzle is drilled backward on purpose. Most of its orifices point behind it at a shallow angle, so the water does three jobs at once. It pulls the hose down the pipe, it scours grease and sludge off the pipe walls, and it flushes the loosened material back toward the opening. Some nozzles add one forward jet to punch a pilot hole through a solid clog. That is the real advantage over a cable snake. A snake pokes a hole through the blockage and leaves the buildup on the walls. A jetter washes the pipe back to full diameter, so the line stays open longer.

Match Hose Size to Pipe Size

Small hose for small pipe, and do not push it. 1/8" jetter hose snakes through 1.5" to 2" lines, the kitchen sinks, tub drains, and P-traps a bigger hose will never corner through. 1/4" hose is the workhorse for 2" to 4" residential lines, which covers most laundry drains, kitchen mains, and roof downspout drains. 3/8" hose belongs in 4" to 6" mains where you need the extra flow to move real debris. Check the temperature rating too. Our Suttner 1/4" hose is rated 4,350 PSI at 212 degrees, so it can run behind a hot water machine. The 1/8" hose is rated 2,900 PSI at 140 degrees, so keep it on cold water rigs.

Nozzle Orifice Still Has to Match Your Pump

Sewer nozzles are sized like any other nozzle. The number stamped on it must match your machine's GPM and PSI or you get weak thrust or a strained pump. Our stainless sewer nozzles run from a number 4.5 with 0.7mm orifices for 4 GPM machines up to a number 12.0 with 1.2mm orifices for high flow rigs. Flow is what carries debris out of the line, so between two machines, the higher GPM unit jets better even at lower pressure.

Jetter Valves and Foot Valves

A trigger gun is the wrong control for jetting because both of your hands are busy feeding hose. A foot valve like the General Pump DFV5010 puts flow control under your boot, so you can dump pressure the moment the hose needs slack. Pump-mounted jetter valves do the same job at the pump head, and they are model specific. We carry versions for General Pump TS fine thread, TT, EZ, and 47 series pumps plus AR RK, XR, XT, XM, and XW pumps. Match the valve to your exact pump series or it will not seat.

Jetting Equipment Lineup

Availability moves week to week on jetting gear, so call before you drive over.

From the Field

Two habits keep jetting jobs boring, and boring is what you want. First, mark your hose about three feet from the nozzle with tape or paint. The nozzle must stay inside the pipe whenever the machine is at pressure, because a jetter that clears the opening becomes a whip with 4,000 PSI behind it. The mark tells you when you are close. Second, feed the nozzle a few feet in before you step on the valve, and back off the moment the hose stops advancing. Let the rear jets eat through the blockage instead of shoving. We also stock a $13.99 repair kit for 3,000 PSI foot valves, which tells you something. Foot valve seals are wear items on jetting rigs, so rebuild them before the season instead of mid-job. One more thing worth knowing. Jetting is safe for PVC and metal pipe in decent shape, but old clay and Orangeburg lines can be too far gone for any cleaning method. When in doubt, camera the line first.

Related Collections

• Sewer Jetter Nozzles
• Sewer Jetting Hose
• Turbo and Rotating Nozzles
• All Nozzles
• Hose Reels
• Hose Fittings
• Gutter Cleaners
• Duct Cleaners
• Hydro Excavating
• Our Gaithersburg pressure washer store

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn my pressure washer into a sewer jetter?

Yes, if it puts out at least 2 to 4 GPM. Add a jetter hose sized to your pipe, a sewer nozzle with an orifice number matched to your GPM and PSI, and ideally a foot valve for hands-free control. Gas machines jet better than electric because flow moves the debris.

What matters more for jetting, PSI or GPM?

GPM. Pressure cuts the clog, but flow is what floats grease, roots, and sludge back out of the line. A 5.5 GPM machine at 3,500 PSI will out-jet an 8,000 PSI machine running 2 GPM in almost every drain.

What size jetter hose do I need?

1/8" hose for 1.5" to 2" sink and tub drains, 1/4" hose for 2" to 4" residential lines, and 3/8" hose for 4" to 6" mains. The hose has to corner through the fittings in the line, and a smaller hose corners better.

Why do sewer nozzles spray backward?

The rear-facing jets do the work. They thrust the hose deeper into the pipe, scrub buildup off the walls, and push everything they loosen back toward the opening. Nozzles with a single front jet add a cutting stream for punching through solid clogs.

Will jetting damage my pipes?

Sound PVC, cast iron, and steel lines handle jetting fine. Fragile clay tile and Orangeburg fiber pipe may not, and no nozzle choice fixes a collapsed line. If the pipe's condition is unknown, run a camera before you run water.

What does a jetter valve on the pump do?

It gives you a way to dump pressure instantly while feeding hose, the same job a foot valve does at your feet. Jetter valves are pump specific, so match the valve to your exact pump series. Call 301-519-9274 with your pump model and we will pull the right one.