Water Jetter vs Plumbers Eel

Clearing a blocked drain can seem like a straightforward endeavour and sometimes it is, however, this all depends on what is blocking the drain and where the blockage is located.

Two pieces of equipment which your plumber often uses to clear blocked drains are the plumber's eel and a specially designed drain-clearing water jetter. Which method they choose to use can depend on the two factors we mentioned above, what and where.

The DIY approach

Hardware stores are an amazing resource for the DIY home handyperson, they stock just about every tool you could possibly need to carry out a huge range of home maintenance jobs. This abundant supply of equipment has led many homeowners to have a go at a lot of home repair jobs themselves rather than calling in the professionals in the hope of saving a dollar or two.

This is great for many jobs, but not so ideal for others.

Plumbers eel

A manual plumbers eel (sometimes referred to as a plumbers snake, drain snake, or drain auger) can be easily bought at your local hardware store for around $25 to $30.

These little devices can be great for blockages which are not solid and are located just below the drain or access vents, such as a toilet clogged with paper in the trap or a blockage at the stormwater drain entrance. For a more dense blockage or one which involves substantial tree roots, the plumber's eel could just leave you with a tangled, smelly mess.

High-pressure washer

High-pressure washers are a common appliance to have around your home. They’re really effective for cleaning the driveway or washing the dust and cobwebs from the house. Many DIY enthusiasts have made the unfortunate assumption that a domestic high-pressure hose will do the same job as their plumber's high-pressure water jetter. Sadly this is not the case.

The common result when a domestic high-pressure washer is used to clear a blocked sewer or stormwater drain is this situation:

• Drain stops flowing
• DIY handyperson feeds the high-pressure hose down the problem drain until it hits what is presumably the blockage.
• DIY handyperson turns on the hose.
• Due to the blockage, the water coming from the hose as well as whatever has accumulated behind the clog (think sewage, food scraps, fat, hair etc for a sewer drain or garden debris and leaves in a stormwater drain) has nowhere to go except back up the drain or through any other outlets along the way.
• Mess ensues.
• DIY handyperson calls blocked drain plumber.

The professional drain specialist

Specialist water jetter

The water jetter your plumber uses to clear a clogged drain differs from your garden-variety high-pressure washer as it delivers water at a very high pressure using a specially engineered nozzle which enables it to cut through the blockage and move the resulting debris along the drain, rather than back up it.

Using a sewer jetter your plumber or drain plumbing specialist often can get this job done in a fraction of the time it will take it would take with either a plumber's eel. Saving your time and money.