Can I use a Pressure Washer to Unclog a Drain?
The to the point answer of your question-can I use a pressure washer to unclog a drain is, yes you can! In fact, it is the most easiest and safe way to cleaning drains consuming less time.
Whatever the clogs reason is, using the pressure washer is an immediate solution to clean the sink, tub, toilet, or other drainage systems inside or outside your home.
So, if you are in serious trouble with the drain blockage, here you have comes to the perfect place you are supposed to!
Let’s stop the ado, and dive to catch more-
Types of Pressure Washers Both for the Indoor and Outdoor Drainage Unclogging:
Lets me introduce you to different types of pressure washer first. As both indoor and outdoor pipeline needs to unclog after an interval.
Therefore it is necessary to understand which pressure washer you need to use in the indoor setting and which one is for outdoors.
However, there are several pressure washers you can use to unclog the drains by pressure washer cleaning.
Pressure washers like-
- Gas powered Pressure washers
- Electric Pressure Washers
- Hot Water Pressure Washers
Depending on your drainage system(whether it is indoor or outdoor) you can choose different pressure washers. For insider pipe, you can use an electric pressure washer. It works with a low flow rate (less than 2GPM), and it doesn’t exhaust fumes. Pipes length of 4-inches or less than its-can be unclogged by this pressure washer.
The gas pressure washer is designed to clean the outdoor pipes. This system works with a high flow rate to unclog the larger pipes.
Again, Gas pressure washers are of two types. The residential gas pressure washer works with a 2-2.9 GPM flow rate to clean the 4-inches pipes. The commercial gas pressure washer is to clean at a high workflow rate, i.e. 3.0-3.9 GPM.
A commercial gas pressure washer cleans the longer line like 6 inches in length. The gas-powered pressure washers are only intended for outdoor usage. Do not use those for indoor purposes. As these pressure washers produce carbon monoxide fumes, it is a fire hazard and dangerous at indoor.
Hot water pressure washers are works through hot water. Hot water with temp more than 120 F needs to usage in this washer.
How Does a Pressure Washer Work to Unclog Drains?
So how does the pressure washer works? Usually, the pressure washer does not give any pressure on its own! It usually affords to pass the water with a high flow rate, so that all insider clogging can clear down easily.
If you have a pressure washer featuring a Sewer Jetter Attachment, you must know it is the key component to unclogging the drainage system. This Sewer Jetter again features a Jet Nozzle at one end (of this long hose pipe).
The aim of this Jet Nozzle is to clear the clog through its front and backfire jets. And the other end of this Sewer Jetter Attachment is just a coupling to the pressure washer, which pressurizes the water flow to invent through the debris jam inside the pipes.
So the Front Firing Jet usually breaks the insider clog by forcing the water, and the Back Firing Jet forces the pipe to drainage the loose clogs. It also scrubs the pipe wall to make the cleaning more efficient.
A pressure washer without a Sewer Jetter Attachment also can accomplish the unclogging, but having this attachment makes the cleaning easy with less time.
Moreover, it’s a separate attachment you can buy it separately as well. It is less pricy compared with the mechanical spinning blade.
Why are We suggesting a Pressure Washer to Unclog the Drains?
Because it is the proven way to clean hair, debris, grease fat, or other clogs in the pipeline. Rather, if you compare this method with other methods like using chemicals, Plumbing Augurs-chemicals need to use acids, which may damage your inhalation system (Exhaust fumes) with other topical damage.
And the Plumbing Augurs is more complex, this process works by spinning its mechanical metal blades-which may damage the whole piping system if you be a little bit unfocused!
Plumbing augurs, also we suggest smaller pipe clogs. If you know about this product, it’s a metal pipe with spinning metal blades its one end and a crank on another end. It’s not the safest way always, because sometimes it own can cause a clog inside the drain.
When you will crank the metal blades to remove the clogged debris, this can leave some debris inside the pipe which in the future can cause more clogging.
On the other hand, if we say about the pressure washer with sewer jetter nozzle-you need to afford less with this system. The back-firing jet from this system directly can break the clogs.
Unlike the mechanical plumbing system, it has no mechanical moving parts. Unlike the chemical method, it even doesn’t need to use any chemical drain cleaners. You only will need water as an additional item to use with this system. So, no pipe corrosion by the chemical drain cleaners, and no pipe cutting with the plumbing spinning system.
Moreover, you can easily store it anywhere in your store! For all that reasons this method of cleaning and unclogging any drainage become so popular nowadays!
FAQs
Can you use a pressure washer as a sewer jetter?
Yes, you can use a pressure washer as a sewer jetter. All the necessary conversion kits you will find on Amazon. But before the conversion, be sure your pressure washer has a PSI within the range of 1,500 to 4,400.
How much PSI do I need to clean my drain?
3,500 to 4,000 psi with different GPM for the different piping systems with different clogging.
Can you use a wet vac to unclog a drain?
Yes, you can use a wet vac to unclog a drain. Hence it is an amazing tool to unclog drains, all you need to cover the drain and wait for further.
Conclusion:
If you know how to use a pressure washer properly, obviously it will give you the safest and easiest unclogging of any of your drainage piping.
So after reading our article you must get the answer of your question, ‘Can I use a pressure washer to unclog a drain or not”. This article will not only help you to get your answer, also will tell you how to proceed with this process too!
That’s all for today, if you have any queries, please pinch me in my comment box.
Good Luck!
