Family-Owned Since 1998Texas Master Plumber
Call 210-264-1432
Bergheim service truck parked beside the red parade float before the procession

Hydro Jetting for Clogged Drains and Sewer Lines

A drain that keeps clogging, a sewer line that backs up, a kitchen line full of grease. We run our own jetting machines out of Spring Branch for Boerne, Bulverde, New Braunfels and North San Antonio.

No charge to come out. We look at the line first, then tell you whether it needs a jet and what it costs. Water on the floor? Start here

Backup or Slow Drain?

Signs You Need Hydro Jetting

Sewage coming up a drain can't wait. A slow drain can wait a few days, but not a few weeks. Here they are, worst first.

  • Sewage Coming Up a Drain

    Call now. Stop using water, and don't flush until the line is clear.

  • Every Drain Backing Up

    Call now. Don't run the tubs or sinks. The main line is likely blocked.

  • Toilets Gurgle When You Drain

    Call this week. Air pushed back up the line points to a clog.

  • Same Drain Clogs Again

    Call this week. A snake opened it, but the grease or roots stayed.

  • Sewer Smell Inside

    Call this week. A blocked line can push sewer gas back up a drain.

  • Slow Drains All Over

    Worth a look. More than one slow drain means the clog is farther down.

  • Kitchen Sink Drains Slow

    Worth a look. Kitchen lines slow down as grease builds up inside.

  • Big Trees Near the Line

    Worth a look. Roots find their way into old sewer lines over time.

  • Wipes Going Down the Toilet

    Worth a look. Wipes, even ones marked flushable, can block a sewer line.

Sewage Coming Up? Do This First

  1. Stop using water in the house.
  2. Don't flush or drain tubs and sinks.
  3. Then call Bergheim Plumbing.
Call 210-264-1432
Technician feeding a hydro jetting hose down a toilet to clear a blocked line

Jet or Snake

When a Snake Won't Cut It

A snake punches a hole through a clog. A jet scours the pipe wall with water, so the grease and roots come out too.

  • One hair clog in a bathroom sink is a snake job. We tell you so.
  • Grease, roots and a line that keeps clogging are jetting jobs.
  • When more than one drain backs up, the clog is in the main line, and that is a jetting job.
  • We look at the line first, so we know what we are jetting and the pipe can take it.
  • We own the jetting machines. They ride with us out of Spring Branch.

Home or Restaurant

A Home Drain and a Restaurant Line Clog Differently

Both clog on grease. A kitchen that feeds a crowd every night lives under its own rules, so here is how the two compare.

Home Drain

What clogs it
Grease, wipes and roots over time.
What the rules say
Keep grease and wipes out.
When to jet
When it clogs again after a snake.
What we check first
Where the line runs and what is blocking it.

Restaurant Line

What clogs it
Kitchen grease that turns solid.
What the rules say
A grease interceptor, cleaned at least every 90 days.
When to jet
On a schedule, before it backs up during service.
What we check first
The interceptor and the line out to the street.

David owns the jetting machines and wants more restaurant work. Kitchen managers can call to set up a jetting schedule that runs before the line backs up.

Under-slab plumbing lines on a gravel pad with a Bergheim service truck behind
“We were dealing with a clogged pipe caused by a root ball. Colton was able to evaluate and remedy the problem.”
James Kennell Google Review
Worker in blue overalls feeding a jetting line into a manhole on brick pavers

What a Jetting Call Includes

What Every Jetting Call Covers

The jet does the loud part. The steps around it are what keep the line open after we leave, so none of them get skipped.

  • A look down the line first, to find the clog and check the pipe.
  • Access through a cleanout when the house has one, not a torn-up floor.
  • The jet run through the clog, with the grease and roots flushed down the line.
  • A second look to show you the line is clear.
  • Straight talk on keeping grease and wipes out, so it stays that way.

Why Lines Clog Here

Grease Is the Top Cause of Clogs

The EPA names grease from restaurants, homes and industry as the most common cause of reported sewer blockages. It turns solid in the pipe and blocks the flow.

Wipes do the same, even the ones marked flushable. New Braunfels Utilities puts it plainly: never pour grease down the sink, even if you run hot water afterward.

Restaurant kitchens live under stricter rules. San Antonio requires a grease interceptor, cleaned at least every 90 days. The plumbing code calls for one in any food prep area.

Hand dropping a folded wipe into an open white toilet bowl

How a Jetting Call Goes

From the Backup to a Clear Line

Six steps, for a kitchen sink at home or a line behind a restaurant.

  1. Call and Say What Is Backing Up

    A sink, a toilet, the whole house or a restaurant kitchen. Say so if sewage is coming up.

  2. Look Down the Line, at No Charge

    We find the clog and check the pipe before anything runs. Coming out and looking costs you nothing.

  3. Hear Jet or Snake, With the Price

    You get one answer and one price for the job. Then you decide.

  4. Open the Cleanout

    We jet from a cleanout when the house has one, so nothing gets torn up.

  5. Jet the Line Clear

    The jet scours the pipe wall, and the grease and roots wash down the line.

  6. Show You the Clear Line

    You see the line clear for yourself. Then we tell you how to keep it that way.

Fifty Miles in Every Direction

Where We Jet Lines Across the Hill Country

Homes and restaurant kitchens. West to Kerrville, south to Leon Springs and North San Antonio, east to New Braunfels, with Boerne, Bulverde and Bergheim in between. Not on the list? Call and ask.

Sewage Coming Up a Drain?

After hours emergency service available. Call the number and say it is an emergency. No charge to come out.

Technician in a blue shirt and cap leaning against the open door of a service truck

Straight Answers

What Callers Ask About Jetting

How Much Does Hydro Jetting Cost?

The price follows the length of the line and what is in it. Grease, roots and how we reach the line all move it. You hear the price before any work starts.

What Is Hydro Jetting?

Hydro jetting clears a drain or sewer line with water under high pressure. It scours the pipe wall, so the grease, scale and roots come out, not just the clog.

Is Hydro Jetting Safe for My Pipes?

In sound pipe, yes. That is why we look at the line first. A cracked or broken pipe needs a repair, not a jet, and we tell you before we start.

Do You Jet Restaurant Grease Lines?

Yes. David owns the jetting machines and wants more restaurant work. San Antonio requires a grease interceptor, cleaned at least every 90 days. We can keep the line out of it clear on a schedule.

What Should I Do When Sewage Backs Up?

Stop using water in the house, and don't flush or drain tubs and sinks. Then call us. A licensed plumber should look down the line and clear the clog on your side.

Why Does My Drain Keep Clogging?

Usually grease, wipes or roots. A snake opens a hole, and the rest keeps building on the pipe wall. Jetting cleans the wall itself, so the line stays open longer. Keeping grease and wipes out helps it last.

Can Roots Be Jetted Out of a Sewer Line?

Often, yes. The jet cuts through roots inside the pipe. If the roots broke the pipe, it needs a repair, and we show you what we found.

Do You Come Out to New Braunfels and Bulverde?

Yes. From the shop in Spring Branch we jet lines in New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, Bergheim, Leon Springs and North San Antonio. Farther out? Call and ask.

View All FAQs

Other Services

Other Plumbing We Handle

Two worn pipe wrenches, one red handled, clamped on a metal pipe
Drain Backing Up in the Hill Country?

No charge to come out. We find the clog, give you one price, and you decide.

Call 210-264-1432