Clogged Drains: Real Costs and What Prevents Them
Hydro-jetting vs. snaking, enzyme treatments that work, and the products that destroy your pipes.
Drain clears run $125-$400 for a simple snake job and $400-$900 for hydro-jetting. Recurring clogs almost always signal a deeper problem — root intrusion, scale buildup, or a partial pipe collapse — that costs more to identify and fix but pays back in avoided repeat calls.
Snake vs. hydro-jet
Snaking (cable auger) punches through clogs but leaves grease and scale on pipe walls. Effective for hair clogs and isolated blockages. The reclog rate is high — often within 6-18 months.
Hydro-jetting (3,500-4,000 PSI water) scours pipe walls clean. Effective for grease, scale, and root intrusion. Should be paired with a camera inspection ($200-$400) to confirm pipe integrity before jetting.
What's safe and what isn't
Avoid chemical drain cleaners (Drano, Liquid-Plumr) — they generate heat that damages PVC and accelerates corrosion in metal pipes. Plumbers universally hate working on lines treated with them.
Enzyme-based treatments (Bio-Clean, Roebic K-87) are safe and effective for prevention but slow for active clogs. Monthly use prevents grease and biological buildup.