More pressure is not always better. Jet a fragile old brick sewer at the pressure you'd use on a hardened concrete blockage and you risk damaging the very infrastructure you're trying to maintain.
High-pressure water jetting is the workhorse of modern sewer cleaning. But the single most common mistake we see is operators treating PSI as a "more is better" dial. The right pressure depends on three things: pipe material, pipe diameter, and the type of blockage.
Match Pressure to Pipe Material
A modern reinforced-concrete or HDPE line can handle aggressive high-pressure jetting. An ageing brick sewer cannot — excessive pressure can erode mortar joints and worsen structural problems. Knowing what's underground before you start is essential.
Jetting Variables
- Pipe material: concrete and HDPE tolerate high PSI; old brick needs caution
- Diameter: larger lines need higher flow, not just higher pressure
- Blockage type: soft silt vs hardened deposits vs root intrusion
- Nozzle selection: often more important than raw PSI
Flow vs Pressure
Operators often fixate on PSI and ignore flow rate (litres per minute). For larger-diameter lines, flow does the work of carrying debris away — high pressure with low flow just drills a hole through a blockage without clearing it. The right machine balances both.
The nozzle you choose matters more than the last 500 PSI you add. Match the tool to the blockage.
Train Your Operators
The best jetting equipment is only as good as the operator running it. Understanding when to dial pressure up, when to switch nozzles, and when to pair jetting with suction is what separates a cleared line from a damaged one. This is why every machine we deliver comes with operator training.
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