Sewer Jetter FAQ

You can learn about the Clog Hog drain cleaner by watching this 3 minute video, or by clicking any of the frequently asked questions below.

To find out if a sewer jetter is the right drain cleaner for the job, visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page. You can also view and save our free Sewer Jetter Guide.

How does a sewer jetter work?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner is a sewer jetter that uses the force of pressurized water to pull itself through pipes, scrub the sides of dirty drains, break apart clogs and flush out residue. A jet nozzle provides the pulling and cleaning force.

Every Clog Hog drain cleaner comes fully assembled, and consists of:

• A high-pressure line that's flexible enough to pass through most main drain elbows, yet handles up to 4,000 PSI.
• A jet nozzle with one forward-firing jet that breaks apart hard clogs and three back-firing jets that pull the high-pressure line deep into clogged drains – or a thrust nozzle with four back firing jets and no forward jet.
• An adapter that's designed to fit your type of pressure washer.

The Clog Hog drain cleaner is made from quality, industrial-grade components and is custom-matched for different types of gas and electric pressure washers.

How does it attach to my pressure washer?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner attaches to different types of pressure washers in slightly different ways.

• If you've got a gas pressure washer, the Clog Hog drain cleaner attaches to the body of your trigger gun after you remove the original metal spray wand by turning the twist ring collar on the spray gun body clockwise.
• If you've got an electric pressure washer, you may need to choose an additional adapter to fit your trigger gun.

Is a pressure washer always required?

Yes, a pressure washer is always required to power your Clog Hog drain cleaner.

You'd get no usable cleaning and pulling force by connecting the drain cleaner directly to your household water supply, even if the water pressure is unusually strong, or to anything other than your pressure washer.

What sizes of pipe can I clean?

• Clog Hog drain cleaners for residential gas and electric pressure washers are generally effective cleaning drains up to 4" ID. However electric pressure washers lack sufficient power to clean most 4" ID outdoor drains.
• Clog Hog drain cleaners for commercial gas pressure washers are generally effective cleaning drains up to 6" ID when powered by machines rated 3.0 to 4.0 GPM.
• Lateral drain lines below 3" ID often have short-radius elbows that can block most sewer jetter nozzles. Your best choice to clean a lateral line is usually to start by trying a 25 Ft. hand–held drum auger that many hardware stores sell for less than $30.
• If you're able to pass a drum auger through the lateral drain line, and you need to scrub the sides of the drain and flush out residue, a Needle Nose™ drain cleaner is a sewer jetter than can pass through almost as many smaller diameter elbows as a hand-held drum auger.

What kind of drain opening can I use?

To unclog your drain with a sewer jetter, you'll need to find the right drain opening so you can access the problem area without passing through tight elbows, traps, or other transitions that could block the jetter nozzle.

To Clean a Main Drain

If you have several clogged plumbing fixtures in different rooms, it often means that the problem is in the main drain. In this case it's often easiest to insert the jetter into a main drain cleanout in front of your home or in a basement, pointing the jetter uphill in the direction of the clog.

In some cases there can be sharp elbows or other transitions in the main drain that make it difficult for the sewer jetter to pass all the way through. In this case you might need to find a secondary, clogged drain opening or cleanout that's uphill of the problem area (such as an opening under a sink or a shower floor drain), and point the jetter nozzle downhill. You might also be able to access the main drain from a roof vent, but you will need to take extra safety precautions when working on a roof.

For more about cleaning a main drain, visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page.

To Clean Lateral Drain Lines

If only the plumbing fixtures in a single room or small portion of a building are clogged, the problem could be in a lateral drain line. It's usually not possible to reach the clog in a lateral drain line when starting below from the main drain cleanout.

Lateral drain lines are generally smaller in diameter, and are more likely to have tight elbows that block most sewer jetters. For this reason your best choice is usually to start by trying a 25 Ft. hand-held drum auger, as detailed on our Drain Cleaning Tips page.

If you're able to pass a drum auger through the lateral line, and you need to scrub the sides of the dirty line to flush out residue, the Needle Nose™ drain cleaner can pass through almost as many smaller diameter elbows as a hand-held drum auger.

Depending on the design of your lateral drain, you can sometimes reach the problem area with a Needle Nose drain cleaner by inserting the nozzle into:

• A drain opening under a sink that you expose by removing the trap.
• A shower or floor drain with the drain cover removed.
• A cleanout opening on a wall inside the home, on an exterior wall, or behind the home.
• A drain opening in the floor that you expose by removing a toilet.

Note: it's generally not possible to pass a sewer jetter nozzle directly through a toilet or sink trap. And, if you've had difficulty passing a hand-held auger through a drain opening, a sewer jetter probably can't pass through either.

To Clean Outdoor Drains

If cleaning an outdoor sewer drain, septic field line, landscaping drain or French drain you will need to insert the sewer jetter into a drain opening that leads directly to the problem area, without passing through a drain fixture that could block the nozzle.

It's usually necessary to start from a downhill opening and point the sewer jetter in an uphill direction toward the clog. This allows gravity to work with the back-firing nozzle jets for better cleaning and flushing, and gives heavier outdoor sediment an easier path to exit the drain.

It's generally not possible for a sewer jetter to pass through a distribution box, catch basin, or other type of outdoor drain fixture unless you can feed the nozzle through the exposed fixture by hand.

And, if you find an unexpected amount of mud or sand in an outdoor drain with no obvious source, you should carefully inspect the drain before inserting a sewer jetter or mechanical drain snake, since drain cleaners can sometimes get stuck in separated and collapsed sections of pipe.

For more on this topic, visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page.

Is it safe for my pipes?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner is designed for PVC (plastic) and metal drain pipes.

You should avoid using a sewer jetter in ceramic (clay) and Orangeburg (wood composite) drain pipes found in some older homes, since these types of drains are more likely to clog because of cracks, breaches and structural collapse. Once this occurs, a drain cleaner could work itself into a preexisting crack or collapsed area of the pipe, and a difficult extraction job could result.

If you're concerned that a plastic or metal drain might not be in good enough condition to clean with a sewer jetter, before buying the drain cleaner you can test an exposed piece of the pipe by spraying it with your pressure washer spray wand on its most forceful nozzle setting, at zero distance. If the pressure washer scores or erodes the pipe material, then you can expect a sewer jetter that's powered by the same machine to also damage the pipe.

You should avoid using a sewer jetter and contact a licensed plumber for help if you suspect that a drain has structural damage or is weakened by tree roots, foundation damage, or other causes.

Can I use a sewer jetter in ceramic drain pipes?

You should avoid using a sewer jetter to clean ceramic (clay) pipes.

Ceramic pipes more often clog because of large cracks, tree roots that enter and expand any gaps in the pipe wall, or structural collapse. Should a sewer jetter or mechanical drain snake enter a large, preexisting crack or breach in a ceramic pipe you could have a difficult extraction job.

Can I run a Clog Hog drain cleaner through a toilet?

Instead of running a sewer jetter through a toilet, it's recommended that you remove the toilet, run the jetter directly into the drain opening in the floor, and then reinstall the toilet.

That's because a sewer jetter's steel nozzle can scratch the visible ceramic surfaces, and can get stuck inside the tight bends of many toilet traps.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more tips to unclog a toilet.

Can it clear landscaping drains, septic lines, and drain tiles?

Yes, Clog Hog drain cleaners are often used to clean:

• Sewer drains that run from your building to a city sewer or septic tank.
• Septic system or leach field lines.
• Landscaping, agricultural, and gutter drain lines.
• Drain tile (or "French drain") lines that surround your building.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for tips to unclog different kinds of outdoor drains.

Can it remove tree roots?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner can't cut through tree roots. It can clear sediment around tree roots that contributes to drain blockage, but growing roots will eventually need to be cleared with a different machine that's designed for that job.

To remove tree roots plumbing service companies typically use very large truck or trailer-mounted jetters with special cutting nozzles, or mechanical drain snakes with cutting blades.

Note that while it's rare for sewer jetters to get stuck in drains, this could potentially happen inside of a drain that has been cracked or separated by tree roots.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more information about removing tree roots.

Can it thaw frozen drain lines?

Clog Hog sewer jetter models that have a forward jet are frequently used for thawing frozen pipes and removing frozen blockages from sewer drains.

• When sewer jetting inside a frozen drain, keep the sewer jetter moving and water flowing through the jetter.
• Drain the jetter and all supply hoses of water immediately after use to avoid damage from freezing water.

Most customers are able to clear frozen drain lines using cold water to supply their pressure washers. Note that Clog Hog drain cleaners are rated for water up to 120 degrees F; this is equivalent to the hot water supply temperature in many homes. However, before using heated water check your pressure washer temperature rating.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more information about removing frozen icy clogs.

Can it remove iron ochre clogs caused by iron eating bacteria?

You can use a Clog Hog drain cleaner to remove iron ochre clogs caused by iron bacteria, provided that the pipe is in good structural condition and does not have any short-radius elbows or transitions that could block the sewer jetter nozzle.

After you remove the clog, it's usually necessary to treat the source of the iron bacteria to prevent the clog from returning after a few months. Our Customers Page has before and after photos of an iron ochre clog that was removed with a Clog Hog drain cleaner.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more information about removing iron ochre clogs.

You can also contact us for more information.

Can I use the Clog Hog drain cleaner indoors?

You can clear clogged pipes from inside your home by following these steps.

• Always use the Clog Hog drain cleaner in a well-ventilated area.
• Always operate a gas-powered pressure washer outside. If the hose from your gas-powered pressure washer to the trigger gun isn't long enough to reach the indoor drain entry point such as a cleanout or a drain opening under a sink, use a pressure washer extension hose.
• To avoid water damage to floors, check all hose and trigger gun connections for leaks outdoors with the pressure washer running before you bring the water lines inside.
• For easier handling and cleanup, partially unroll and insert the high-pressure line in smaller increments as needed.

Note: Clog Hog offers the Needle Nose™ drain cleaner that's designed to pass through more types of elbows and transitions in lateral drains as small as 1½" ID.

When cleaning from the drain from an opening under a sink, you should have an alternate drain opening available since it can sometimes be difficult for a sewer jetter to pass through the tight elbows found in smaller, lateral drain lines.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more tips to unclog indoor drains.

Can it clean swimming pool drain lines?

Swimming pool drains are usually made from small diameter PVC cold water supply pipes with sharp 90-degree elbows that can block a sewer jetter. For this reason, your best choice is usually to start by trying a 25 Ft. hand-held drum auger that many hardware stores sell for less than $30.

If you're able to pass a drum auger through the swimming pool drain, and you need to scrub the sides of the drain and flush out debris, Clog Hog offers the Needle Nose^™ drain cleaner that can pass through almost as many short radius elbows as a hand-held drum auger.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more tips to unclog swimming pool drains.

Can it clean black corrugated outdoor field drains?

Cleaning corrugated (accordion style) outdoor field drains is a common use for Clog Hog drain cleaners. Note that if your drain pipe is clogged with dirt or yard debris it might take a gas pressure washer for good cleaning efficiency since dirt and yard debris can be heavier than indoor waste materials, and can require more force to flush away.

When cleaning an outdoor field line it's almost always easiest to start at a downhill location and let the nozzle pull itself uphill toward the clog. This can give a clearer path for the sediment to wash out of the drain, and allows you to watch the amount of sediment washing back to determine when the line is clean.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more tips to unclog landscaping drains.

How long does it last? Should I buy an extra nozzle?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner is designed to be used many times, but its components will eventually wear.

The life of your jet nozzle depends on the operating pressure of your jetter, the amount of sediments in your water, and the type of pipe that you clean — with PVC (plastic) pipes producing less wear than metal. Your jet nozzle will normally wear gradually over time, with a slow enlargement of nozzle orifices and a gradual drop in cleaning pressure the result.

If your water supply is reasonably free of sediment, your pressure washer operates at 4,000 PSI or less, and you are cleaning primarily PVC drain pipes, you can usually expect to use the drain cleaner dozens of times before replacing the nozzle.

Most nozzle issues occur when small debris enters the sewer jetter from an open supply hose. For this reason it's important to always flush your garden hose, pressure washer, high-pressure hose and trigger gun with clean water for at least 30 seconds before you attach the sewer jetter.

We offer replacement nozzles on the Accessories tab of each product page, and when you check out.

You can prolong the life of your high-pressure line by:

• Taking care not to knot, kink or mishandle it,
• Keeping it away from hot surfaces such as engine exhausts,
• Draining out water before storing it, and
• Keeping it in a cool place away from sunlight when not in use.

You should inspect all components of your Clog Hog drain cleaner after each use – including the nozzle, hose, and end fittings – and replace any item that appears damaged or worn.

Can you recommend a pressure washer to buy?

Clog Hog doesn't collect reliability information about different pressure washer brands, so it's difficult for us to recommend one manufacturer over another.

• Nearly all pressure washers sold in US retail stores have sufficient PSI capability to operate the sewer jetter. It's the GPM flow that determines how far the pressure washer can power a sewer jetter into a drain, and the cleaning and flushing force.
• Sewer jetter nozzle force increases roughly with GPM squared, so a gas powered pressure washer can give you more than four times the pulling, cleaning and flushing force of an electric machine. That's why gas machines are required for cleaning distances longer than 50 Ft, and for tougher jobs like cleaning main sewer drains, flushing boimat from septic field lines, and removing yard debris or silt from landscape drains.
• If buying a gas pressure washer, consider both the pump and engine when choosing a machine. A premium engine from the established manufacturer of small engines for yard equipment, motorcycles and marine vehicles could give you more reliable service.
• If you will clean only smaller lateral lines that have lightweight clogs such as kitchen grease and laundry build-up, you can choose the 50 Ft Drain Cleaner for Electric with a higher-thrust nozzle and an optional trigger gun that's designed for select 1.2 GPM electric machines.

Note: electric pressure washer GPM is limited by PSI working pressure, pump efficiency and household circuit breaker amperage. Pressure washers advertised as delivering more than 1.2 GPM usually produce much less flow than advertised - typically 1 GPM or less at their rated pressures. The exceptions are a few industrial electric pressure washer models made in the USA, Italy and Germany - weighing more than 50 lbs and costing $600 to $1500 - with reduced PSI ratings and high-efficiency plunger pumps that require specially matched sewer jetters. Please contact us before buying a sewer jetter to use with an industrial electric machine.

You can also contact us with your pressure washer manufacturer and model number and we will be glad to recommend a compatible drain cleaner.

Should I rent a pressure washer to power the sewer jetter?

We recommend that you do not use a rented pressure washer for these reasons.

• Rented pressure washers are often not compatible because they're frequently modified and rebuilt, and are sometimes designed with unusual GPM and PSI ratings for the rental market.
• Rented pressure washers more frequently have service problems such as decaying pump seals that can dislodge and block the sewer jetter nozzle.
• Rented pressure washers usually have unusual trigger guns that can be inconvenient to use and require added-cost adapters.
• The hourly cost of renting a pressure washer motivates some customers to rush the job, which can result in reduced safety and less satisfactory results.

Because of service and performance issues with rented machines, some customers have paid more for the cost of unexpectedly long rental times than they'd spend to buy a gas pressure washer.

Is it ready to use? What else do I need to buy?

The Clog Hog drain cleaner comes fully assembled and ready to use, including the high pressure line, jetter nozzle, and adapter to fit most types of pressure washers.

If you own an electric pressure washer you can buy a drain cleaner for electric machines that includes your choice of electric adapter, if required.

What length of Clog Hog drain cleaner do I need?

Choose a 100-Foot model if:

• You plan to clear your drain line from outside your home, and the distance from the main drain cleanout to the furthest indoor plumbing fixture (measured around square corners) is between 50 and 100 feet.

Choose a 50-Foot model if:

• The distance from your main drain cleanout to the furthest indoor plumbing fixture is not more than 50 feet, or
• You only plan to clean your drain line from inside your home, and the distance from your indoor cleanout downstream to the problem area is not more than 50 feet.

Do you sell drain cleaners over 100 ft. long?

Clog Hog sells drain cleaners in lengths only up to 100 Ft.

It is not recommended to connect two drain cleaners together to make a longer sewer jetter.

You can contact us for more information.

Can I remove the nozzle?

You can remove the Needle Nose nozzle using 7/16" flat or adjustable wrench to grasp the small indents on the side of the nozzle. You may also need to grasp the crimped nozzle fitting with pliers; do not grip or twist the bronze-colored covering of the hose.

However, unless you are changing to another Needle Nose nozzle that is designed for a different size of pressure washer, there is usually no need to remove the nozzle.

• Your new Needle Nose drain cleaner has an integrated inlet filter to prevent the nozzle from clogging, so there's rarely a need to remove the nozzle for cleaning.
• The stainless steel nozzle is expected to last as long as the sewer jetter hose in normal use, so there's usually no need to replace it.
• The original nozzle on your Needle Nose drain cleaner is more compact and provides more cleaning force than competitors' nozzles. And, because the Needle Nose nozzle end has a compact 1/8" BSPP fitting that requires an internal PTFE sealing ring to hold pressure, most competitors' nozzles are not compatible.

Can I buy a spare nozzle?

We offer spare nozzles on the Accessories tab of each product page, and when you check out.

Note that a spare nozzle is usually not required, since your original nozzle is expected to last as long as the sewer jetter hose in normal use. An additional nozzle is usually needed only if you change to a new pressure washer that requires different sized nozzle jets.

Can I get a rotating nozzle?

Clog Hog doesn't sell rotating nozzles because their added lengths and lower efficiencies make it much more difficult to pass through drain elbows and other transitions in household drains.

Powerful, truck-mounted pumps are used to power the rotating nozzles used to cut tree roots in municipal sewer mains; these can easily injure an untrained operator.

Does the 100 foot model perform as well as the 50 foot model?

You can expect the performance of the 100 foot and 50 foot drain cleaners to be the same over their supplied lengths.

That's because a pressure washer provides nearly constant GPM flow up to its rated pressure, and therefore produces the same nozzle cleaning and pulling force, regardless of whether the drain cleaner is 100 feet or 50 feet long.

Can I join two sewer jetters together to make a longer jetter?

This is not recommended for these reasons.

• The Needle Nose drain cleaner has an ultra-compact nozzle-end fitting with threads that are too small to attach to the larger inlet fitting on a sewer jetter hose.
• Clog Hog drain cleaners use a high-pressure line and nozzle that are matched to work within the limits of your pressure washer. Adding more line will overload most machines.
• Any metal coupling that you'd use to connect two high pressure lines together would be inflexible and weaker than the jetter line. Should the coupling break inside a drain pipe you'd have a difficult extraction job.

If you're comfortable doing the math and assembly, our blog has a series of articles to guide you in building a longer jetter using parts that you buy from other suppliers.

Will it work with my model of pressure washer?

You can choose a Clog Hog drain cleaner model that's designed for your gas-powered or electric machine. For detailed compatibility information, click the Compatibility tab on any product page.

You can also contact us with your pressure washer manufacturer and model number, and we'd be glad to recommend a compatible drain cleaner.

My electric pressure washer is nearly 2 GPM. Is it as powerful as a gas machine?

If your pressure washer plugs into a 110 volt outlet, it probably delivers no more than 1.2 GPM at a PSI pressure that's sufficient to operate a sewer jetter. Major hardware store chains sell 1.2 GPM electric machines that usually produce that flow - but not more - at their rated working pressures.

• Most electric pressure washers sold online with advertised flows greater than 1.2 GPM produce much less flow than advertised at their rated PSI pressures – typically closer to 1 GPM.
• Some electric machines use a mixing tube to produce 2.0 to 3.5 GPM flows at pressures that are far too low to operate a sewer jetter. These machines generally produce 1.2 GPM or less when operated in high-pressure mode needed to power a sewer jetter.
• A few direct-drive 110 volt pressure washers – typically costing $1,000 or more and weighing at least 40 Lbs. – produce around 2 GPM at lower rated PSI pressures. Please contact us for help if you have one of these high-cost electric machines.

To verify the GPM flow of your pressure washer, use its most restrictive (highest‑force) nozzle setting, spray into a 5‑gallon plastic hardware store bucket with the lid nearly closed for exactly 60 seconds, and pour the contents into a measuring pitcher to find the gallon per minute output.

You can visit our Electric Sewer Jetters page for tips to choose the right electric machine.

My machine is 3.0 GPM. Why can't I use a jetter rated for 2.9 GPM?

The pressure in a 100 Ft Clog Hog Residential drain cleaner increases sharply at all flows over 2.9 GPM.

If your pressure washer is rated more than 2.9 GPM, choose one of our Commercial Gas sewer jetters rated for 3.0 to 4.0 GPM to avoid overloading your machine.

Overloading your pressure washer will result in constant cycling of its unloader valve and close to zero cleaning and pulling force.

Can I order by phone, mail, fax or email?

We accept credit card and PayPal orders through our website. Please contact us for assistance if you're having difficulty ordering online.

Note that we don't accept orders by phone, email, fax, mail, or payments by check.

Can you send me a printed catalog?

We don't provide a printed catalog, but you can download and print this Clog Hog Product Guide.

You can also download and print our Sewer Jetter Guide that's full of tips and information.

Can I get a coupon code or discount?

Clog Hog offers up-front pricing, with no hidden discount offers and no coupon codes. The prices shown on the Clog Hog website are the exact prices paid by all customers.

For more information about bogus coupon codes and discounts visit our coupon information page.

How is it different from a mechanical drain snake?

• Efficient Power. The Clog Hog drain cleaner pulls itself into clogged pipes using the force of water from your pressure washer. In contrast, a mechanical drain cleaner uses an electric motor that twists a cable into the drain by mechanical force.
• Thorough Scrubbing. The Clog Hog drain cleaner scrubs your pipes with a high-pressure water spray as it travels up the line.
• Effective Cleansing. After its jet nozzle breaks apart a clog, the Clog Hog drain cleaner helps wash the residue out of your drain pipe.
• Less Work. A Clog Hog drain cleaner pulls itself through your pipes so you don't have to wrangle a heavy drain snake cable to reach the clog.
• Lower Cost. A Clog Hog drain cleaner costs only a fraction of what you'd pay for a mechanical drain snake of the same length.
• Lighter Weight. You can easily carry a Clog Hog drain cleaner in one hand. Compare this to mechanical drain cleaners that can weigh from 70 to over 250 lbs.
• Simpler Cleanup. The Clog Hog drain cleaner has no electrical or moving mechanical parts so you can safely clean it with the gentle nozzle of your pressure washer after use. After cleaning you can hang it in your garage or shed without bringing odors indoors.
• Flexible Setup. Because the Clog Hog drain cleaner is lightweight and easier to keep clean, it can be suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.

The Clog Hog drain cleaner isn't designed to extract tree roots, large rocks or jewelry and can't solve structural piping problems. If you suspect that you might have one of these issues you should contact a licensed plumber for help.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for tips to choose the right drain cleaner.

How is it different from other sewer jetters?

Every Clog Hog drain cleaner has these key advantages.

• Patent-pending Needle Nose nozzle design works in more types and sizes of drains.
• Precision made for your size of pressure washer. Your Clog Hog drain cleaner combines specially sized components with a precision machined nozzle to give the best performance with your size of gas or electric pressure washer.
• Real quality. Every Clog Hog drain cleaner has a sewer jetter hose and nozzle that are manufactured from professional grade materials.
• Fully assembled and ready to use. Your Clog Hog drain cleaner comes ready to use, with adapters available to fit most sizes of pressure washer, right out of the package.
• Service before and after the sale. You can contact us for help by email or telephone, before or after you buy.

Where is it made?

Clog Hog drain cleaners are manufactured in the USA, using US-made and imported components.

How can I help make sure the job will go smoothly?

You can save time by planning your drain cleaning job in advance.

• Plan your access. It's usually easiest to clear the main drain starting from a downhill opening and working in an uphill direction. Locate both a primary drain opening such a main drain cleanout outside your home or in a basement, and an alternative opening upstream of the clog (should it become necessary) such as an indoor drain opening or a roof vent.
• Get the right safety gear. When using a sewer jetter always wear thick, fluid-resistant work gloves and eye protection.
• Check your pressure washer. Before connecting your sewer jetter, test your pressure washer by spraying with its highest force (pencil-thin) setting for at least 15 seconds. If the machine works without its engine stalling or the unloader valve cycling off and on, it's likely to be in good condition.
• Flush all hoses with clean water. A small piece of dirt that could enter your garden hose or high-pressure hose during storage can plug the jetter nozzle, so before connecting the drain cleaner you should always run water through all supply hoses, the pressure washer and trigger gun until you are sure that the water is clean.
• Know the condition of your pipes. You should call a licensed plumber for help if you suspect that your drains have structural problems caused by foundation cracks or large tree roots, or if you live in an historic home that has ceramic or wood fiber drain pipes.

You can visit our Drain Cleaning Tips page for more tips to unclog different kinds of drains.

What can I do if one of the nozzle jets doesn't spray?

Nozzle jets can sometimes be blocked by small debris that enters the supply hoses during storage and assembly. That's why it's important to flush the supply hoses, pressure washer and trigger gun with clean water each time before attaching the sewer jetter.

To clear a blocked jetter nozzle:

• Insert a tiny pin into the blocked nozzle and, using care not to break the pin, check to see if this clears the blockage. For easier cleaning we offer a miniature nozzle cleaning tool with a spiral cut, tapered stainless steel shaft.
• To clear out larger sediment, remove the sewer jetter nozzle by using two sets of wrenches or pliers to secure both the nozzle and the steel fitting on the jetter hose, then loosen the nozzle by turning it counterclockwise. Take care not to twist the steel fitting against the hose. When the nozzle is removed, rap it squarely against a clean, hard surface to dislodge any sediment. Before replacing the nozzle, connect the supply hoses, pressure washer, and trigger gun to the sewer jetter and without starting the pressure washer run low-pressure water through to clear out any remaining debris. Then turn off the water, replace and re-tighten the nozzle.

Important: grasp only the exposed metal surfaces of the nozzle and fitting with the pliers or wrench. Do not grasp or twist the jetter hose or any soft coating.

What can I do if no water flows out of the jetter at all?

If no water flows out of the jetter nozzle it's likely that dirt or debris has entered the jetter from an open garden hose or another source.

Note: it's rare for jetters to become completely clogged. However, because a small amount of debris can block your jetter, before connecting the jetter to your pressure washer you should always run water through all supply hoses, the pressure washer and trigger gun until you are certain that the water supply is clean.

If your jetter is completely clogged, first remove the nozzle to check for dirt inside. To remove the jetter nozzle secure the collar of the jetter hose with pliers wrapped in a cloth or a wrench, and loosen the nozzle with a second set of pliers wrapped in a cloth. Take care not to twist the steel collar against the hose. Check the inside of the nozzle for debris.

Important: grasp only the exposed metal surfaces of the nozzle and fitting with the pliers or wrench. Do not grasp or twist the jetter hose or any soft coating.

• If you find dirt or debris inside the nozzle you can usually remove it by rapping the nozzle opening squarely against a clean, hard surface to dislodge the sediment, or by using a Q-tip®. Then replace and re-tighten the nozzle.
• If the inside of the nozzle is clean or only partially blocked, a significant amount of dirt or debris could be blocking the opposite (inlet) side of the jetter. It's usually easiest to clear inlet blockages using compressed air from an automotive tire pump or compressor that's connected to the nozzle end of the jetter. Please contact us for assistance before cleaning your jetter with air.

My pressure washer cycles off and on. Is this normal?

When used with a compatible Clog Hog drain cleaner your pressure washer should work without overloading. When a pressure washer is overloaded its unloader valve will cycle off and on. This sounds the same as constantly squeezing and releasing the spray gun trigger, and can result in much lower cleaning efficiency.

• The most common reason for a pressure washer to become overloaded is reduced performance caused by old gasoline, a gas engine in need of a tune up, or a pressure washer pump valve that becomes stuck after a long period of inactivity.

  To test your machine's performance before connecting the drain cleaner, operate your pressure washer with its highest-force, pencil-thin nozzle setting. If you can spray normally for at least 15 seconds without the engine stalling or the unloader valve cycling off and on, it's likely that your pressure washer is in good enough condition to operate the sewer jetter.

• The second most common reason for a pressure washer to become overloaded is dirt or debris entering the jetter from an open garden hose, decaying garden hose seals, or another source.

  To check for a blocked jetter, attach the pressure washer to the garden hose, connect the trigger gun and jetter, turn on the garden hose valve, and without starting the pressure washer squeeze the spray gun trigger so that water at low, household pressure flows through the jetter.

If the jetter hose and nozzle are free of debris you'll see four constant, solid water streams spraying from the jetter nozzle and the back streams will be of equal size.

If the nozzle is blocked you'll see inconsistent, weak, or fluctuating streams. In this case you can clean the nozzle as shown in the nozzle cleaning section of this page.

I'm having problems reaching the clog. What can I do?

If the sewer jetter has difficulty passing through a particular section of drain pipe there are several possible solutions.

• Check to be sure that your pressure washer unloader valve does not cycle off and on while operating the sewer jetter. If the pressure washer is overloaded it could need servicing, or debris from an open supply hose could be clogging the sewer jetter nozzle.

  View the pressure washer troubleshooting and cleaning the sewer jetter nozzle sections of this page for help with these issues.

• If you're having difficulty passing through a floor drain trap or a small diameter elbow near the drain opening, you can loop some of the sewer jetter hose in your hand and twist the line as you push in the nozzle to snake the tip through.

• To help the sewer jetter nozzle pass through a tight elbow or transition deep in the pipe, you can pulse the flow of water with the pressure washer trigger gun as you pull back on the line and feed it forward. Sometimes this helps the nozzle pass through.

• If none of these approaches work, you can try an alternative drain opening to reach the clog– for example, by starting at an indoor cleanout under a sink or at a roof vent, and jetting downhill.

• If your pressure washer is rated below 2.0 GPM, try using a machine with a higher GPM rating to better power the jetter through the pipe.

How can I get my sewer jetter delivered faster?

• Customers in the USA can often receive their orders 1-3 days faster by providing a street address for shipping, and not a PO Box address. Your street address is always required for UPS shipping, since UPS does not deliver to PO boxes.
• US customers can also specify added-cost Next-Day and 2nd-Day Air delivery. This option appears on the payment page of your checkout, before you enter payment details.
• Customers outside the USA should provide a telephone number to help speed customs clearance.

Where do you ship Clog Hog products?

We ship to the Continental USA by UPS and USPS. We ship to other regions worldwide by US Postal Service Priority Mail. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout.

For delivery to US military FPO addresses please choose USPS shipping when you check out.

How much does US or international shipping cost?

To find an exact shipping cost before entering any payment card information, visit your product page, click Add to Cart, on the first Cart page enter your country, state or province, postal code, and choice of service. Additional delivery options may be offered when you check out.

Does Clog Hog offer free shipping?

The cost of shipping is added to your Clog Hog order when you checkout.

The shipping costs you see are the rates calculated by UPS and USPS, and are added to all orders.

For more information about free shipping offers, visit our free shipping information page.

How long until I receive my order?

We ship on the same day more than 90% of orders received online before 3:00 PM (US Central time) Monday through Friday, except on UPS holidays.

• Standard delivery to the Continental USA usually takes 3-5 business days after receipt of your order.
• Standard delivery to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico usually takes 4-6 business days after receipt of your order.
• Priority Mail Express delivery to most countries outside the USA take 5 to 12 weeks after receipt of your order because of customs delays.
• Customers in the USA can specify added-cost Next Day Air or 2nd Day Air shipping at checkout.

To calculate a detailed US delivery time estimate visit the UPS website. We ship from near Austin, Texas , our Zip Code is 78613, and our standard shipping is by UPS Ground. Note that to view UPS Ground delivery times you must specify a weekday shipping date.

From where do you ship?

We ship from the Austin, Texas area.

Do you have local retailers in the USA, Canada or other countries?

Clog Hog products are sold online; there are no international retailers who stock our products.

Our products are delivered to limited countries outside the USA by USPS Priority Mail Express and UPS Worldwide Expedited. Because of customs delays, delivery times for Priority Mail orders typically range from 5 to 12 weeks, including backlog in your local customs office.

Shipping costs when you checkout do not include any duty charged by your local customs. You may receive a separate invoice for customs duties and service fees upon delivery or by postal mail.

You can see your exact USPS shipping cost (excluding any duties), before entering payment card information, by adding your item(s) to the Cart, and on the first Cart page entering your country and postal code.

Can I get parts to repair my sewer jetter?

You can contact us if you need parts to repair your Clog Hog drain cleaner. Please let us know the email address (or name and Zip code) used on your order, and some details about the needed repair, so that we can find the order details and determine the items needed.

What is your return policy?

Please visit our Warranty page for details about our return policy.