What is High Pressure Water Jetting?
- High Pressure Water Jetting (HPWJ) has been around for many years for a number of manufacturing and cleaning applications. The use of High Pressure water for cleaning dates back to the mid-1800s when it was used in the mining industry. Much later, in the 1930s, more refined jets of water were used as an industrial cutting solution. Today HPWJ is still mainly used for cleaning and cutting. HPWJ can produce a very clean cut through a variety of materials if the pressure is high enough and consequently at lower pressure it can be used to remove the surface layer.
- High Pressure Water Jetting is used by the oil and gas industry to clean organic and inorganic substances from wells which are often impossible to remove by other methods. It is used in the Steel industry to cut large metal blocks into pieces and to cut shapes into steel sheeting. Similarly it is used in quarry’s to cut large stone blocks. HPWJ techniques are often used to clean metal surfaces to make them ready for painting and it is also very effectively used to remove layers of paint while leaving the layer below untouched and can even be used roughen a surface to make coatings adhere more successfully.
So how do we use it?
- To unblock drains, GHP South use a high pressure water cleaning system to blast the blockage through the drain.
- If drains only had clear water running through them, there would be a lot less problems but unfortunately they don’t. Homeowners through all kinds of things down the sink and toilet not including the expected substances such as soap, dirt and hair from washing. In mainline city pipe work, tree roots can grow into the pipes causing them to leak or crack. We would estimate root intrusion into sewerage pipes to be the cause 50% of all mainline blockages. This is particularly evident in older systems using ceramic pipe work . Today modern pipes are made of plastic and last much longer.
- To clean driveways, walls and graffiti we use a lower pressure water jet to take off the surface dirt and expose the clean surface underneath.
So how does it work?
It is the high pressure that makes the water such an effective cleaning solution.
The water pressure for industrial cutting applications can be as high as 20000 psi but for cleaning drains it is usually between 1000 and 3000 psi or 200 bar.
We rarely exceed 3000 psi as this can then start cutting through pipe work.
Jetting at High Pressure will cut through most small tree roots, blast away blockages and clean the interior wall surfaces of the pipe of fats and grease.
What are the advantages?
There are many advantages of High Pressure Water Jetting. For one, it is less intrusive which in turn is more cost effective. It quite often removes the need to having to dig up the pipe work. Secondly, it better for the environment as it is just water under high pressure, so there is no need to throw a bunch of chemicals down the sewer which ultimately have to end up somewhere. Chemical cleaners can corrode or damage the pipes and in high enough concentrations will kill the microbial bacteria necessary to help maintain septic systems. In short it is a fast, economical way to ensure free-flowing drains.
Regular High Pressure Water Jetting
GHP South recommend regular drain cleaning to prevent blockages in the future. We offer drain maintenance contracts to commercial and private customers and we suggest cleaning is carried out twice a year to reduce the need for unblocking in an emergency.
GHP will ensure your drains are clean and flowing properly. GHP are fully qualified and insured to handle any drain cleaning problem. If you have a blocked drain that needs jetting, contact us today.