Residential hydro jetting typically uses 1,500–4,000 PSI. Commercial can go higher.
The pressure used depends on the pipe material, the type of blockage, and the line size. Soft blockages like grease and soap buildup require less pressure. Dense root masses and scale buildup require more. Clay pipes and older cast iron require lower pressure than modern PVC or concrete lines.
A good technician does not just crank the pressure to maximum and blast away — they match the pressure to what the pipe can safely handle and what the blockage requires. That’s part of why the camera inspection matters: it tells us what we are working with before we set the pressure.
For reference: a fire hose runs around 300 PSI. Hydro jetting equipment starts at roughly 1,500 PSI for light residential use and goes up to 4,000+ PSI for heavy commercial or industrial applications. The nozzle design also matters — rotating nozzles, root-cutting tips, and penetrating nozzles all work differently.
Questions about your pipes? Call Sunburst Environmental at 678-799-4389 — same-day response across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Or request a free estimate online.