We use cabling, hydrojetting, and camera inspection — and we choose between them based on what the camera actually shows and what your pipe can take. That last part matters: hydrojetting is safe for sound pipe of any material, but it is not appropriate for a line that is already cracked or badly corroded.
Camera Inspection First
On anything beyond a simple fixture clog, we run a sewer camera before deciding on a method. It shows pipe material, condition, the location and nature of the blockage, and whether there are cracks, joint separations, root intrusion, or a belly in the line. Cleaning an older pipe without knowing its condition is how contractors turn a blockage into a break.
Cabling (Snaking)
A rotating cable bores through the blockage and restores flow. It is the gentler option, the right call for a single fixture clog or a fast emergency clear, and appropriate for older or fragile pipe where high-pressure water would be risky. Its limitation is that it makes a hole through the obstruction rather than removing the buildup coating the pipe wall — which is why cabled lines often re-clog.
Hydrojetting
Hydrojetting uses high-pressure water to scour the pipe back to its full inside diameter, cutting grease, scale, and root hairs off the wall. It genuinely resets the clock rather than buying a few months. Pressure is adjustable, and used correctly it is safe on PVC, ABS, and sound cast iron.
Is It Safe for Older Pipes?
This is the right question to ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on the pipe’s actual condition, not just its age. Sound cast iron handles hydrojetting fine at appropriate pressure. Cast iron that has corroded thin, or clay pipe with separated joints and cracks, is a different situation — jetting can worsen existing damage. That is precisely why we camera the line first and adjust the method and pressure accordingly, and why we will recommend repair instead of cleaning when the line is past cleaning.
What We Avoid
Caustic chemical drain cleaners. They damage older pipe, rarely clear a real blockage, and leave hazardous liquid in the line for the next person who opens it.
Local Context
A great deal of Albuquerque housing stock built before 1980 has cast iron or clay, and mature neighborhood trees drive root intrusion. Knowing which you have changes the right approach entirely.
