Hydro Jetting in Jonesboro, GA

Warning signs

• The line was snaked and is slowing down again within weeks
• A tub or shower fills when a toilet is flushed
• Rust flakes or root strands come back on the cable
• Gurgling from several fixtures
• Soggy ground or odor along the lateral in the yard

When only one fixture is slow, look close to it. When the lowest drains in the house act up together, the problem is in the main line.

Jonesboro conditions

Jonesboro is the Clayton County seat, with a railroad-era downtown, the Jonesboro Historic District and Civil War history. Its housing is old: census survey figures put the median home at 1972, with about 69% built before 1980. Houses from that era often have cast iron drains that corrode into a rough crust and clay laterals with joints that let roots in. Both trap debris, so cabled lines here tend to clog again quickly.

The city refers water and sewer problems to Clayton County Water Authority, which provides sewer countywide; CCWA's number, (770) 960-5200, also handles after-hours emergencies like sewer backups. Call CCWA if a manhole is overflowing or neighbors are affected. A backup in one house is in the private line.

What drives the cost

• Access: yard cleanout, toilet or roof vent
• Length of the lateral to the CCWA main
• How much scale or root mass is inside
• A camera inspection, which is wise on pipe this age
• After-hours scheduling

Cleaning doesn't need a permit. If the camera finds a broken section, the City of Jonesboro's Building Permits office at City Hall handles building permit applications, and a plumber can confirm what the repair requires.

When you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who serves Jonesboro. Tell them how old the house is, which drains are affected and whether the line has been cleaned before. In older homes the cleanout may be in a crawl space rather than the yard, so it helps to know where yours is. Stop running water until they arrive.

If you're buying an older house near the historic district, a camera inspection of the lateral before closing tells you whether it's a cleaning job or a replacement waiting to happen.