Hydro Jetting Service in Annapolis, MD

The Problem

A restaurant in Annapolis, MD (21401) was experiencing chronic kitchen drain backups despite monthly snaking service from another plumber. The backups were becoming more frequent — from monthly to weekly — and were starting to affect service during dinner hours.

The restaurant had been paying for monthly drain service for over a year with no improvement. Each snaking visit would clear the drain temporarily, but within days it would slow again.

The Diagnosis

We performed a camera inspection of the kitchen drain line before any cleaning. The camera revealed what the snaking had been unable to address: the entire interior of the 4-inch drain line was coated with a thick layer of hardened grease — in some sections, the effective pipe diameter had been reduced to less than 2 inches.

Snaking had been punching a hole through the grease each time, providing temporary relief. But the grease coating on the pipe walls remained, and the hole would fill back in within days.

The grease accumulation was the result of years of cooking without a properly functioning grease trap. The trap had been undersized for the restaurant's volume and had been bypassed.

The Solution

We hydro jetted the entire kitchen drain line at 3,500 PSI using a rotating nozzle designed for grease removal. The process took approximately 90 minutes to thoroughly clean the 60-foot run from the kitchen to the main stack.

A post-jetting camera inspection confirmed the pipe walls were clean — the effective diameter was restored to the full 4 inches.

We also recommended and installed a properly sized grease trap to prevent future accumulation. The restaurant now has quarterly hydro jetting service as preventive maintenance.

The Outcome

Zero drain backups in the 8 months since the hydro jetting and grease trap installation. The quarterly maintenance program has kept the line clear and the restaurant has not experienced any service disruptions.

Key Takeaways

• Snaking only punches through grease — it does not remove grease from pipe walls
• Hydro jetting is the only effective solution for heavy grease accumulation
• Camera inspection before cleaning reveals the true condition of the pipe
• Commercial kitchens need properly sized grease traps and regular hydro jetting
• Preventive maintenance is far less expensive than emergency service