How to Convert a Pressure Washer into a Sewer Jetter? (Ultimate Guide)
You rely on your pressure washer for many tasks around the house. For example, it’s great when you want to wash your car or fence thoroughly. Your pressure washer does the job when you want to clean the front of your house wholly but gently. However, sometimes you need another cleaning apparatus – a sewer jetter. Do you need to buy a sewer jetter? No, you must know how to convert a pressure washer into a sewer jetter. We’ll show you how.
Why and when do You Need a Sewer Jetter
If you were ever wondering why you need a sewer jetter, a jetter pressure washer comes in handy. For example, suppose you have a drain that you can’t unclog, even after you’ve tried manually unclogging, pouring drain clog remover down it, and using the plunger.
You would have had no choice but to call the plumber in the past, but now you can convert your pressure washer into a sewer jetter by using a sewer jetter attachment for the pressure washer. You’ll be saving lots of money by doing that. You’ll also save lots of time since learning how to use a sewer jetter is easy.
Converting Your Pressure Washer into a Sewer Jetter
You’ll need to connect your pressure washer to the water line first to have water running through it when you use it. Then, you’ll need to connect the sewer jetter attachment to the spray want with the quick connect coupler. Finally, you connect the nozzle to the other end of your jetter hose using the quick connector.
You’re now ready to use your sewer jetter. We want to give a few tips to make using your new sewer jetter easier, mainly if you’ve never used one before.
- Make sure to turn your pressure washer on. Yes, that should be common sense, but it turns out that common sense isn’t all that common.
- Insert the sewer jetter hose about 12 inches into the drain.
- Press the handle on the spray wand. You’ll know you’re doing it properly if you feel pressure in the hose.
- Make sure to hold the spray wand handle as you push the sewer jetter further into the drain.
- Pull the hose back half the distance every time you push it further into the drain a few more feet. You’ll be cleaning the sides thoroughly by doing that.
- You’ll want to pull the hose out when you’re done. Ensure that the hose is still about a foot in the drain.
- Release the spray wand and wait for the water to stop completely. You’ll make a vast watery mess otherwise. Then pull the sewer jetter hose entirely out of the drain.
- Disconnect the sewer jetter hose from your water source. Then, use your pressure washer’s light pressure washer to clean it off.
What You Need to Know Beforehand
Before we can educate you on how to convert a pressure washer into a sewer jetter through a step-by-step process, we need to tell you some things.
First, you’ll need a conversion kit to do the job. Don’t worry; you can easily find it online on Amazon.
You’ll need to do your part. The second thing you’ll need to do is examine your pressure washer. Ensure it has a PSI (pounds per square inch) of at least 1,500. Don’t try converting it if its PSI is more than 4,400.
The good news is that most conversion kits you can buy will work for pressure washers with a PSI of up to 4,000. We want to add that sewer jetters are more potent than pressure washers because they can shoot out more gallons of water per minute. Our research indicated that the average pressure washer had a GPM (gallons per minute) of 2 to 4. That jumped up to 4-9 GPM for the average sewer jetter.
The Anatomy of a Sewer Jetter Conversion Kit
You should know what a sewer jetter conversion kit contains since you’ll be using it along with DIY YouTube videos. You’ll be attaching the kit to your pressure washer’s handle. Note that you can buy many different brands, either online or offline. All kits have these parts, though.
Jumper Hose
It will attach to the pressure washer sprayer with couplings. If you can’t manually attach the hose to the spray wand, you’ll need to use the couplings. The average jumper hose is between 50 to 100 feet long. Ensure you know your pressure washer’s PSI and how long the pipe you’re cleaning is in advance.
Sewer Jetter Nozzle
You can buy three types of nozzles:
- Laser nose
- Rotation nose
- Button nose
Different nozzles have varying degree sprays ranging from 0 degrees to 40 degrees. Most jobs around the house need rotation and button nose nozzles. You’ll need sewer jetter nozzles if you’re removing blockages in and around your home, cleaning debris, and cleaning various pipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the FAQ responses in a more conversational and NLP-friendly tone:
Can you turn a pressure washer into a jetter?
Absolutely! You can repurpose a regular pressure washer to function as a sewer jetter with a few modifications. A jetter is a high-pressure water-cleaning machine that clears tough clogs and buildup in pipes and drains. Converting your pressure washer can be a cost-effective alternative to hiring a professional plumber for specific jobs.
Can you use a pressure washer as a sewer jetter?
Yes, you can use a pressure washer as a makeshift sewer jetter, but it requires some tweaks. By attaching the correct nozzles and hoses, you can increase the water pressure and focused stream to blast through clogs in your sewer or drain lines. This DIY approach can save you much money compared to calling in plumbing services for unclogging drains.
How many PSI’s in a Sewer Jetter?
Professional-grade sewer jetters typically operate at extremely high water pressures, ranging from 3,500 to 4,000 pounds per square inch (PSI). This immense pressure is necessary to effectively dislodge and clear out even the most stubborn clogs and buildup that accumulate inside sewer and drain pipes over time.
Conclusion
You may think that plumbing work is complex. It’s not; while it’s intricate, you can do much of the work that a plumber does yourself. All you need is the right tools. You’ll also need to know how to use them. You just learned some of that in this article when we explained how to convert a pressure washer into a sewer jetter.
