Commercial Drain & Grease Line Jetting
A restaurant line that closes at 7pm on a Friday is not a plumbing problem. It's a revenue problem.
Commercial drains fail differently from residential ones. Volume is higher, grease loading is heavier, and the consequence of a blockage is a closed kitchen or an out-of-service floor rather than an inconvenience. That changes what the right response is.
Cabling clears a path through a blockage and is often the correct first move. Jetting scours the pipe wall and is what actually removes the grease and scale layer that causes a line to close again on a predictable schedule. For a commercial kitchen line, cabling alone is usually renting time rather than solving anything.
The honest caveat is pipe condition. Older cast iron that has corroded thin can be damaged by full-pressure jetting, and in a Midtown building the pipe is frequently older than anyone on site. We camera lines of unknown condition before pressurising them, and we'll drop pressure or recommend a different approach rather than take the risk quietly and call the damage pre-existing.
When this is likely the issue
What is and isn't included
Included
- Assessment of which line and how many fixtures are affected
- Camera inspection first on pipe of unknown age or condition
- Mechanical cabling of the affected branch or stack
- High-pressure jetting at a pressure matched to the pipe
- Flush test to confirm the line carries flow before we leave
- Scheduling around your service hours where the work allows it
Quoted separately
- Repair of a break, belly, or collapsed section found during the work
- Installing a cleanout where the line has no safe access point
- Grease interceptor pumping, which requires a licensed waste hauler
- Building house drain and street connection work
- Recurring scheduled service, which we quote as its own program
- Any restoration where access requires opening finishes
What drives the number
We quote after diagnosis, not before. These are the factors that move the number most on this service:
- LINEA single fixture branch, a full stack, or the building house drain.
- METHODCabling versus jetting, and whether a camera run is needed first.
- ACCESSWhether there is a usable cleanout or access has to be created.
- HOURSOvernight or pre-opening work to avoid closing a kitchen.
- CONDITIONOld cast iron requires inspection before pressure, which adds time.
Scope & compliance
Grease interceptor pumping and waste transport require a licensed hauler, which is a different licence from plumbing. We service the plumbing side and can coordinate with your hauler, but we won't represent that we handle the disposal side when we don't.
Related
What the work involves
Map the symptom
How many fixtures and which floors tells us whether it is a branch, a stack, or the house drain.
Inspect before pressurising
On pipe of unknown condition we camera first. It costs minutes and prevents real damage.
Clear it properly
Cable where cabling solves it, jet where buildup is the actual cause.
Report what we saw
If the line has a structural problem you get the footage, not just an invoice.
Frequently asked
Can you work outside our service hours?
Usually, and for a kitchen it's often the only sensible option. Overnight and pre-opening work carries a scheduling premium, which we quote before booking rather than adding afterwards. Tell us your service window when you call and we'll tell you honestly what we can commit to.
Is jetting safe on our building's old cast iron?
Not automatically, and this is worth asking any contractor who offers it. Sound pipe handles jetting well; cast iron that has corroded thin from the inside can be damaged by full pressure. We camera lines of unknown condition first and adjust pressure or recommend another approach rather than taking the risk.
Why does our kitchen line keep closing after it's been cleared?
Because clearing a blockage and removing its cause are different jobs. A cable opens a channel through the grease; the layer coating the pipe wall stays. Jetting removes that layer. If a line closes on a schedule, you're paying repeatedly for the cheaper service instead of once for the right one.
Do you handle the grease interceptor itself?
We service the plumbing connected to it and can inspect its condition. Pumping and hauling the waste requires a licensed liquid waste hauler — a separate licence — and we'll coordinate with yours rather than claiming to do it ourselves.
How quickly can you respond to a backup?
We prioritise commercial backups where a business is out of service. Availability depends on the day, and we'll give you a realistic window on the phone rather than a promise we might miss. For accounts on a maintenance program, response scheduling is part of what that program covers.
Ready to have this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. You'll get an honest read before anyone is dispatched.