7 Ways Plumbers Waste Money on Sewer Jetting (And How to Stop)

Your Jetting Overhead Is Probably Too High

Sewer jetting is one of the highest-margin services a plumber can offer — if you're not bleeding money on avoidable mistakes. Most plumbers are. Here are the 7 biggest money pits and how to plug them.

1. Buying Disposable Nozzles

This is the big one. If you're throwing away entire nozzles when they wear out, you're paying 5-10x more than you need to.

The fix: Switch to nozzles with replaceable inserts. The nozzle body lasts for years. You only replace the small inserts that actually contact the water stream. A $425.75 KEG Cleaning Nozzle 1/2″ with $33.46 ceramic insert replacements beats buying a whole new nozzle three times a year.

2. Using Steel Inserts When You Should Use Ceramic

Steel inserts are cheaper upfront ($11.16–$22.88) but wear out in about 50 jobs. Ceramic ($33.46–$44.62) lasts 150-200+ jobs.

Do the math: For 200 jobs, steel costs you 4 replacement sets. Ceramic costs you 1. Even though ceramic costs 3-4x more per insert, it costs less per job. If you're doing more than 2-3 jetting jobs per week, ceramic pays for itself in 3 months.

3. Using the Wrong Nozzle for the Job

A root-cutting nozzle on a routine cleaning job is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. It works, but you're wearing out expensive inserts on a job that only needed a basic cleaning nozzle.

The fix: Keep at least 3 nozzles in rotation:

• A cleaning/standard nozzle for routine maintenance (80% of your jobs)
• A forward jet nozzle for grease and blockages
• A Rambo or Duce for root intrusion and heavy deposits

Match the nozzle to the job and your inserts last twice as long.

4. Not Custom-Jetting to Your Machine

Running a generic nozzle that wasn't sized for your PSI, GPM, and hose setup means you're losing 20-40% of your cleaning efficiency. That translates directly to more time on every job.

More time = fewer jobs per day = less revenue.

Not sure your inserts are sized right for your machine? Call (864) 804-6637 or email sales@jetterprosupply.com with your jetter's GPM and PSI and we'll spec the correct insert sizes for your setup.

5. Ordering Inserts One at a Time

Every time you order, you pay shipping. Every time you run out mid-week, you lose a day waiting. One-at-a-time ordering costs you in shipping fees and lost productivity.

The fix: Batch your insert orders — orders over $199 ship free, and replacement inserts ship same day. Keep a full spare set on the truck so a worn jet never costs you a job.

6. Ignoring Hose Friction Loss

Your pump says 4,000 PSI. But after 400 feet of 3/8" hose, you might only have 2,800 PSI at the nozzle. If your inserts were sized for 4,000 PSI, they're oversized for what's actually hitting them — which means poor spray pattern and wasted water.

The fix: Always provide your hose length and diameter when ordering. We calculate the actual working pressure at the nozzle and size accordingly. This is the difference between a nozzle that works and a nozzle that works perfectly.

7. Not Tracking Cost Per Job

If you don't know what each jetting job costs you in consumables, you can't price it right. Most plumbers guess — and most guess low.

Track this:

• Insert cost per set / jobs per set = insert cost per job
• Add fuel, drive time, and your hourly rate
• That's your true cost. Price 30-50% above it.

With ceramic inserts, your insert cost per job drops to roughly $1.20–$1.35. That's a rounding error on a $350-$800 jetting service call.

Start Plugging the Leaks

Fix even 2-3 of these and you'll add thousands back to your bottom line this year. Shop nozzles or explore replacement inserts to get started.