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 $349 nozzle with $44 ceramic insert replacements beats buying $349 nozzles three times a year.
2. Using Steel Inserts When You Should Use Ceramic
Steel inserts are cheaper upfront ($8.94-$22.88) but wear out in about 50 jobs. Ceramic ($36.82-$50.78) 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.
Custom jetting is free with every KEG Pipe Pro nozzle. Enter your machine specs at checkout and we size the inserts to maximize thrust and rotation for your exact 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: Order 8+ inserts at once (automatic 5% discount) or join The Plumber's Club for 15% off with automatic delivery every 6 or 12 months. Always have fresh inserts ready on the truck.
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 from KEG Pipe Pro, your insert cost per job drops to roughly $0.90. 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.