When a Pool Line Becomes a Lost & Found: A Hydrojetting Success Story
- Rapid Plumbing
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
Pool noodles. Goggles. A baseball hat. Toys. What sounds like a backyard summer memory was actually the source of a serious plumbing clog and our team at Rapid Plumbing was called in to clear it out.
We recently completed a hydro jetting service in Schertz on a severely clogged pool's return skimmer line leading back to the surge pit, and what we found inside that line was anything but ordinary. If you've ever wondered what actually ends up in your pool's plumbing, this one's for you.
Step One: Camera Inspection
Our first step was to cable and run a camera down the skimmer line to get a clear picture of what we were dealing with. The footage didn't leave much to the imagination. The line was packed with heavy debris - pool noodles, children's toys, a pair of goggles, a baseball hat, and large amounts of plastic and leaf buildup. Items that had likely been swept into the skimmer over time had accumulated into a stubborn, compacted blockage.
This is exactly why camera inspections are such a critical first step. Without seeing the problem directly, it's difficult to know whether you're dealing with a minor clog or a full-scale debris field and in this case, it was definitely the latter.
Step Two: Cabling Attempts
We made several passes with the cable in an effort to break apart and pull out the debris manually. While cabling can be effective for many blockages, this situation proved too severe. The volume and variety of material, especially the foam pool noodles, made it clear that a more powerful solution was needed.
Step Three: Bringing in the Hydrojet
We switched to hydrojetting, a process that uses high-pressure water to blast through obstructions and flush them out of the line. The hydrojet made quick work of the pool noodles, breaking them apart section by section. One of the most challenging areas was around a butterfly valve in the line, where debris had been catching and accumulating, creating a particularly stubborn blockage.
Our plumbers spent several hours working the jet through the worst areas, making sure every pocket of debris was thoroughly cleared. It's time-intensive work, but there are no shortcuts when it comes to doing the job right.
The Result
By the time we were done, the line was fully cleared and flow was completely restored. Our customer went from a blocked system to one running exactly as it should.
At Rapid Plumbing, we tackle blockages of all kinds, from simple clogs to multi-hour hydrojetting jobs like this one. If your pool or plumbing system isn't performing the way it should, don't wait for a small problem to become a bigger one. Give us a call and let us take a look.
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