A sewer jetter with a pump that won’t build pressure, a reel that won’t spool, or a hose that let go is a truck a crew can’t work with. Ames Hydraulics does sewer jetter repair in central Iowa on municipal and contractor sewer jetters, combo units, and portable jet units. High-pressure pumps, hose reels, plumbing, PTO drives, and the tank and frame steel around them. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.
What Fails on a Jetter
Most sewer jetter repair is one of a few things. The high-pressure pump loses pressure or output — usually worn plungers, seats, or valves. The hose reel motor or brake stops working. The high-pressure hose gives out. The PTO or hydraulic drive to the pump slips. And the water tank or the frame welded to the truck cracks over years of hauling and vibration. All of it is routine work here.
What We Repair
- High-pressure jetter pumps — plunger pumps, valves, and packing
- Hose reels — drive motors, brakes, and swivels
- High-pressure hoses made to spec and replaced
- PTO drives and hydraulic drives to the pump
- Water tank plumbing, valves, and filtration
- Cracked tank and frame welds
- Vac side plumbing on combo units
Pump Rebuilds — the Main Job
Jetter pumps live a hard life: high pressure, high cycle counts, and whatever water quality they see. Plungers wear, packing leaks, and valves lose their seats. A rebuilt pump — new plungers, new packing, new valves — is a fraction of a new pump and often lasts as long. Sewer jetter repair that focuses on the pump is usually the highest-value work we do because it directly determines whether the jetter earns.
Reels and Hoses
A hose reel that won’t spool or won’t hold the hose under pressure is a safety problem as well as a nuisance. We rebuild reel motors, brakes, and swivels, and replace the high-pressure hose to the correct pressure rating and length. If the swivel is leaking, that’s usually a full swivel rebuild rather than a seal replacement — we do that too.
Municipal, Combo, and Contractor Jetters
Municipal jetter and combo (jet-vac) units are the biggest, most expensive equipment we see for sewer jetter repair, but the internal components are the same as smaller units. Contractor trailer-mounted jetters and portable jet units use the same pump technology at lower flow rates. We work on all of them.
Free Pickup Within 60 Miles
If the truck can’t come to us, we come to it — free within 60 miles of Ames. Text a photo and describe the failure to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day what your sewer jetter repair needs and roughly what it will cost.
Get the Jetter Back on Line
See our full hydraulic repair, welding & fabrication, and trailer repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring the truck to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.
Municipal Public Works and Sewer Contractors
Iowa municipal public-works departments running combo units for sanitary and storm-sewer service, and private sewer-service contractors running trailer-mounted jetters for residential and commercial work, both benefit from a local hydraulic-and-mechanical shop that can turn sewer jetter repair quickly. When a jetter is down, the schedule is either postponed or the crew goes out with a rental. Neither is cheap.
Winter Rebuilds and PM Rotations
The right time to plan major sewer jetter repair is late fall or early winter, when the calls slow down. Pump rebuilds, reel service, and plumbing overhauls done during a scheduled shutdown are a lot cheaper than the same work as an emergency in July. Talk to us in October if you want to schedule your fleet in.
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Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599