Yes, forward flushing nozzles can work with electric sewer jetters, especially in smaller residential and indoor drain lines, but flushing capability will be limited due to the low GPM flow rate of small electric-powered jetters.

Poor hose advancement can happen when the nozzle’s jet-pattern does not provide enough hose-pulling force.  Note that the more jets that face “forward” (away from the hose) the less a nozzle’s hose-pulling power will be. In fact, “All-Forward” types have no thrust-jets at all and will actually push the hose pack at you. For “Pusher” types, matching the nozzle correctly to your hose size, PSI, and GPM is important for efficient jetting performance.

Yes, forward flushing nozzles can work very well for soft blockages like sludge, paper buildup, rear-facing jets can blast away at obstructions while moving debris downstream.

If the debris is “loose” (not bonded to the pipe wall) and does not need to be penetrated, then pressure becomes much less important – you simply need adequate flow (GPM or lpm) to flush the debris downstream. Further, lowering the pressure while maintaining flow is much safer for the operator while still providing excellent forward-flushing action.

Yes, great care must be taken to keep the nozzle in the pipe because “All-Forward” nozzles have no “thrust” jets to propel them into the pipe, or even just to keep themselves in the pipe. This is typically an acceptable tradeoff for their outstanding ability to flush loose debris downstream toward the main. However, we only recommend “All-Forward” nozzles to experienced and seasoned operators who understand how to secure the jetter’s hose/nozzle to a camera’s rod or another type of push-able rod to keep the nozzle from blowing itself out of the pipe. 

Forward flushing nozzles are designed to push debris downstream away from the building toward the city sewer main. There are 2 types: “All-Forward” Flushing nozzles have 100% of their water-jets going forward (no rear jets to “thrust”); these are commonly used for pushing loose scale out of the pipe after de-scaling with a flex-shaft or miller machine. “Pusher” nozzles have aggressive front-jets but also have thrust-jets (rear-facing) to pull the nozzle into the line; these are commonly used for typical downstream jetting to push light debris as well as clearing blockages and restoring flow before more aggressive cleaning begins.