SNA Sewer Nozzles: Thrust, Cutting And Size

SNA sewer nozzles do two jobs at once. Rear-facing jets push the hose up the pipe, which is the only reason it travels at all. Forward jets cut into the blockage ahead of it. The ratio between those two, and the angle of the rear jets, is what separates a nozzle that clears a line from one that stalls forty feet in.

The SNA series covers that range in four body sizes. All are rated 4,350 PSI, with nickel-plated steel bodies, stainless nipples and ceramic tips.

Four sizes, and what each is for

Body	Inlet	Weight	Working diameter	Typical line
SNA1	1/4 in	0.7 lbs	3.14 to 5.9 in	Residential laterals, small drains
SNA2	1/4 in M	0.93 lbs	Mid-range	Small to mid-sized commercial lines
SNA3	1/4 in M	2.5 lbs	Up to 9.8 in	Grease, roots and scale in mid-size lines
SNA4	1/2 in F	0.93 lbs	Up to 11.8 in	Municipal mains, industrial pipelines

The complete SNA nozzle model list

SNA1, for small lines

SNA2, small to mid

SNA3, the heavy 1/4 in

SNA4 with 3/8 in F inlet

SNA4-38TPR065, dual rear jets
SNA4-38TPR12, two rear jets
SNA4-38TPR20, high flow

SNA4 with 1/2 in F inlet

SNA4-12TPR065
SNA4-12TPR12
SNA4-12TPR20, the largest in the range

Choosing an SNA nozzle

Start with the inlet. Your jetter hose thread decides the body size before anything else does. 1/4 in for small jetters, 3/8 in for most municipal trucks, 1/2 in for the largest.
Then pipe diameter. A nozzle far smaller than the pipe leaves the walls uncleaned. One too close to the pipe wall gets stuck on offsets and root intrusions.
Then blockage type. Grease and sludge flush with rear-jet thrust. Roots and hard scale need forward cutting.
Then hose run. Long runs need more rear thrust to keep advancing, which is what the higher TPR numbers give you.

Match the nozzle to the pump, not the other way round

The 4,350 PSI rating is a ceiling, not a target. What determines how the nozzle actually behaves is the flow your jetter delivers through the orifices you have chosen. Too little flow for the orifice size and pressure collapses; too much and you exceed the nozzle rating.

Get the pairing right and a nozzle clears in one pass. Get it wrong and crews blame the pipe.

SNA nozzles and hot water

Temperature matters more here than it looks. Grease is the most common blockage in commercial kitchen laterals, and hot water lifts it far faster than pressure alone. These nozzles are rated to 320°F, so hot water is well within them. The thing to check is everything else in the line: confirm the hose and fittings between the pump and the nozzle carry the same rating before you run hot.