# Hospital drain cleaning machine



## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

Whats up guys! I got a new job as a maintenance plumber in a hospital. I always get calls for slow sink drains in patient rooms. It is a PITA because we cant use chemicals so I end up using a sink plunger, homemade drain blaster (made out of a valve i screw on
to the trap and washing machine hose connected to faucet), and taking apart the tail piece and trap and replacing only to have minimal improvement.. There is only so much I can do since my hands are tied working in a patient room with someone dying or really sick a few feet away from me. It takes too long and yields poor results. I have also learned that hospital drains get caked up with some wierd sh..stuff. Its like this black biofilm jelly with ajax and mineral deposit pebbles. It contains anti-biotic resistant germs and is nasty stuff ...but soft. This stuff fills the sink when plunging. Id rather not have to deal with this mess. The shop has k45 machines but they are not used since they splatter...we cant have the splatter in patient rooms. I was wondering if the Ridgid auto clear machine or the k40 would be best to use? The auto clear has bad reviews and seems to be geared toward home owners but seems small and clean. The k40 has the guide hose which seems to be good for anti splash... I need your opinions. I only plan to use it on up to 1-1/2 lav and sink drains. No more than 6ft. I just need it to loosen the drain jelly up and cure slow drain. Thanks for your help!


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

why cant you use a bio cleaner? its not chemical, put it in at night and let it eat up all that black jelly stuff...


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

It might work however is also a bad review from a professional drain cleaner who owns one. If you use like you say you will it may be perfect and it is small. It uses the k-45 drums so that's a plus. For the low price why not try it?

Only one way to find out is to buy it and try it.

You could get the K-3800 with a sink drum and guide tube. That is a true pro machine.

What ever you buy leave us some feedback.


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

I seldom would recommend this BUT:

There's a few electric jetters out there that might work.

I've heard good and bad on Generals little suitcase jetter.
Portable and light.

Look at some of the others out there. Mytana has one that's a beast (heavy) that stat wise performs no better. Proper set up and used for continuous maintenance may solve the problems.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

fixitright said:


> I seldom would recommend this BUT:
> 
> There's a few electric jetters out there that might work.
> 
> ...


Need to check amp draw on electric jetters, all he needs is to trip a breaker and down goes the life support machines.


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

Every call you get in a hospital is an emergency. The plumbing in hospitals serves an immediate function and purpose. Lavs arent just for washing hands and providing cups of water for visiting family members but are also used in procedures which take place at a moments notice. The bio friendly drain cleaner might work however we can't leave anything overnight and hope for the best. Nor can we use a chemical that might smell (ie give off a gas. If there is a smell of a drain cleaner working it can be argued that it is giving off a gas). Cant have that. We also cant risk pouring a chemical down the drain and having a nurse or patient running the water and dipping their hands in the basin or being splashed from the backup of residual chemical backing out of the drain. The Joint Commision on Accreditation on Healthcare Organizations does spot checks. If they came across anything I just mentioned they would sh*t themselves and as plumbers we all know poo rolls down hill. The rooms in Cardiac Intensive Care bring in $40,000 per night in billing. They want the sink to work and the nurses dont want to be stepping over you while you are plunging a sink with this bad looking black goo coming out. They want you out of there as soon as possible. So far what ive learned is that you give it the old tap n' go. As long as the water is draining and you leave it draining faster than it was.. the job was a success and you close out the work order until you get a call for it again. But im looking for an easier faster cleaner way. I was hoping that the easier faster way came in a small as clean as possible package. I like the idea of being able to send cable through the strainer. I like the Ridgid k50 but it needs a little room to spread out and it splashes. Since i dont think i need to snake more than 5' I was hoping the auto clear or whatever its called now might be good. But the reviews arent looking too good...retraction mechanism breaking and cable flipping...i thought i might be able to get away with a homeowner machine in a facility setting because ill use it for only a short length of pipe but cant have it break down after a month...what do you guys think? Or the k40 despite its reviews of being under powered has the cable guide which cuts down any splatter and I dont need a lot of power for that bio-film jelly...i dont think at least...but i dont know. Coming from construction I never had to clear drains until recently so im not all that familiar with whats available that best matches my needs. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

No offense, but you don’t know what you’re doing drain cleaning wise.


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

OpenSights said:


> No offense, but you don’t know what you’re doing drain cleaning wise.


Nothing gets by you huh? No offense taken...I think thats obvious though by me saying in my last post I dont know what i'm doing drain cleaning wise coming from new construction. Not to mention the underlying jist of my post asking for help...


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

I don't have delusions of grandeur thinking i'm going to be maintaining this hospitals sewer with a Ridgid auto cleaner. Having said that I could use tips and suggestions about the tools I mentioned that would help me out in loosening up the biofilm in a 1-1/4 lav.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

First thing you have to put are paragraphs, you know spaces in between single themes. You made my eyes bleed.:vs_sad:

Keyword : Maintenance and prevention use enzymes on a regular basis Or use the small jetter like fixitright said. Start off with the JM-1000.

I want to buy one for frozen drains, still debating and thinking if it'll work. It's a 1500$ gamble.

If they don't want to do preventive maintenance then welcome to the club when they pressure you and crying it's not working at the same time tying your hands when you aren't allowed to do anything. I remember when I worked at a Federal 23 story building where they had a huge contract to change out ALL the Galv lines to stainless from the mech room all the way up and redo all the bathrooms but any noise and it was like a murder. Even working at night they would complain even if everyone was back home sleeping.

Don't want splatter bring a pop up tent booth, you know those small ones for ice fishing. :wink:


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

I knowww, sorry. Im typing on my phone. Therefore, all rules of grammar are suspended. I work for a state hospital so there probably wont be any tax dollars going towards drain maintenance aside from hydrojetting the building sewer. We do have to set up booths,and air test, and have a terminal clean done under certain circumstances.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

NyNick said:


> Nothing gets by you huh? No offense taken...I think thats obvious though by me saying in my last post I dont know what i'm doing drain cleaning wise coming from new construction. Not to mention the underlying jist of my post asking for help...


so how do you get a job at a hospital as a plumber if you came from construction? or did you mean to say you were a plumber doing rough outs in construction?


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

NyNick said:


> I knowww, sorry. Im typing on my phone. Therefore, all rules of grammar are suspended. I work for a state hospital so there probably wont be any tax dollars going towards drain maintenance aside from hydrojetting the building sewer. We do have to set up booths,and air test, and have a terminal clean done under certain circumstances.


sounds like numc..lol


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> NyNick said:
> 
> 
> > so how do you get a job at a hospital as a plumber if you came from construction? or did you mean to say you were a plumber doing rough outs in construction?
> ...


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## Alan (Jun 18, 2008)

NyNick said:


> ShtRnsdownhill said:
> 
> 
> > I applied... Whatchoo talkin about Willis? Whats the difference between a plumber coming from construction and a plumber doing rough outs in construction? And Why do you park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?
> ...


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

I do service in lots of older hospitals in chicago. I have a little 4 ft ladder and a roll of visquene plastic and blue painters tape. I'll make a tent in a jam and just crawl in throw on a mask and get it done. That's if they wont move the patient.


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

Looks like a good pro-active PM program is in order. In my buildings, we do a monthly bathroom PM, run all lavs for at least 10 min., operate all toilets/urinals, fix leaks, install new flush valve parts, relamp, check GFI's. I rarely have clogged sink drains. now, if I could keep this guy from throwing paper towels in the urinal...


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

I hate my k-40. I love my jm-1000 mini-jet.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

NyNick said:


> Nothing gets by you huh? No offense taken...I think thats obvious though by me saying in my last post I dont know what i'm doing drain cleaning wise coming from new construction. Not to mention the underlying jist of my post asking for help...


My point being that if you don’t know what you’re doing you can seriously hurt yourself and potentially make your situation worse by damaging the drains.


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## WashingtonPlung (Jul 25, 2016)

I used to work in a retirement communty. In our skilled wing I'd use this.

https://content.interlinebrands.com/product/Image/Detail/10019/REN02732-MS_usn.jpg

It has no odor but is decently strong. 

I'd let this sit for atleast 30 minutes (if not longer) and then come back with sink plunger(has ribs in it like an accordion. ) I'd plug the sinks over flow then fill the sink up with warm water and start plunging it. Most of the time it did the trick.

Unless its past the vent.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Alan said:


> NyNick said:
> 
> 
> > What he typed was actually different than that. ^
> ...


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

NyNick said:


> ShtRnsdownhill said:
> 
> 
> > I applied... Whatchoo talkin about Willis? Whats the difference between a plumber coming from construction and a plumber doing rough outs in construction? And Why do you park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?
> ...


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

Alan said:


> NyNick said:
> 
> 
> > What he typed was actually different than that. ^
> ...


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