# Sewer & drain descaling



## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Here's a before and after of some 2" and 4" cast iron I pulled out of a house a few months ago. Same pipe just cut in half. Pipe is damn near spotless.


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## marc76075 (Nov 24, 2010)

What did you use to descale it?


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Jetter and a chain flail?


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## Plumbducky (Jun 12, 2010)

Picote?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

NuFlow equipment. Uses air to power it. Good for just about any situation in a drain.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

sierra2000 said:


> NuFlow equipment. Uses air to power it. Good for just about any situation in a drain.


I thought NuFlow just offered CIPP equipment. They also sell descaling and drain cleaning equipment?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> I thought NuFlow just offered CIPP equipment. They also sell descaling and drain cleaning equipment?


They do.....just with a huge markup.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Yeah, it's not cheap. But this thing descales so quickly it's unbelievable. I had the picote and this thing blows it out the water with all it can do.


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## 760GWS (Mar 16, 2015)

sierra2000 said:


> Yeah, it's not cheap. But this thing descales so quickly it's unbelievable. I had the picote and this thing blows it out the water with all it can do.


Is it this thing: Goodway AWT-100X, Air Powered HD Tube Cleaner? If so, sure was a fun tool to use. Sometimes i wish i had one to chop roots...but I'm saving for a good jetter lol


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

That's it. It's the attachments that make this so kick ass. I have a jetter and it's sitting longer the more I discover what this thing can do.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> That's it. It's the attachments that make this so kick ass. I have a jetter and it's sitting longer the more I discover what this thing can do.


wow,
But don't you at least go with a quick jetter flush after a descale,
can you reinstate with it.
I enjoy it when someone says a particular tool blows away another tool when the tool being blown away had many kudos.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

When I cleaned this cast iron it turned to a fine powder so I just emptied it out. 
The machine has a water attachment as you're cleaning to keep the cable from heating up the plastic casing as it spins. That and a quick flush has been enough to flush the scale away in the pipes I've descales in the ground.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Check out GI Industries. That's the machine I have and are the manufacture for Nu-Flows machine. The TCM 3000 is the machine and far better than picote. They were the original design that Nu-Flow copied. 

Now I do use the picote chains.....very high quality but the hole must be reamed to accept the standard size cable. I had some special things made to make the picote easier to use with. Ask for Brian ext 15, mention my name and he knows about them.


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

gear junkie said:


> Check out GI Industries.Nu-Flows machine. The TCM 3000 is



Will they be a wett show


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## wharfrat (Nov 1, 2014)

How many turns can you make it through on a 4" line?


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

I cleaned a clay line with it this morning. Turns don't seem to be a problem. I think it's limitation might be length. I used the 100 foot cable and could not push out the last 10 feet. Had to break out the jetter to reach that. The electric version you might be limited on multiple turns.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

plungerboy said:


> Will they be a wett show


I've asked him and he says no. They make the nu-flow shafts plus have contracts with NASA and Army. Plumbers aren't their main clientele.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

gear junkie said:


> Check out GI Industries. That's the machine I have and are the manufacture for Nu-Flows machine. The TCM 3000 is the machine and far better than picote. They were the original design that Nu-Flow copied.
> 
> Now I do use the picote chains.....very high quality but the hole must be reamed to accept the standard size cable. I had some special things made to make the picote easier to use with. Ask for Brian ext 15, mention my name and he knows about them.


http://www.giind.com/
that took some clicking to find, thanks.
So do i need just this instead of the picote, can i use picote chains on this. 3/4 hsp? The one sierra hailed is 4 hsp. like another asked does it like to go around bends, through santees. just 4 inch? ready? go....... lol. Descaling can be such a pain, I want to be an expert scale remover. what do i need to buy?
:laughing:


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> That's it. It's the attachments that make this so kick ass. I have a jetter and it's sitting longer the more I discover what this thing can do.


I'M JEALOUS. I think this is going to go on the next on the list list.. Does it re instate too?


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> I cleaned a clay line with it this morning. Turns don't seem to be a problem. I think it's limitation might be length. I used the 100 foot cable and could not push out the last 10 feet. Had to break out the jetter to reach that. The electric version you might be limited on multiple turns.


uh oh,,,90 feet, so works great under great circumstances. Thanks for your honesty. Were you huffing and puffing say after 50?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

theplungerman said:


> I'M JEALOUS. I think this is going to go on the next on the list list.. Does it re instate too?


yup with the right attachment


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

theplungerman said:


> http://www.giind.com/
> that took some clicking to find, thanks.
> So do i need just this instead of the picote, can i use picote chains on this. 3/4 hsp? The one sierra hailed is 4 hsp. like another asked does it like to go around bends, through santees. just 4 inch? ready? go....... lol. Descaling can be such a pain, I want to be an expert scale remover. what do i need to buy?
> :laughing:


yes i use picote chains. You need a reaming drill bit. There's maybe a 64th of an inch to shave off to make it work.

hsp? 

My setup minus the chains, went for roughly 4k. 1-1/2 through 6" pipe.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

No... It went really easy then literally just came to a dead stop when I got to 90 feet. Then I was huffing and puffing and said screw this I'm pulling out the jetter. I'm still trying out what heads work in different situations so it could be I just haven't learned what heads to use in different scenarios. I wouldn't buy the GI industry one just yet. I'm not sure that's the one I have. Check out the goodway machines, I think it's one of those air powered ones.
$13,800... Air unit, electric unit, 10-15-25-50-100 foot cable kit, reinstatement kit, carbide balls kit, scale eliminator kit


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sierra2000 said:


> No... It went really easy then literally just came to a dead stop when I got to 90 feet. Then I was huffing and puffing and said screw this I'm pulling out the jetter. I'm still trying out what heads work in different situations so it could be I just haven't learned what heads to use in different scenarios.
> *I wouldn't buy the GI industry one just yet.* I'm not sure that's the one I have. Check out the goodway machines, I think it's one of those air powered ones.


How come? What are your thoughts?


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

The pneumatic unit has way more power than the electric unit. I don't really use the electric one unless it's light and quick cleanup and I don't want to setup the pneumatic one.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sierra2000 said:


> The pneumatic unit has way more power than the electric unit. I don't really use the electric one unless it's light and quick cleanup and I don't want to setup the pneumatic one.


Oh yes great point but thats a huge air compressor to run it. The electric version is about the size of a K60.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Yeah the down side is you'd have to spend another $8k on the compressor to run it.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

I hooked up a hydraulic die grinder to the picote stuff, runs 1300 rpm and has torque like crazy! But we have a hydraulic power unit on almost every truck for jackhammers etc.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> Yeah the down side is you'd have to spend another $8k on the compressor to run it.


Are you saying 8k plus the 13k.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

They recommend 40 cfm air compressor. The compressor I have puts out 30 cfm on a 30 gallon tank and runs out of air so I have to let it catch up. That cost me $2500 3 years ago. The compressor I'm getting puts out 70 cfm enough for my liners and this machine. 
Yes that's $8k. No you don't have to spend that much. You can get a much cheaper compressor like I have that puts out 30cfm and it will run it but not to its potential.
http://www.bossair.com/products/engine-driven-systems/engine-driven-compressors/item/bullet-2


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Cuda said:


> I hooked up a hydraulic die grinder to the picote stuff, runs 1300 rpm and has torque like crazy! But we have a hydraulic power unit on almost every truck for jackhammers etc.


 Air is the way to go with this stuff.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> They recommend 40 cfm air compressor. The compressor I have puts out 30 cfm on a 30 gallon tank and runs out of air so I have to let it catch up. That cost me $2500 3 years ago. The compressor I'm getting puts out 70 cfm enough for my liners and this machine.
> Yes that's $8k. No you don't have to spend that much. You can get a much cheaper compressor like I have that puts out 30cfm and it will run it but not to its potential.
> http://www.bossair.com/products/engine-driven-systems/engine-driven-compressors/item/bullet-2


Thanks for the 411, it helps me to figure this out, I'm going to Google the best 40 cfm air compressor


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

http://www.conxequipment.com/product/compressors/sc40.php

http://us.kaeser.com/m/Images/USMOBILAIR_MobilairBroch_04-2012-tcm266-195497.pdf


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> http://www.conxequipment.com/product/compressors/sc40.php
> 
> http://us.kaeser.com/m/Images/USMOBILAIR_MobilairBroch_04-2012-tcm266-195497.pdf


Being a stud is expensive.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Nah... This stuff pays for itself.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

sierra2000 said:


> Air is the way to go with this stuff.


Air is the way to go because nobody makes a hydraulic set up lol
But I will tell you something about hydraulic tools in general, they are smaller and lighter than the same tool in air, i.e. 90lb force hydraulic jackhammer is lighter than an air unit. Hydraulic tools go way farther between services because they are self cooled by the hydraulic fluid where air tools can stop if just a piece of crud gets stuck on an oring or valve. Hydraulic tools usually hit harder or have a better torque curve than air tools. But hydraulic tools cost more and usually there is a hydraulic version of most air tools but they are harder to find to buy. We have 3 trailer air compressors and have lots of air tools but if I have the choice I always reach for a hydraulic tool.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

I didn't mean it like that. I don't have any experience with hydraulics. Without thinking about it I assumed we were talking bout the same thing.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Yes, I absolutely agree with Sierra and Cuda. To do descaling properly the air or hydraulic machines are really the only way to go.


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## Nathan901 (Feb 11, 2012)

Use a hydraulic demo saw if you want to feel like a man


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

theplungerman said:


> http://www.giind.com/ that took some clicking to find, thanks. So do i need just this instead of the picote, can i use picote chains on this. 3/4 hsp? The one sierra hailed is 4 hsp. like another asked does it like to go around bends, through santees. just 4 inch? ready? go....... lol. Descaling can be such a pain, I want to be an expert scale remover. what do i need to buy? :laughing:


NuFlow's machine is kickass. I shot a couple of liners under a house and this equipment effortlessly reinstated all openings without a hiccup. This things a beast! 
GI Industries doesn't make the air version and Goodway requires double the cfm- meaning a bigger compressor, but it's the cutting heads from NuFlow that make this machine cut like it does. I'll make a video next time I do one.


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