# Drain and sewer equipment



## packers1 (Jun 18, 2008)

I have been doing plumbing for the last 30 yrs in industrial and new construction working for other companies. I started my own bussiness in 2003 in resadential plumbing. Manly doing plumbing on bathroom remodels and new additions to buildings. 
Now that the economy has gone bad I have stated to do service work. I have been having more and more drain cleaning jobs offered to me, but as I never really done any major drain cleaning job, just opening sink, tub drain, my questions is this.
How does one learn the drain cleaning business (using the equipment properly). I have always said it's one thing to own the equipment, but it is enother thing to know how to use it properly.
Is there any trainning that one could go to that would teach this to a plumber that wants to learn

Any suggestions or advice would gratly be accepted.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

packers1 said:


> I have been doing plumbing for the last 30 yrs in industrial and new construction working for other companies. I started my own bussiness in 2003 in resadential plumbing. Manly doing plumbing on bathroom remodels and new additions to buildings.
> Now that the economy has gone bad I have stated to do service work. I have been having more and more drain cleaning jobs offered to me, but as I never really done any major drain cleaning job, just opening sink, tub drain, my questions is this.
> How does one learn the drain cleaning business (using the equipment properly). I have always said it's one thing to own the equipment, but it is enother thing to know how to use it properly.
> Is there any trainning that one could go to that would teach this to a plumber that wants to learn
> ...


Ridgid has some training videos posted on their site which will give you some basic knowledge. In addition, most of their equipment comes with a training video. To be honest a lot of it has to do with experience and understanding what your cable is doing. You have to feel the cable and listen and it will tell you whats going on. There is also a lot of knowledge on these Internet sites and for the most part people will help you. 

Mark


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## RHplumbing (Sep 23, 2008)

I agree with Mark , it takes alot of experance to know when you hit roots to eather back out or keep runing it in , also when you hit a major hard spot , what snake head adaptor , to put on , [ a arrow head , root cutter ect ] , take your time , and run the machine slow , and you will get the experance


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Its kind of like learning how to ride a bike, except you dont get poo splattered on you when learning how to ride a bike but you get the picture. Once you learn how to feel the cable it comes pretty easy. I hated drain cleaning at first but now I enjoy it.


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## Wrenchboy (Oct 4, 2008)

*Hello packers1*

I believe Spartan Company offers a drain course in the Chicago Area,also an excellent textbook on the subject

If I would you I would find an experienced older tech ,close to retiring to go with you on drain calls or go with him on drain calls to show you the ropes

Also you might work for one of the large drain franchise for a year.Rooter Rooter offers great training

My Best
Dave Doyle:thumbup:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Wrenchboy said:


> Also you might work for one of the large drain franchise for a year.Rooter Rooter offers great training
> 
> My Best
> Dave Doyle:thumbup:


 
probably not what you want to hear but actually pretty good advice. then you can kink somebody elses cables when you're learning instead of ruining your own. there really isn't a substitute for time spent actually running the machine. i used to get calls all the time from some of the other techs asking me what they should do on a particular drain call. it's really tough to find out what it feels and sounds like over the phone and then tell them how to react to it. you just have to get in there and learn. pay attention to everything, how it sounds, feels, ect. the cable talks to you. 






paul


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Wrenchboy said:


> If I would you I would find an experienced older tech ,close to retiring to go with you on drain calls or go with him on drain calls to show you the ropes.
> 
> Also you might work for one of the large drain franchise for a year.Rooter Rooter offers great training.


On finding the experienced older guy... I would say there is a wealth of information to be had from that!:thumbup:

As far as the Rooter companies... It looks like their wealth of knowledge has moved on to greener pastures. The last guys from Rooter Co. I talked to was a trainer and trainee... The trainer had less than 6 months on the road and he was already teaching "all the tricks of the trade" to someone...


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## packers1 (Jun 18, 2008)

Thanks for all the helpfull info.

I'm not ready to work for someone else. I also was wondering what everyone would recommend as a good starter peice of equipment.
something that would clean 3-4" drains and be big enough to handel some small but tough jobs.

Agin thanks to all


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I use 2 machines...
I use a Ridgid K-3800 with 3 drums loaded with 1/4", 3/8", & 1/2" cables.
This I use on tub and sink drains and I will also use the 1/2" on main drains where they are above ground with no chance of running into roots.










For mainlines I use a Ridgid K-7500 and carry 2 100' reels of 11/16" cable.










Mine look like they have been used a lot though!
I guess a good gauge of how much might be that I have replaced the brushes in the k-7500 motor 3 times...
I don't use that funky tool on the k-7500 either...
At least not enough that I'd ever leave it attached.
It's not good to leave tools attached... You'll hurt yourself...


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

We just had this topic on another forum so this makes it easy.

2-K-39
1-K-50 with two canisters, front guide hose and rear guide hose
1-K-60 with rear guide hose
1-KM-1500 with rear guide hose
1-K-500 (Have to use the rear guide hose from the KM-1500)
1-KJ-1350 on cart
1-KJ-3000
1-SeeSnake Mini Color
1-SeeSnake Plus Color Self Leveling
2-ToolCase Monitors
1-NaviTrack
1-NaviTrack 10 Watt Transmitter
1-Remote Transmitter w/both 5/8" & 7/8" adapters
Couple of hundred feet of 5/8" cable in cages
Couple of hundred feet of 7/8" cables in cages
Couple of hundred feet of 1 1/4" cables in cages 

While all of my stuff today is Ridgid, while I still owned my business I also owned some General Wire snakes and jetters, some Quadra-Plex snakes, Flexible Tools snakes, My-Tana snakes, Gorlitz snakes and a few others. 

Mark


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## ROTOR KING (Oct 7, 2008)

You can go to www.drainbrain.com.It s a site on the general wire web. you can get information on all there machines and attachments, helpful hints on getting around bends, but nothing beats experience,and you get fast after you get your cable stuck.


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## Titan (Oct 22, 2008)

*Diagnosis is the Key*

Running the equipment isn't as important as proper diagnosis so as to discern what methodology to follow, what possible impact might result from the method, how to decide whether to solve the problem short-term or propose a permanent solution -- then, how to operate the equipment used.
The best guys I've hired as drain cleaners had no experience, but, as former tool and die technicians, they were great at diagnosis and careful in their approaches.
Learning how to run the machines is the easy part. A close friend of mine in a business that does drain cleaning exclusively says he can train a good drain tech in 30 days. The skill for diagnosis and the aptitude to make sales takes longer.
I agree with him, according to my experience.
Just go for it and use your life-long plumbing installation skills to the max, and it'll all fall into place with a measure of common sense on your part.


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## packers1 (Jun 18, 2008)

Titan

Thanks for the advise. I guess that I have been doing plumbing for so long that it comes easy, but still learn something every day. I'm take from your remarks that I need to use the skills i have and then just do it. I know I will make mastaks, but agin thanks for the addvise.

Packers1


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

ToUtahNow said:


> Ridgid has some training videos posted on their site which will give you some basic knowledge. In addition, most of their equipment comes with a training video. To be honest a lot of it has to do with experience and understanding what your cable is doing. You have to feel the cable and listen and it will tell you whats going on. There is also a lot of knowledge on these Internet sites and for the most part people will help you.
> 
> Mark


To paraphrase=
Young jedi you must be one with the cable.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

ASUPERTECH said:


> To paraphrase=
> Young jedi you must be one with the cable.


I thought that it went like...
Grasshopper you must be one with the cable.


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## sewerman (Sep 21, 2008)

packers1 said:


> Thanks for all the helpfull info.
> 
> I'm not ready to work for someone else. I also was wondering what everyone would recommend as a good starter peice of equipment.
> something that would clean 3-4" drains and be big enough to handel some small but tough jobs.
> ...


 i would go with spartan 300 & 100 drum in addition cadillac of machines


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

*Drain And Sewer Equipment*

*OR YOU CAN GO WITH THE TOP OF THE LINE; :thumbsup:*

*TROJAN SEWER EQUIPMENT @*

*http://www.trojantoolmfg.com/ :thumbup:*

*CHECK OUT THERE BATTERY SEWER MACHINES*
*NO EXT. CORDS OR GETTING SHOCKED ON DRAINS, WHEN YOU ARE UP TO YOUR ANKLES*
*IN SEWER WATER *


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## Wrenchboy (Oct 4, 2008)

*Gorlitz Machines*

Bear in mind,

While the Gorlitz stuff doesnt look to pretty,,,

They are workhorses and you can repair them in the field with parts from any hardware store,,,most of the time

The G 60 and G 68 machines will hold 160 Ft of cable

Best Regards
Dave Doyle:thumbup:


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