# I don't care.



## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

I don't care what equipment you use. I don't care about your brand choice. as a matter of fact I have used a bunch of different augers and I THINK I use what is the best but you never see me in any discutions on the subject because I don't care what anybody uses and I care less about defending what I use.

But I think this is a safety matter so I will give my opinion. We had a jetters hose stuck. When it got dug up we found the pipe was broken because a directional bore ran an electric line through the pipe. 

I'm glad it was the jetters and not my auger winding and grinding on those wires.

It looks to me that the jetter has been safer for human safety so far. 

I'm not arguing pipe cleaning, root removal, or price. Just that so far the jetters seems safer. Take it for what its worth, maybe I'm wrong.


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

So yer sayin' jetters are better than cable machines?:laughing:

I just couldn't resist man! I hear what yer sayin though! Sometimes when my cable binds like an s.o.b I get to thinking could it be a gas or an electrical line!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I've chewed on a gas line once, a guy I worked for chewed on some super high voltage line before. Kinda gives you a new perspective on what we do and how we go about it.

A family friend does directional boring, it's become a running joke, every time I see him I ask where he's been working so I can go door to door with my card to find his F-ups.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I think a lot of this finding stuff in the line can be caught by being aware as you drive up to a call...

Fresh patches in the street, CBYD or Dig Safe markings nearby are your sign and you should be asking who was out there working...

It also says when you feel something abnormal you stop and locate right away to see how it lines up with the work they did...

The problem they made usually doesn't take years to show up, it happens pretty quick!


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

Cut 3 gas lines into before - NO FUN!!!!! Scared the sh-t out of me. Now if I even think it could be one I first try to get the water out with just a cable end and NO blade. Then out comes the camera to check. If it is the gas line the call goes out to the Gas Co. Usually they will even pay my bill to the home owner.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Roto-Rooter said:


> Cut 3 gas lines into before - NO FUN!!!!! Scared the sh-t out of me. Now if I even think it could be one I first try to get the water out with just a cable end and NO blade. Then out comes the camera to check. If it is the gas line the call goes out to the Gas Co. Usually they will even pay my bill to the home owner.


Did the gas line penetrate the sewer?


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

plumberkc said:


> Did the gas line penetrate the sewer?


What was cut was the supply line to meter and yes the gas blew till the Gas Co got there and shut things down. Now when I even think they are close I will call them first. If they say no it can't be them I am still careful and if I think there is any chance I still camera and check. I have found over the last few years almost 30 Plus gas lines bored in sewers. One of them had been in the sewer line since 1993 when it was put in. Don't know how it worked as long as it did being it was there about 20+ years.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

I was nearly electrocuted to death using a Spartan 100. That incident will ALWAYS be in the back of my mind. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

Holy smokes. Now im gonna freak out everytime i run a snake. Ill be blue staking for every pop


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Redwood said:


> I think a lot of this finding stuff in the line can be caught by being aware as you drive up to a call... Fresh patches in the street, CBYD or Dig Safe markings nearby are your sign and you should be asking who was out there working... It also says when you feel something abnormal you stop and locate right away to see how it lines up with the work they did... The problem they made usually doesn't take years to show up, it happens pretty quick!


It's amazing how many people start in on a sewer clog without even knowing where the city's line is


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Unclog1776 said:


> It's amazing how many people start in on a sewer clog without even knowing where the city's line is


Or even if the customer is on a sewer or septic system...

Putting 100' of cable into a septic tank that is 15' away isn't the smartest thing a guy can do...:laughing:

I've helped remove cable from a septic tank that one of our guys screwed the pooch on quite a few times...

Personally I like to dig the tank and snake from there so I don't play dewatering games... And so I can see the condition of the tank...

But I like to have a good idea of where I'm going and what is along the way before I even start snaking a line...

Fresh road patches and CBYD or Dig Safe markings get my radar up fast.:yes:


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Redwood said:


> Or even if the customer is on a sewer or septic system... Putting 100' of cable into a septic tank that is 15' away isn't the smartest thing a guy can do...:laughing: I've helped remove cable from a septic tank that one of our guys screwed the pooch on quite a few times... Personally I like to dig the tank and snake from there so I don't play dewatering games... And so I can see the condition of the tank... But I like to have a good idea of where I'm going and what is along the way before I even start snaking a line... Fresh road patches and CBYD or Dig Safe markings get my radar up fast.:yes:


That is the ONLY way I will do a plugged septic call. 

Go ahead open that clean out on your horizontal sewer while the two bathrooms above you are flooded....

Your spot on though, I always try to gauge the street while pulling up: Fresh asphalt directly in front of the home, big roll of fiber sitting on the corner, somebody else's auger still sitting in the front yard and down the clean out...


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Unclog1776 said:


> That is the ONLY way I will do a plugged septic call.
> 
> Go ahead open that clean out on your horizontal sewer while the two bathrooms above you are flooded....
> 
> Your spot on though, I always try to gauge the street while pulling up: Fresh asphalt directly in front of the home, big roll of fiber sitting on the corner, somebody else's auger still sitting in the front yard and down the clean out...


Situational Awareness!

You have to have it to protect yourself and to do a good job...


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## plumbob2008 (Jul 29, 2015)

Did a job ounce where first company ran sewer Mach got cable caught on hooked line from Machine and left found old metal septic tank in driveway line tangled in tank and still charged for clean out now I have extra 100, cable


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm man enough to admit I've put 75' of cable into a septic. LL told me he was on city, which there was a city sewer, but he wasn't hooked to it. Small town type house... blink and you miss it type. Charged the LL for a new cable and he paid.

Around here there are a ton of highwall cleanouts. I've videoed lines where they kept the tank in use and ran another line exiting the tank to the city. Few and far between, but they're out there.


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## Johnny Canuck (Feb 24, 2015)

saysflushable said:


> I don't care what equipment you use. I don't care about your brand choice. as a matter of fact I have used a bunch of different augers and I THINK I use what is the best but you never see me in any discutions on the subject because I don't care what anybody uses and I care less about defending what I use.
> 
> But I think this is a safety matter so I will give my opinion. We had a jetters hose stuck. When it got dug up we found the pipe was broken because a directional bore ran an electric line through the pipe.
> 
> ...


Maybe I'll just stick to plumbing and forget about drains... 
Funny thing is I worked for a money comes first, we're not plumbers we're technicians, Undercover Boss company and they never told us any of these things. Just told us not to kink the lines.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

OpenSights said:


> I've videoed lines where they kept the tank in use and ran another line exiting the tank to the city. Few and far between, but they're out there.


Yep! I've found one of those...
Threw me for a while, but it sure didn't feel like I was still in the line...
Once I located the tank it became apparent that the customer had a septic tank and was on the sewer...:laughing:

He was really happy that he had to pay to be on the sewer and pay to have a septic tank pumped...


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Johns_TPS said:


> Maybe I'll just stick to plumbing and forget about drains...
> Funny thing is I worked for a money comes first, we're not plumbers we're technicians, Undercover Boss company and they never told us any of these things. Just told us not to kink the lines.


I don't mind kinks in my cable... most of the time anyway. For one it's good for practice, two slaps around in the line more... problem is Murphy's law dictates the problem spot is exactly where your kink is located between the machine and access.

I can run pipe all day long, but the feel of a cable, visualizing what it's doing and manipulating it is what I truly enjoy.


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