# Starting Sewer and Drain Buisness



## Douglas K (Jun 8, 2021)

Hi Guys New to the Forum. Spent the first 12 years of my working life in the cesspool business on long Island. Family owned. One of the first company's on long island to have a camera to locate pools. Anyway from there we pivoted to sewer and drain cleaning. Spent thousand of hours on the end of the 300 with the camera. One thing we always had on hand is a pump truck. Basicaly Every house on long island has a trap and on the north shore often 8 to 12 foot deep pipes.If there was pressure on the plugs we would pump the vent out so we could get to work. If I were to get back into business with just a van doing sewer and drain how do you all relieve pressure. Sometimes snaking through a pulled toilet or vent is impossible. Is it worth getting mabey a small pump truck to pump the vents out or do you guys call a company to do it for you.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Douglas K said:


> ...........Spent the first 12 years of my working life in the *cesspool *business on long Island. ..........



Cess pools? Surely you mean cess pits or septic tanks.

Growing up my neighbors had a cess pool. Insurance made them put a 12' high chainlink fence topped with razor wire around it. There were a couple trees over head dropping coverage. It never smelled and it wasn't until us kids got older we found out what it was. Cess pools really are a good option, assuming they're appropriately guarded.

Also, you posted your "intro" in the wrong section.









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## Douglas K (Jun 8, 2021)

skoronesa said:


> Cess pools? Surely you mean cess pits or septic tanks.
> 
> Growing up my neighbors had a cess pool. Insurance made them put a 12' high chainlink fence topped with razor wire around it. There were a couple trees over head dropping coverage. It never smelled and it wasn't until us kids got older we found out what it was. Cess pools really are a good option, assuming they're appropriately guarded.
> 
> ...


I’m pretty shore it’s cesspool as our company name was North Shore Cesspool along with every other company on Long Island having cesspool in its name. If there is a septic tank in front of the pool than it’s called a leaching pool. Other parts of the country that have more land use leaching fields. A pool straight off the house with just one pool and not tank in front is termed cesspool. Up until the 70s they were built with cinder block or even earlier brick. These cesspools could collapse And they do and people get killed. Now they are built from precast and do not collapse. Thanks for the warm welcome. My question was as a drain cleaner how do guys with no pump truck relieve pressure on the line so they don’t flood basements.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

Usually basement lines have a floor drain or something below the cleanout (where I'm from anyways) unless it's an overhead co. On a full line with only overhead access I typically tried to find the line outside dig it up and pop a hole in it to clean from.


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## Douglas K (Jun 8, 2021)

The cable guy said:


> Usually basement lines have a floor drain or something below the cleanout (where I'm from anyways) unless it's an overhead co. On a full line with only overhead access I typically tried to find the line outside dig it up and pop a hole in it to clean from.


Around here most of the house traps are buried in a access pit under the foundation floor. The lines on the outside can be 8 to 12 even 15 feet deep making digging it up impractical. If the back up is showing up on the first floor shower or coming out the vent there is serious pressure on the plugs.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

The cable guy said:


> ........... dig it up and pop a hole in it to clean from.


I call that making a "Drain Snaker's Cleanout". I use a regular 2" hole saw for plastic pipe or I have diamond coring bits for my angle grinder to make holes in cast, clay, or transite. Then I plug it with a 2" Marq-Two red rubber plug.

I got a bunch of the Shdia Tool brand core bits off amazon and they work great.


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

The fresh air inlet...


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## NyNick (Feb 14, 2013)

Im confused by your question. Whatya need the pump truck for? Your fam. own North shore cesspool and you never snaked the fresh air inlet? Are you calling the fresh air inlet "the vent"? As you may know going forward most towns are outlawing house traps here. The majority of people know their cess pool is backing up when they see the puddle on their lawn and/or their bowl not flushing or sewage coming out their shower drain. Just like you said you pumped the vent out..you can also snake it. If the clog is between the house n the trap. Pull a bowl or snake from the roof. If the clog is between the trap n the cesspool snake the fresh air inlet....right?


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> I call that making a "Drain Snaker's Cleanout". I use a regular 2" hole saw for plastic pipe or I have diamond coring bits for my angle grinder to make holes in cast, clay, or transite. Then I plug it with a 2" Marq-Two red rubber plug.
> 
> I got a bunch of the Shdia Tool brand core bits off amazon and they work great.


Where do you get the 2" marq-two red rubber plug??? We always smash an aluminum can flat silicone it down and cover over,works ever time lololololol


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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

sparky said:


> Where do you get the 2" marq-two red rubber plug??? We always smash an aluminum can flat silicone it down and cover over,works ever time lololololol


Silicone is above and beyond the 3 beer cans consumed while snakin the drain do well enough on their own.🤣


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

When in the USAF. used to brake a hole in concrete pipe, then take a empty gallon milk jug cut in half and cover the
hole, then cover with dirt, when came back next time you tell where to dig because of the wet spot


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

sparky said:


> Where do you get the 2" marq-two red rubber plug??? .............


We get them from our supply house. Wal-rich makes the ones we get. Originally made by Western Plumbing Parts, they coined the name Marq-Two Plug. Wal-Rich just calls them Red Rubber plugs.











Unfortunately the Wal-Rich ones often come with zinc wing nuts instead of steel. I swap them for 3/8" Heavy Nuts.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

certainly the old fashioned way I remember coming across clay tile sewer lines with a cement patch and an old metal can that covered the opening that was broke into the pipe. Guess customer was unwilling to pay for a raised cleanout?


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