# Clearing Drains From The Roof Vent



## Duall Damage

What do you do if the customer is not willing to pay to have a clean out installed and says they always clean the drain from the roof vent? Do you walk away or do the job? I am on the fence with this issue.


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## M5Plumb

It's your insurance you get to deal with, you do the math.


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## UnclogNH

Duall Damage said:


> What do you do if the customer is not willing to pay to have a clean out installed and says they always clean the drain from the roof vent? Do you walk away or do the job? I am on the fence with this issue.


In new England with our roofs we say have a nice day.


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## ToUtahNow

Our rule was we only went on the roof once. If they had not allowed us to install a cleanout for the next stoppage we told them we were not interested.

Mark


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## Duall Damage

After what I just read from your suggestions I fell off the fence and stand on the side of walking away. Thanks for the input guys.

Matt,


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## AssTyme

Pull the toilet or walk.


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## easttexasplumb

You all would be some hungry plumbers in this area. :laughing:


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## AssTyme

easttexasplumb said:


> You all would be some hungry plumbers in this area. :laughing:





You would all be crippled or dead plumbers in my area :blink:


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## SlickRick

AssTyme said:


> You would all be crippled or dead plumbers in my area :blink:


It is prolly an area thing. Like ETP said, it is common for many areas of Texas to clean a kitchen line from a stack, or track a cable to find a main sewer. I limit mine to single story with a roof pitch that I feel is safe. No main line machines on roof, period.


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## Kevan

Whenever the roof is the best choice, I hit it from the roof. Twenty one years without a roof-related injury.


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## MACPLUMB777

Kevan said:


> Whenever the roof is the best choice, I hit it from the roof. Twenty one years without a roof-related injury.



30 PLUS YEARS FROM THE ROOF :thumbup:


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## U666A

Alot of flat tar and gravel roofs in my area, wouldn't see it being a problem...

And don't tell the guys but ive never been on the business end of anything bigger than a closet auger or a hand held...

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## SewerRat

Kevan said:


> Twenty one years without a roof-related injury.





JERRYMAC said:


> 30 PLUS YEARS FROM THE ROOF :thumbup:


You guys familiar with Murphy's Law? One of the fundamental parts of Murphy's Law is that as soon as you say something with confidence you'll get bit in the butt! :laughing:

Waiting for your post about what it feels like to hit the dirt from 15' up . 

Just kidding, of course, I hope you can remain accident free always. We do roof vents if they are easy and don't require a mainline machine. I don't do heights too well so we'll look for other options first.


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## easttexasplumb

Clearing drains and getting checks that's how I roll.


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## UnclogNH

easttexasplumb said:


> Clearing drains and getting checks that's how I roll.


 I would roll right off the edge :laughing:


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## Plumberman

easttexasplumb said:


> Clearing drains and getting checks that's how I roll.


We have the same machine, the dolly attachment is awesome for carrying them in from long distances in commercial buildings.


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## TomSV650

What's the big deal? I always go on the roof if it makes my life easier. Two stories too. :thumbsup:


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## Duall Damage

Hey easttexasplumb,

I don't mean to knock your drain machine but isn't that a home depot General? I'm just messin with you bro. I started out with the general and graduated to a Gorlitz 3/8" x 90' cable. This machine is so damn reliable and user friendly. Runs about 7 bills though its worth every dime.

P.S. Be Careful Up There.


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## Redwood

Cleaning Drains from the roof.... :laughing:
Can't say as we do it that way around here....:whistling2:
Go ahead be my guest.... :yes:

I'll be in the basement taking the clean out plug off the house trap....:yes:










Careful up there now....
Those wood shingle roofs can be a little slick when they are damp or, have a touch of frost on them...:laughing:


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## Epox

I never take sewer machine on roof, we lean extension ladder against roof and lean our sled machine against it and drag cable up to main vent. Honestly I hate doing it that way but guess times have changed. In my learning days we always guessed at location and dug the line up. But we covered the hole when done instead of selling them CO's.:laughing: Nowadays if I dig one up it's getting CO's cus I'm not covering it up without them.


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## Nayman's Drain

If I was young & stupid, I might do it from the roof.
But I'm old(er) & wise(r), and I don't need to fall off a roof to get my education. I've seen the aftermath of a fall, and it wern't purdy. I'll stick to COs, thank you very much.
Local code demands it, and if the client has a problem with that, they can call my competition who comes from 75 miles away, and charges twice as much PLUS mileage,


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## SlickRick

If your scared, say your scared.


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## Will

Us Texans are a different breed. We fear nothing.


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## RealLivePlumber

Will said:


> Us Texans are a different breed. We fear nothing.


:blink::laughing:


Senior Member

 

Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 561 

 My Photos


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## Will

RealLivePlumber said:


> :blink::laughing:
> 
> 
> Senior Member
> 
> 
> 
> Join Date: Jun 2010
> Location: Moore, OK
> Posts: 561
> 
> My Photos



:jester: I"m here strictly for business


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## Redwood

SlickRick said:


> If your scared, say your scared.


Oh it not being scared that keeps me off the roofs...

Ever tried to push a snake through a housetrap from 30' away?

I'll be in the basement taking the cleanout plug off the house trap....
You go ahead up onto the roof...

I'll call it working smarter not harder...:thumbup:


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## SlickRick

Redwood said:


> Oh it not being scared that keeps me off the roofs...
> 
> Ever tried to push a snake through a housetrap from 30' away?
> 
> I'll be in the basement taking the cleanout plug off the house trap....
> You go ahead up onto the roof...
> 
> I'll call it working smarter not harder...:thumbup:


I have only seen 1 basement in my life.


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## Redwood

SlickRick said:


> I have only seen 1 basement in my life.


Well that tends to be where we find our cleanouts and they are usually at least 30' closer to the problem....

I guess its why you are on the roof and I'm not....


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## UnclogNH

I'm not scared its better off for mankind that I stay off roofs.
Remember what happened to the dinosaurs the last time something big fell from the sky?


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## Redwood

UnclogNH said:


> I'm not scared its better off for mankind that I stay off roofs.
> Remember what happened to the dinosaurs the last time something big fell from the sky?


Rod do you still have snow on the roofs? :whistling2:


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## PrecisionPlumb

Yup, Im from texas, no basements, never seen a house trap before either. If they dont have a cleanout, its the roof on one stories and pull a toilet on two stories


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## Airgap

UnclogNH said:


> I'm not scared its better off for mankind that I stay off roofs.
> Remember what happened to the dinosaurs the last time something big fell from the sky?


:laughing:Nice............


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## Nayman's Drain

It's got zero to do with being skeerd.
It's got to do with the fact that I'm not interested in packing my machines up a ladder to the roof. And, like a post before this one, I try to work smarter, not harder.


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## SlickRick

Around here, clearing from the roof is just a necessary evil. If anyone can show me a smarter way, I'm listening. I say you can't, other than walking away.


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## AssTyme

SlickRick said:


> Around here, clearing from the roof is just a necessary evil. If anyone can show me a smarter way, I'm listening. I say you can't, other than walking away.




You folks don't have toilets down there :laughing:


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## easttexasplumb

AssTyme said:


> You folks don't have toilets down there :laughing:


 
We are not clearing mainlines from roof, well very rarely. We are cleaning kitchen sinks, washing machines, lavs, and small drains from the roof. These are slab homes with no basements. If you plan on tell the homeowner that you have to cut open her wall then you are going to make a big plastic plug come out of the tile backsplash, dont worry about leaving, I am sure they will show you the door.


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## AssTyme

easttexasplumb said:


> We are not clearing mainlines from roof




Several people on this and the other forums have claimed to and still do clean main lines from the roof on a regular basis.

Your sinks and such don't have removable traps ???


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## SlickRick

Running a 3/8 cable through a trap arm is risky business IMO. We can be finished in 30 min. in most cases going through the vent. Done deal, no mess, no hung up cables.


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## TomSV650

Here's the deal. The weather out here is always perfect :whistling2: most of the older houses have shingle roofs and many have back to back toilets. No basements or house traps either. Why would I pull a back to back toilet that was full to the brim, bathtubs filled to the top, when I can just go on the roof with my K-60 and be done with it in usually forty five minuets or less?

Same with kitchen sinks. Most of them are tied into the laundry. If the sink and the laundry tray is full of water, and a clean is inaccessible, I'm going on the roof! :thumbup:


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## easttexasplumb

SlickRick said:


> Running a 3/8 cable through a trap arm is risky business IMO. We can be finished in 30 min. in most cases going through the vent. Done deal, no mess, no hung up cables.


Been there and done that, replaced lead arm for free. Hard to tell ho it's not my fault, your pipes are old. When past plumbers got blockage from roof vent, and did not break pipes.


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## U666A

SlickRick said:


> I have only seen 1 basement in my life.


If you're scared of basements Rick, just say so...

:laughing:

Sent from my basement using PlumbingZone


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING

*I love myself*

too much to risk my life to get on a roof and clear a drain. 

I've spent 24+ years of my plumbing profession opening drains from either the fixture or pulling a toilet if no cleanout exists,

Why you would chance your risk of injury is beyond me. 


First member that falls off a roof and seriously injures themselves I'll be the first to make your life miserable and tell you how selfish you was when it comes to your family and the hardships you now bring to them.



Plumber - "I fell off a roof cleaning a drain."

Insurance Agent - "Why was you on the roof? The plumbing is _inside_ the house." 

Plumber - "I knows, but see I'm not real smart, I guess that's why I fell off the roof."

Insurance Agent - "We probably cannot cover this accident because you should of cleared the drain from another location, other than the roof."

Plumber - "Si."


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## gitnerdun

In Fl you get on the roof alot. Pitches like 3/12 are common. Quick and easy for a stack cleaning or locating the cleanout. I learned to put my ladder up over the softest ground and no second stories. I use a k-60, I bet a drum machine would be a heavy some beech.

Bob


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING

gitnerdun said:


> In Fl you get on the roof alot. Pitches like 3/12 are common. Quick and easy for a stack cleaning or locating the cleanout. I learned to put my ladder up over the softest ground and no second stories. I use a k-60, I bet a drum machine would be a heavy some beech.
> 
> Bob


 
Of course... no basements in florida, 4/10 roofs and roofs only 8-10' off the ground... in most cases. Those are expected.


Come to KY and start rodding drains off 2-3 story roofs with 9/12 - 12/12 roof pitches and the police show up with your daily dosage of lithium to coax you off the roof, along with a padded room waiting for your arrival... :blink:


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## easttexasplumb

U.A.til.I.die said:


> If you're scared of basements Rick, just say so...
> 
> :laughing:
> 
> Sent from my basement using PlumbingZone


It puts the lotion on it's skin.


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## rombo

I had never even heard or thought of clearing a stoppage from a roof before it was mentioned here. But up in Canada almost all houses have basements and deadly roofs.


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## Plumberman

If I can avoid a mess on the inside then I'm taking it to the roof.

If I have a two bath house back to back I'm running the vent, I'm not pulling toilets and trying to coax the cable to go down stream and not jump the fitting into the next toilet stub up. 

To hell with slinging black grease all over the inside of a kitchen sink cabinet trying to run the 1 1/2 drain that more that likely is armed over from from the San tee and the stoppage in right at the bottom of it, which in turn runs my cable up the vent in the wall. I'm on the roof cleared and picking up in less that 30 


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## Mpls Jay

TomSV650 said:


> What's the big deal? I always go on the roof if it makes my life easier. Two stories too. :thumbsup:


I want what he is smoking.


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## 1703

easttexasplumb said:


> It puts the lotion on it's skin.












:laughing::laughing:


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## SlickRick

U.A.til.I.die said:


> If you're scared of basements Rick, just say so...
> 
> :laughing:
> 
> Sent from my basement using PlumbingZone


The one I saw was not all that frightening.


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## AssTyme

What do you roof guys do when after rodding from the roof the blockage is in the trap ?


:blink:


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## SlickRick

Which trap?


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## easttexasplumb

AssTyme said:


> What do you roof guys do when after rodding from the roof the blockage is in the trap ?
> 
> 
> :blink:


I drop a penny down vent and if I hear a splash rod the drain


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## Plumberman

AssTyme said:


> What do you roof guys do when after rodding from the roof the blockage is in the trap ?
> 
> :blink:


Depends....

If the drain is full when I arrive, say in a kitchen sink I'll grab my bucket off the truck and take the trap loose and make sure the trap is clear, if I don't see any obstruction in line, I'm roof bound.

If I roll in and the fixture is dry, I run water and see how long it takes to fill up, if it's quick out comes the plunger or my 3/8 cable. If it takes it a few, im roof bound again.


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## Plumberman

Public Service Announcement- To all you DIY homeowners lurking on this thread.... Viewer discretion is advised, we are pros, all though crazy at times, don't try this at home. 


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## PrecisionPlumb

You guys keep saying to pull a toilet, but when they are back to back. It WILL NOT go down the drain. It will just go right up the other toilet. So I run from the roof and give option to install cleanouts. Also in texas our houses dont have a mainline trap.


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## Redwood

PrecisionPlumb said:


> You guys keep saying to pull a toilet, but when they are back to back. It WILL NOT go down the drain. It will just go right up the other toilet. So I run from the roof and give option to install cleanouts. Also in texas our houses dont have a mainline trap.


Well it will if you know what you are doing... :yes:

It's easier than snaking back to back tub drains...
I wasn't going to the roof on them either they were on the 4th and 6th floor of a 11 story hotel....:laughing:


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## ap plumbing

AssTyme said:


> What do you roof guys do when after rodding from the roof the blockage is in the trap ?
> 
> 
> :blink:


 before u run ur snake make sure there is water in the vent.....then u kno there is a clog:thumbsup:


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## ap plumbing

Plumberman said:


> Depends....
> 
> If the drain is full when I arrive, say in a kitchen sink I'll grab my bucket off the truck and take the trap loose and make sure the trap is clear, if I don't see any obstruction in line, I'm roof bound.
> 
> If I roll in and the fixture is dry, I run water and see how long it takes to fill up, if it's quick out comes the plunger or my 3/8 cable. If it takes it a few, im roof bound again.


 just blow on the vent if there is pressure in the line ....snake it no need to drop trap:blink:


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## AssTyme

This must be a regional thing, you wouldn't be doing this in Wisconsin :no: Unless you were nuts :yes:


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## Nayman's Drain

AssTyme said:


> This must be a regional thing, you wouldn't be doing this in Wisconsin :no: Unless you were nuts :yes:


It almost seems like there's a fight developing. Roofers against trappers.

I don't think that one or the other is gonna change the way we're doing things. And I spose that the way one does it seems silly to the other. 
It has nothing to do with being scared, or not. We all do what needs doing in whatever manner & whatever means necessary to "Gitter Dun".
I know what works for me, I know I'm getting too damn old to go traipsing all over roofs, and I know that at the end of the job I walk away with a feeling of satisfaction knowing I made another happy customer and a cheque in my hand.


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## SewerRatz

When I was younger and dumber I used to get on the roof and have my helper feed me the cable from the 1065. But after getting on a roof and walking on a soft spot and falling through, I will no longer go on a roof for rodding. I will pull a water closet even if it is back to back (takes a bit of skill). If for some reason pulling the water closet is not an option, I will give them two prices, one to open the wall locate a stack clean out, if none install one, other is to install an outside clean out.

After rodding through a closet ell, I do explain to them that its not a proper clean out and they should have one installed.


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## SlickRick

It's not a matter of being "Young and stupid" either, it's just the way our systems are installed. I'm 54, and far from either.


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## 3Peasdrain

*cleaning from roof*

You mean to tell me that there is a seperate vent pipe coming out of the roof for every fixture?? I know up here in the northeast everything gets tied together in the attic then goes out on 4inch pipe. i guess thats why we have basements.


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## SlickRick

The homes that we have the most kit/utility room stoppages, are CI with individual vents. I know what you are saying about the revents on PVC installations. Now that you mention it, I can't recall the last time I had to clear a PVC system around here.


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## easttexasplumb

Nayman's Drain said:


> It almost seems like there's a fight developing. Roofers against trappers.


 


Sometimes when I get off the roof from unstopping a kitchen sink drain, I put on new basket strainers with PUTTY.


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## RealLivePlumber

easttexasplumb said:


> Sometimes when I get off the roof from unstopping a kitchen sink drain, I put on new basket strainers with PUTTY.


What do you do if the flashing collar is a little dry rotted?:jester:


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## Plumberman

RealLivePlumber said:


> What do you do if the flashing collar is a little dry rotted?:jester:


What do you do if you bore a hole through the drain arm behind a kitchen sink in the wall?


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING

Keep packin' it full of putty. It'll stop leaking, eventually.


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## UnclogNH

easttexasplumb said:


> I drop a penny down vent and if I hear a splash rod the drain


Hope you charge them for that penny. :laughing:


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## gear junkie

I go on the roof and snake drains through the vent quite often. I bring a mirror with me(the wif's old make up mirror case that holds baked powder) to look down the vent by reflecting the sunlight. Way better than a flashlight.


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## Will

Sometimes you have no other option but to go through a vent. This house was clogged up on one side. Two way cleanout could not reach the clog because it was under the slab, caught off a combo. The toilet of a old wall hung, that I didn't want to open a can of worms by taking it off it's 50+ year old carrier. That left me with one option, clear it from the roof.


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## Airgap

Where are your gloves.....?


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## MACPLUMB777

*gloves who uses gloves ?*


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## rrman

*rrman*

I just replaced toilet that was broken when 2 guys ran cable throught 2nd story vent.Toilet was on 2nd floor cable went through bathroom and into master bedroom.While it was in there it grabbed lingerie,So when They pulled it out a towel rug and nighty were jammed in the hole in the toilet.Lady was'nt home at the time they did it so i was sent there the next day.Lady said she thought at first it was a pervert who was trying to hide the hole.


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## MACPLUMB777

*yes but did they clear the blockade down the line the whole world wants to know ?*


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## Will

Airgap said:


> Where are your gloves.....?


I'll be honest I rarely use gloves.


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## tungsten plumb

We clrear drains through the vent a lot. But here in the bay area we have good weather and mostly single story homes.


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## Airgap

Will said:


> I'll be honest I rarely use gloves.


Honestly, I rarely do either, but drain cleaning is one of the times that I do...


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## Will

The beauty of the electric eel cable is you don't have to hold the cable(atleast while it's spinning). When I do use gloves they aren't water proof, but I guess they would keep me from getting cut. I do make sure to use plenty of germ-x and alcohol when cleaning my hands.


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## shakeyglenn68

No roofs for me. After ripping finger tips off from sliding down to the ground on a 10-12 with a 100 foot extension cord tied around my waist for safety, I decided that's enough for me. And for the helpers hands that got burned by the cord trying to keep my fat A** from hitting the ground! A "What where you thinking of?" from the boss, "I would have let go!"


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## shakeyglenn68

Will said:


> The beauty of the electric eel cable is you don't have to hold the cable(atleast while it's spinning). When I do use gloves they aren't water proof, but I guess they would keep me from getting cut. I do make sure to use plenty of germ-x and alcohol when cleaning my hands.


I wear slick leather gloves always not water proof but keeps the black off your hands when you have to grab a hold of other things, fast orange mixed with alcohol to wash with, then its off to pizza hut buffet for lunch.. a little ground in black iek wont kill ya after alcohol. But the look on green horns faces is priceless.


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## Richard Hilliard

In this area the plumbers jump to get on the roof and go at it. Not me. I dislike ladders and getting up on roofs and the shape of my hips back in the day prevented me from even looking at the roof other than to find the full sized stack. Where I am from ,my full size stack helped vent the lateral and was my first stack closest to the building sewer. The guys I have worked with find it odd that I can find a cleanout within 10 minutes of searching for the full size stack and depending where the stoppage was located. A whole house stoppage makes it much easier to locate when it is unknown.

Get your clipboard out and give the home owner an education of how a plumbing system is installed. Draw the plumbing system out and then show the customer where the blockage is located. Next explain to the home owner the benefits to locating a cleanout. It is not because code requires a cleanout or that it makes the job easier. You can see what you pull back and now inform the customer how to prevent the stoppage from occurring in the future. When you have 5-6 foot of sludge you have more of a problem than a stoppage. It could be a bow, back pitch, horrible flushing toilets that do not carry far enough with the current plumbing system under the home. (Building drain and branches) You can also step up in heads and sizes to clear the drain with cable. People are visual sow them the difference clearing the drain through a 2 inch vent and the 4 inch cleanout (sometimes 3 inch). Next you know for sure it is in the building drain or building sewer. Next I know the exact location of the stoppage and I know how the plumbing is installed without a doubt.

Ever heard the phrase knowledge is power? That is false, putting an action with knowledge makes it powerful.


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## suzie

My name would be Eileen if I went on the roof screw that s#**


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## Herk

Although I rarely go on the roof, sometimes it's the best way. We don't have house traps, but we do, on homes newer than 20 years, have backwater valves on the basement fixtures that one has to watch out for.

All of our roofs are not steep. I cleaned a kitchen drain yesterday from under the sink that would probably have been easier from the roof. There was a huge disposal and a jury-rigged tubular system that was directly in front of the drain. The guy had already run a Drain King in the pipe and water came out the vent, so I knew the arm was clean.

And the horizontal pipe at the bottom of the stack was only about 4' from a 3" main, so I would have had plenty of cable. Luckily, the drop head didn't go up to the roof. 

I did a main about a year ago where the old house had a dicey-looking toilet-on-tile that I didn't want to touch. No outside cleanout, nor a cleanout in the dug-out cellar. The only problem with the K-60 is that you want to make sure you have ample cable hooked together before you drop it into a stack. Once it gets moving you might not be able to stop it. :laughing:


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## Protech

Common practice here in Florida. I do it a few times a week. Our roofs are usually very low pitched (no snow or ice damming to worry about here).

I of course charge an extra fee for doing this. I usually talk the HO into having me send the camera down while I'm up there to find the buried cleanout that the landscapers bury every time. We also cable from roof vents to provide a tow line to the main cleanout for hydro-jetting.


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## KCJAKE

I refused to do any roof-downs, unless it was a single story home w/a slight slope on the roof. 1, it's just NOT the best way to properly clear a drain, and 2, it's not the safest way to do our jobs. I would always pull the toilet or sell the outside c/o - if the customer did not want go that route, then I would tell them to have a nice day. A clogged main line is not worth risking injuring yourself...


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## drs

Maybe I might be looking at this a little different BUT when does the HO's want to save money force me to climb on a roof ? If they do not want to pay to install a clean out somewhere that keeps you safe, then the HO is saying YOUR life is worthless.

You will make more money saying "Have a good day" they falling off a roof.


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## Richard Hilliard

I like wet venting. Very seldom do I have to go up on a roof. About the only time I go to a roof is with 2 lavatories on a cross or kitchen /laundry stoppages. Bathroom groups or whole house is always from a clean out; I am lucky and have been able to locate cleanouts. Thursday I went to a 4 unit condo where the property manager and president of the condo said the sewer came out the front. I walked to the rear of the building and probed 4 times and hit the cast iron.


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## Will

I don't mind getting on roofs one bit. For one I'm not 250 lbs and out of shape. Second I rock climb all the time, so getting on a roofs doesn't worry nor scare me one bit. 

I sell cleanouts too if needed. Sometimes though all it takes is getting on a roof to clean it right. Houses here aren't like the ones you see up north, most of the time pitches arent steep.


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## 504Plumber

Will said:


> I don't mind getting on roofs one bit. For one I'm not 250 lbs and out of shape. Second I rock climb all the time, so getting on a roofs doesn't worry nor scare me one bit.
> 
> I sell cleanouts too if needed. Sometimes though all it takes is getting on a roof to clean it right. Houses here aren't like the ones you see up north, most of the time pitches arent steep.


Same down here, a lot of times I clean a kitchen sink or other small drain from the roof just so I can get some head pressure from filling the sink on top of the clog. It ends up being a lot quicker to pull the 8ft ladder off the truck and run a cord than to drain the sink in a bucket and clean up the mess afterwards.


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## Kevan

drs said:


> If they do not want to pay to install a clean out somewhere that keeps you safe, then the HO is saying YOUR life is worthless.
> 
> You will make more money saying "Have a good day" they falling off a roof.


We take risks every time we drive to a job. The question is always, How much of a risk is it? The risk of every roof will vary according to pitch, shingle quality, ladder placement, cable condition, developed length of the run, and your skill level and physical condition. Sometimes a certain roof should be avoided because of its riskiness, but too many times I've seen competitors trying to sell a cleanout for no better reason than greed, laziness, or incompetence -- but of course, they always call it _safety_.


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## Tommy plumber

504Plumber said:


> Same down here, a lot of times I clean a kitchen sink or other small drain from the roof just so I can get some head pressure from filling the sink on top of the clog. It ends up being a lot quicker to pull the 8ft ladder off the truck and run a cord than to drain the sink in a bucket and clean up the mess afterwards.


 




I don't mind getting on a roof for a kitchen stoppage if there is no ground-level c.o. From up on the roof, you can hear the stoppage draining through the roof vent. If the sink is full of standing water (in other words, the basket strainer doesn't have the stopper in it), when that lets go, you'll hear it. Then when you come down from roof and go into kitchen and see sink empty, you are 100% positive you are passed or at least into the stoppage.

I don't like dis-assembling p-trap under kitchen sink, having to catch all that nasty water in a bucket, find somewhere to dump it, etc. And pulling back a black sludge-covered cable in the person's home in undesirable as well. And from the roof, you can clean your cable by running scalding hot water down the drain while cable is in the line. I've even dragged a garden hose up to the roof to flush the line. (just be sure stoppage is actually cleared when doing so, and don't stay up on the roof. The kitchen sink could be overflowing while plumber is standing on roof).

Would I prefer a ground-level c.o.? Sure. But sometimes selling a c.o. install along with clearing the stoppage is just not in the cards for the customer that day.


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## 504Plumber

Tommy plumber said:


> I don't mind getting on a roof for a kitchen stoppage if there is no ground-level c.o. From up on the roof, you can hear the stoppage draining through the roof vent. If the sink is full of standing water (in other words, the basket strainer doesn't have the stopper in it), when that lets go, you'll hear it. Then when you come down from roof and go into kitchen and see sink empty, you are 100% positive you are passed or at least into the stoppage.
> 
> I don't like dis-assembling p-trap under kitchen sink, having to catch all that nasty water in a bucket, find somewhere to dump it, etc. And pulling back a black sludge-covered cable in the person's home in undesirable as well. And from the roof, you can clean your cable by running scalding hot water down the drain while cable is in the line. I've even dragged a garden hose up to the roof to flush the line. (just be sure stoppage is actually cleared when doing so, and don't stay up on the roof. The kitchen sink could be overflowing while plumber is standing on roof).
> 
> Would I prefer a ground-level c.o.? Sure. But sometimes selling a c.o. install along with clearing the stoppage is just not in the cards for the customer that day.


Indeed, it is much easier. If we have to run a mainline from roof due to no cleanout or back to back toilets we usually stick a peice of 2" from ground to roof to run cable through so we don't have to drag the machine up.


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## retired rooter

JERRYMAC said:


> 30 PLUS YEARS FROM THE ROOF :thumbup:


I only take small machines on roof to clear sink or small drains, if the sewer HAD to be cleaned from stack 
we leave large machine on ground ,1 man on roof pushing cable, the other on ground(my spot on ground on my bucket) to pull cable out of stack 
I have a stack puller or a pully welded between 2 pieces of iron that drops in stack ,the cable then rolls out using my auto feed 

T 25 - Vent Roller
Options»


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## Will

Getting on the roof bailed me out again. Glad I have the drill and eel for jobs like this, makes a tough job a breeze.


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## 504Plumber

Will said:


> Getting on the roof bailed me out again. Glad I have the drill and eel for jobs like this, makes a tough job a breeze.


How long is that thing and could you attach more than one cable? How does it react to binding up?


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## Will

Each cable (1.25" inner core) is 8' long. I've had well over 100' hooked up to the drill before, but I'd say it will start losing power past 100'. The cable has a 1/2" left hand wound inner core and a 1.25" right hand wound outer coil to resist kinking or binding of the cable.


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## Protech

So when are you going back for the pipe repair?



Will said:


> Getting on the roof bailed me out again. Glad I have the drill and eel for jobs like this, makes a tough job a breeze.


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## Will

When it's time to do so. If after snaking a line and the camera shows nothing major wrong with the sewer, then I'm not going to push a replacement or repair. I will only push that when it is needed. I did try to push a cleanout install though.


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## tungsten plumb

Will said:


> Getting on the roof bailed me out again. Glad I have the drill and eel for jobs like this, makes a tough job a breeze.


Doing that from a roof would scare the crap outta me. I don't mind snaking through the roof but the drill and eel on the roof is pushin it imo.


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## Protech

That does not compute. You have roots on your cable. That means the line is broken somewhere. 

What, do you think the roots won't grow back?



Will said:


> When it's time to do so. If after snaking a line and the camera shows nothing major wrong with the sewer, then I'm not going to push a replacement or repair. I will only push that when it is needed. I did try to push a cleanout install though.


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## Will

They will go back no doubt. If I have to snake the line once a year or once every few years who cares? Just because a line has roots doesn't mean you have to dig it up.


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## AssTyme

Will said:


> They will go back no doubt. If I have to snake the line once a year or once every few years who cares? Just because a line has roots doesn't mean you have to dig it up.





Seems some like to sell unnecessary line replacements :blink:


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## 504Plumber

AssTyme said:


> Seems some like to sell unnecessary line replacements :blink:


If it's bad enough we will replace a portion or the entire line if needed. No sense in replacing the whole sewer line if it takes a year or two for the roots to come back...


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## U666A

You will not often find me commenting to things that I am completely unfamiliar with, drain cleaning being one of such things.

But here is my opinion regarding a few of the most recently preceding posts...

If a blockage in a main line due to roots was to cause sewage to back up into a HO's finished basement, I would tend to think that the aggravation and costs of abatement and cleanup, coupled with the costs of replacing a portion, or all of a sanitary building drain/sewer, would still be a more viable option than having a bill for a cleaning and a plumber standing there saying "well ma'am, it's hard to tell exactly when the roots will grow back and cause you to be standing knee deep in raw sewage again..."

How's that for a run on sentence?!?

Just a thought...

$0.01-9/10


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## 504Plumber

I bet I can make a longer run on sentence!

Down here we rarely have basements that are actually below grade, mostly because the highest ground in the city is roughly 35-40ft above sea level. Saying that, when a customers sewer backs up it usually only backs into the tubs or they notice slow drainage before hand. Everything down here on an old house in the yard is terra-cotta, the ground sinks a whole lot shifting and making a lot of enticing cavities for roots to grow. Once we clean a line with roots if we feel the need we run a camera, most of the time they aren't that bad and usually lasts a good while until it stops up again. If I pull roots out I always ask how long has it been since you've had it unstopped, if they tell me a year or a few years I let it slide. If they are going a few months between then we push for a replacement. 


Hope that gave some insight...


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## U666A

504Plumber said:


> I bet I can make a longer run on sentence!
> 
> Down here we rarely have basements that are actually below grade, mostly because the highest ground in the city is roughly 35-40ft above sea level. Saying that, when a customers sewer backs up it usually only backs into the tubs or they notice slow drainage before hand. Everything down here on an old house in the yard is terra-cotta, the ground sinks a whole lot shifting and making a lot of enticing cavities for roots to grow. Once we clean a line with roots if we feel the need we run a camera, most of the time they aren't that bad and usually lasts a good while until it stops up again. If I pull roots out I always ask how long has it been since you've had it unstopped, if they tell me a year or a few years I let it slide. If they are going a few months between then we push for a replacement.
> 
> Hope that gave some insight...


Yes... Yes you did, and yes you did!

Thank you! Polite and concise, and very informative. again, thank you.

See, this is why I typically steer clear of the threads I know nothing about (usually only the ones about plumbing) but I'm glad I asked!


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## revenge

That reminds me of this customer we had, very nice old lady. Another plumber went in and cleared a line she kept calling him back, by the way he snaked through roof. He insisted she needed a new main so, she accepted and piped in a new main. The day he finished she had another clogg and the dumbass didnt put in a cleanout, so he went on the roof a again. He started telling her she needed to replace plumbing under foundation, mind you no basements chop up floor and repipe. Something didnt sit right with her so she called us for a second opinion, i get ther and said wait before we do all that let me camera your line, ran camera through 4 inch vent. What i found was after loacating line was ther was a peice of cast iron broke five feet infront of his connection, didnt even go all the way to her house he left approx. 10 feet of old pipe. dug up the rest and installed new pipe with double cleanout, you know two combos and i was done saved her bunch of money and heartace over destroying her floor she baked me some cookies and dam they were the best ever had


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## Will

U666A said:


> You will not often find me commenting to things that I am completely unfamiliar with, drain cleaning being one of such things.
> 
> But here is my opinion regarding a few of the most recently preceding posts...
> 
> If a blockage in a main line due to roots was to cause sewage to back up into a HO's finished basement, I would tend to think that the aggravation and costs of abatement and cleanup, coupled with the costs of replacing a portion, or all of a sanitary building drain/sewer, would still be a more viable option than having a bill for a cleaning and a plumber standing there saying "well ma'am, it's hard to tell exactly when the roots will grow back and cause you to be standing knee deep in raw sewage again..."
> 
> How's that for a run on sentence?!?
> 
> Just a thought...
> 
> $0.01-9/10



Finished basements are not common here, we do have basements, just not "finished". Most stoppages will result in sewage backing up into the tub or shower. 

We have alot of 6" clay here. Some have been in the ground close to 100 years and they are still working just fine. Roots are going to happen if you have clay pipe with concrete joints every 4'. As long as the roots are small in diameter and the camera show no separation, then I prefer(and so does the HO) to just maintain the line instead of digging it up.


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