# Back call and what you don’t know.



## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I have a sweetheart of a customer about 45 minuets away. She’s very preventive with everything! I’ve ran my rodder twice now as a prevent in her 6” line and always hit a wall. The distance was correct to the city line so not wanting to damage the city I’d pull it back. Well this time she was backed up with only 2-3 months since my prevent.

Generally I give a one month warranty, but I grossly underestimated the line. Had to rod it 4 times to get it to open with different cutters. Roots. Told her I wanted to warranty it, no charge. She still gave me a $30 tip and a painting platform. 

There are special customers out there who are top notch! And then there are the other ones.


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

OpenSights said:


> I have a sweetheart of a customer about 45 minuets away. She’s very preventive with everything! I’ve ran my rodder twice now as a prevent in her 6” line and always hit a wall. The distance was correct to the city line so not wanting to damage the city I’d pull it back. Well this time she was backed up with only 2-3 months since my prevent.
> 
> Generally I give a one month warranty, but I grossly underestimated the line. Had to rod it 4 times to get it to open with different cutters. Roots. Told her I wanted to warranty it, no charge. She still gave me a $30 tip and a painting platform.
> 
> There are special customers out there who are top notch! And then there are the other ones.


Good on you brother!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Standard Drain (Feb 17, 2016)

It's always nice to see when a customer is grateful for your services and understands that you kept your word on the warranty.


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## JGT (Jan 15, 2017)

super nice , curious why you didn't stick a camera down when hitting the wall, my camera doesnt come free, but sometimes i do stick it down with no charge so i can sleep at night lol


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

JGT said:


> super nice , curious why you didn't stick a camera down when hitting the wall, my camera doesnt come free, but sometimes i do stick it down with no charge so i can sleep at night lol


Same here. Sometimes I’ll put my camera down a line at no charge to benefit my decision of how and what needs to be done without charging. In this case I was about to, but had a few more calls on the books. One even rescheduled because it took so much longer than anticipated.

Her 14y/o granddaughter just moved in and I was expecting the worst, but just a big root mass that I missed.

Funny story, when I bought my house 5 years ago she remodeled her kitchen and gave me her kitchen sink. That was before I went out on my own. The customers who follow you from your former employer without soliciting are the best.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Open sights, I have a few questions more along the lines of drain cleaning;

How long did it take to cut through? What diameter roots are we talking about here? 

I ask because years ago I had a similar call, home laid vacant for years and roots grew in sewer. But the roots had grown quite thick and being a youngster back then to the art of drain cleaning, I couldn't get my 7/8" cable through the stoppage. In fact, I remember my cable doubling back on itself and going backwards. As I was pushing hard into an outside c.o., I saw my cable pass the c.o. and go the opposite way! So I had hit the roots and pushed so hard that my cable made a U turn...LOL.

So the boss sent out another plumber who worked on it for a while and eventually got through. I'm thinking that if I ever come across large roots again, that I might not be able to cut through with my K-60.

Your thoughts?


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> Open sights, I have a few questions more along the lines of drain cleaning;
> 
> How long did it take to cut through? What diameter roots are we talking about here?
> 
> ...




just wondering myself...at what point is it futile and you call in someone with a hi-pressure jetter to cut through the roots......???

we have had a few stubborn ones that they finally went to the jetter....
They never have had a problem in a good number of years


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

My new toy is coming tomorrow.
No more such troubles.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Open sights, I have a few questions more along the lines of drain cleaning;
> 
> How long did it take to cut through? What diameter roots are we talking about here?
> 
> ...


you need a dreel for those occasions.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

fixitright said:


> My new toy is coming tomorrow.
> No more such troubles.


Clog dog?


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

OpenSights said:


> Clog dog?



Show's up tomorrow.

But Gear's right, the Dreel would knock a big chunk of that out.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> Open sights, I have a few questions more along the lines of drain cleaning;
> 
> How long did it take to cut through? What diameter roots are we talking about here?
> 
> ...


What I pulled back wasn’t very noteworthy, but for some reason that always seems to be the case with my rodder and 300 with larger cutters. It always seems like I bring back more with a 2” cutter, or grab on to a huge mass at the tap and have to pull a 6” root mass through a 4” line. Fun times!

This line took me two hours from set up till loaded up. When it let loose it was like thunder. 6”x160+’ long, swept everything away. Opened it with a 3” cutter. She’ll be good till her spring time cleaning. Then I’ll go nuts on it, probably video at no charge.

As far as your cable goes back in the day, it was probably weak, over used. After I lost my new cable I put my new old one back on, makes cleaning much harder and takes longer to cut.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Back in the day I didn't have Dreels,clog dogs,or jetters,
just stayed with it with a 11/16" or 3/4" cable running a Spartan 1065,
or a Gorlitz GO-68Hd, I even cleaned 6" sewer mains at schools using
a Spartan 300 running a 6" blade on a 5/8" cable would run out the 75'
then change the drum to my back up drum and run it out 150' clearing ROOTS out at every joint in the clay pipe, 
Thats how we used to do it no fancy stuff just a good machine a good 
Rooter/drainman that knew what he was doing ! And I always made 
a point to run the cable all the way into the city main, it kept the return
calls down and allowed my DAD and me to give a 90 Day warranty against
root stoppages,


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

We had no locator when we wanted to find a main line we would run a cable down though a roof vent out to the front of the house, then while the Machine
was running would go out front with a pipe probe to listen for the sound of
the blades hitting the inside of the pipe then digging it up there to cut in a 
outside clean out to snake the main though, sometimes it was very hard to do,
and had to use a pick and digging bar because the ground was hard as rock, !


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> Back in the day I didn't have Dreels,clog dogs,or jetters,
> just stayed with it with a 11/16" or 3/4" cable running a Spartan 1065,
> or a Gorlitz GO-68Hd, I even cleaned 6" sewer mains at schools using
> a Spartan 300 running a 6" blade on a 5/8" cable would run out the 75'
> ...


 











That is the truth right there Jerry, a man who knows what he's doing. What ever it is; from drain cleaning to flying a plane. 
A professional who knows what he's doing and knows how to use his tools.


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## PPM (Jan 27, 2018)

*ClogChopper*

Anytime I cable a sewer that potentially has roots, I generally start with one of my various ClogChopper bits. I've yet to have a clog that this tool couldn't break through. After breaking the clog, I'll run that bit back and forth through the problem area a few times. Afterwards, I'll use cutter bits to properly clean the line. I give a 90 warranty against roots and have yet to have a callback.


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> Back in the day I didn't have Dreels,clog dogs,or jetters,
> just stayed with it with a 11/16" or 3/4" cable running a Spartan 1065,
> or a Gorlitz GO-68Hd, I even cleaned 6" sewer mains at schools using
> a Spartan 300 running a 6" blade on a 5/8" cable would run out the 75'
> ...


Preach Jerry,,, preach!


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

gear junkie said:


> you need a dreel for those occasions.


I use a backhoe if the roots are a thick wad,I have seen root wad so bad that no cable cutter would cut thru it,we have no jetters in my area and people to tight to pay for using them,if they can see it bein dug up they don’t mind paying as much it seems :vs_whistle:


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> Back in the day I didn't have Dreels,clog dogs,or jetters,
> just stayed with it with a 11/16" or 3/4" cable running a Spartan 1065,
> or a Gorlitz GO-68Hd, I even cleaned 6" sewer mains at schools using
> a Spartan 300 running a 6" blade on a 5/8" cable would run out the 75'
> ...


I give no warranty at all if it has one little hair root in the pipe,also don’t warranty if swelled up white rats are brought back lololololo


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

fixitright said:


> Show's up tomorrow.
> 
> But Gear's right, the Dreel would knock a big chunk of that out.


What did that dog cost if you would be so kind???


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

sparky said:


> What did that dog cost if you would be so kind???



You will be running just this side of six grand by time you pay for shipping and chains. 

The onslaught of technology available now and in the near future
simply makes me wish I was thirty years younger. 

Embrace it.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> That is the truth right there Jerry, a man who knows what he's doing. What ever it is; from drain cleaning to flying a plane.
> A professional who knows what he's doing and knows how to use his tools.


Did they really know what they were doing back then or did they just do the best the could with what they had? How did they verify?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sparky said:


> I use a backhoe if the roots are a thick wad,I have seen root wad so bad that no cable cutter would cut thru it,we have no jetters in my area and people to tight to pay for using them,if they can see it bein dug up they don’t mind paying as much it seems :vs_whistle:


Is a backhoe really an appropriate substitute when all you're dealing with roots in a clay line (assuming clay)? Why not get the right equipment?


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

sparky said:


> I use a backhoe if the roots are a thick wad,I have seen root wad so bad that no cable cutter would cut thru it,we have no jetters in my area and people to tight to pay for using them,if they can see it bein dug up they don’t mind paying as much it seems :vs_whistle:



I've done a couple just recently where others with big drums failed and recommended a dig. One job had two guys out trying. Took five hours but I got it and saved the guy thousands. (lots of landscaping )

Got em open with the Dreel pushing a 1" point all the way up to an expansion blade through several large root balls. I'm really stubborn. 

There are lines that need to be dug but seldom just for roots.

( My new toy just showed up this afternoon ) :biggrin:


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I’m interested in a clog dog, but I ASSume it will nothing for bellies?


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

OpenSights said:


> I’m interested in a clog dog, but I ASSume it will nothing for bellies?




I know Nothing (yet)

Gotta ask Gear.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> Did they really know what they were doing back then or did they just do the best the could with what they had? How did they verify?


When you run a 4" cutter all the way though a 4" sewer all the way to the 
City sewer which you could tell by the way cable felt and the line stayed open 
for a year or more when before it lasted a couple of months,


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> When you run a 4" cutter all the way though a 4" sewer all the way to the
> City sewer which you could tell by the way cable felt and the line stayed open
> for a year or more when before it lasted a couple of months,


Before misalignments.:wink:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

OpenSights said:


> I’m interested in a clog dog, but I ASSume it will nothing for bellies?


It'll clear out what's collected in there but most bellies imo don't need to be repaired and their severity is often exaggerated.


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