# Field Trip



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

I took an inordinate amount of **** when I first joined this forum for admitting I sub out my drain cleaning and repair calls.

Frankly, I hope the Old School instigator who tried to knock my dick in the dirt for this admission comes down with a scorching case of crotch rot.

But I digress.

Anyway, I'm hooking up with a good friend tomorrow and Thursday who is a bona fide Service Plumber. I'm going to be his 'step and fetch'. I'd ask y'all to pray for me, but I'm acutely aware of what y'all think of me.

Bygones.

I have 2 days to learn what it takes to run a drain cleaner -- Hope I'm up to the task.

Friday I'm hooking up with an olde band mate who does Side Sewer relining.

I'll admit, I'm going to just be going through the motions with the drain cleaning, but the relining gig has really sparked my interest.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

2 days... That should make you an expert... :laughing:


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> ...I have 2 days to learn what it takes to run a drain cleaner -- Hope I'm up to the task....


You'll do fine. You've already taken the best step by realizing drain cleaning is not a gimme. I didn't get two days of orientation when I started drain work and I also subbed out drains till I was ready to take the plunge. :thumbsup:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Today was edifying.

I sent out 175 feet of cable on a Ridgid drain cleaner, 160 ft of cable on a Ridgid jetter and 160 ft of cable on a Ridgid camera.

I also replaced 2 Chicago mop sink faucets and replaced the 4x2 donut on a Swanstone mop sink. -- The last one was a major pain in the arse.

Silicone is not our friend 10 or 12 years down the road, btw.

Long story short; I showed up this morning expecting a cake walk.

They had other plans. 5 or 6 minutes after I showed up, Karl removed the 4" C/O plug in his shop and directed me to clean out his side sewer.
He's a good guy, he could have chosen this moment to humiliate me, but he didn't, neither did his kids.

The three of them walked me through the procedure for firing up the Ridgid KJ 3000 and then handed me the jetter hose -- I was fine for about 50 feet, then things started to bind up. They let me suffer through this for about a minute, then Karl Jr. stepped up and showed me how to loop the hose to direct its path. Huge difference. I had no idea.

I actually made it out to the street (140 ft side sewer) in 15 minutes.

Next, they took me next door to clean out his neighbors downspout leaders -- Drain cleaner with no blade attached, those things cost money.

I was basically stuck within 7 or 8 feet. I hit the running trap and brain farted how to loop and twist the cable to make it past the bends. They let me struggle for about a minute, then Karl walked me through the lessons I should have already learned.

It's been an interesting day. I learned a number of valuable lessons.

I'm not going into the drain cleaning business, not by any stretch, but I do have a new found appreciation for those of you who do.

It's hard work. The equipment is heavy and temperamental. And sometimes you have to really push the issue -- It took two of us to push the bare cable past the last offset in that downspout run.

The Chicago mop sink faucet replacements were a cakewalk -- I've installed hundreds of those, and it was kind of cool to explain to Karl Jr. that you can buy arms with integral stops -- This was news to him.

The donut on the Swanstone mop sink was an altogether different animal, though. It took over an hour to track down the replacement part. Installation was a breeze, but removing the original donut was a major pain in the arse. Not to mention the 15 gallons of pea gravel we had to pull out one handful at a time through the drain opening before we could expose enough pipe to glue on a coupling.

I'm sore as hell from the shoulders up from twisting the different cables around to make the bends, but it's been a good day.

And yes, I bought them lunch for humoring me.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Nothing happened today. We played darts until about 10:30, and then Karl shut it down.

4 phone calls all day -- One from a salesman who couldn't take no for an answer, two from folks fishing around for rock bottom pricing and one inquiring about Karl's maintenance package.

I don't know how you folks do it.

This is sustenance living.

How you folks manage to sock enough away for a rainy day is beyond me.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

It's feast or famine in service or new const. Your just getting a taste of service during a famine cycle.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

SlickRick said:


> It's feast or famine in service or new const. Your just getting a taste of service during a famine cycle.


Things have been slow around here this week. Telemarketers not even calling, got a few remods going though. My yard is looking good too.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

easttexasplumb said:


> Things have been slow around here this week. Telemarketers not even calling, got a few remods going though. My yard is looking good too.


I have been busy this week, and my yard looks like heck.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

SlickRick said:


> I have been busy this week, and my yard looks like heck.


I actually got off at a decent time looking forward to cutting my grass, pulled up and my grass didn't need cutting. Damn this lack of rain.


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