# When to dig



## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

Hello all! 
We don't do many dig ups and we usally sub them out when it's the case. Normally when we hit mud that's how we decide to sub out the dig up. Lately we have been running into massive root infestations. This year has been crazy. The last three days I had guys out on 3 - 4 hour sewer cleaning jobs. One guy came back with a contractor bag with 35 pounds of roots in it. We are using mainly k-60s. I guess my question to you all is how long do you work at a drain before you decide it needs to be dug up. Do you charge the HO for the 3 hours of work you put in, if it can't be cleaned due to massive root infiltration? Thank you for your advice!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

A wet spring, very dry summer, then wet. Add our very mild winter... business is booming. I'm flat rate, I'll usually give a customer up to two hours, after that I give them the option of paying by the hour or take a good chance with a jetter or replace. Always a hard choice for a HO. Since being on my own I haven't come across that situation from roots, but I've found more broken mains this year than in years past. Along with cracked ci stacks. Didn't we have an earthquake last summer or fall?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Sorry, one more option, k1500 if only roots. I've done a better job with that pig than a 4018 US jetter. New point of entry was 100' closer and 2 90's less, odds were in my favor.... worth the investment and a good tool to have even if you have a 4018.


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

3-4 hours with a K-60 ??????

I keep one on the truck but -- a K-60 is not a heavy root machine.
Your wasting your and the customers time and money.


.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

K1500 with inner core cable and you won't have to dig any roots out. We start where rooter guys quit. 2 hours for a 100-120' mainline running a 3 4 and 6" cutter. The second guy organizes your cables runs them up the tail. If you have a cleanout you can make a hole in a brass plug/the lip can be used as an auto reverse feed. Barely have to pull back. And if your obsessive compulsive-run a superhawg on high speed with the 6. You can really feel the roots come and go. 
Depends on your charge rate though. We flat it. Too much competition it's not always worth it.


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

KoleckeINC said:


> K1500 with inner core cable and you won't have to dig any roots out. We start where rooter guys quit. 2 hours for a 100-120' mainline running a 3 4 and 6" cutter. The second guy organizes your cables runs them up the tail. If you have a cleanout you can make a hole in a brass plug/the lip can be used as an auto reverse feed. Barely have to pull back. And if your obsessive compulsive-run a* superhawg* on high speed with the 6. You can really feel the roots come and go.
> Depends on your charge rate though. We flat it. Too much competition it's not always worth it.


Super Hog?


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## WashingtonPlung (Jul 25, 2016)

How sketchy is a k1500 in plastic pipe. Ive been told you can easily punch through plastic fittings.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

WashingtonPlung said:


> How sketchy is a k1500 in plastic pipe. Ive been told you can easily punch through plastic fittings.


The only pvc I've ran it through is 4&6" clean outs right above the ground other than the one where the 4018 didn't get it. I ran it in 10' of 4" pvc with a non glued 45. Granted, it took all of one pass and all of ten minutes in the old clay all of 12' followed by the camera. No breaks, cracks, even the 45 didn't pop off.

I can't say it's not true, I could see it happening in above ground. Obviously running it in scl 30 above ground would be suicide. Below ground no issues.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

KoleckeINC said:


> K1500 with inner core cable and you won't have to dig any roots out. We start where rooter guys quit. 2 hours for a 100-120' mainline running a 3 4 and 6" cutter. The second guy organizes your cables runs them up the tail. If you have a cleanout you can make a hole in a brass plug/the lip can be used as an auto reverse feed. Barely have to pull back. And if your obsessive compulsive-run a superhawg on high speed with the 6. You can really feel the roots come and go.
> Depends on your charge rate though. We flat it. Too much competition it's not always worth it.


















You're the man!......The right contractor-grade equipment and the skill to know how to use it.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

I haven't broke plastic pipe yet. But I came out through three feet of dirt one time. Scary. The front cable must be super flexible to make turns. You can rod through a 4" trap. You can get a 1' hollow leader or use General brand cables. 
Out of 100' general cables we started with we have 50' left since bought in 2010. I kinked them. Since then weve started using eel cable but that stuff is too stiff. General is just fine. And I've been in 100 really broken sewers. 
Fair warning
No sitting on a bucket rodding with this thing. Its real work. Reminds me of what it must have been like to work on a ship in the 1700's.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

Milwaukee BFDrill on high speed Yes sir.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Or jet the problem away......... But camera it afterwards to confirm the cause of the problem.


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