# Jetted the line?



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I have a customer/neighbor that has had a continuing problem with his drain line. It has gone from a max one time a year to every couple of months where he needs a cleaning. But now its a once a month thing. 

Over the New Year Holiday I was out of town so he called the big franchise that promises to make problems go down the drain. He tells me that they came out and instead of snaking ran the jetter because of the known root problem he has. According to the neighbor they were not there long, did not camera to verify work, but that the drain worked. 

Late January I see another big name company van at his place. After a text message he calls me and tells me he called them so they could camera the line as I suggested. They did a video before and after snaking the drain.

Last week I am at his place to look at the video and to snake the drain. No doubt there are obvious problems with the line and we are finally talking replacement. But what struck me funny was that there were still some serious roots in the line. 

Looks like that big Franchise outfit is not completing the job.


----------



## AndersenPlumbing (Jan 23, 2010)

I'm not surprised. Not at all.


----------



## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

Once again these big Franchise outfits aren't plumbers just glorified handy hacks:yes:


----------



## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

What size line, 4" to city or 4" to 6" ?


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

AssTyme said:


> What size line, 4" to city or 4" to 6" ?



It is 4".


----------



## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

Indie said:


> It is 4".





No reason a good rodding shouldn't have cleaned the roots up.

Somebodies not doing their job...... :no:


----------



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

The problem is there are really 3 ways to jet a line.
1 (worst) Let jetter run out the line real fast then pull it back in real fast, collect check and leave.

2 Jet out line med to slow speed then pull back somewhat slow, not all roots are gone but should last a reasonable amount of time (1 year to 2)

3 Run jetter out med to slow, send in camera note places where roots still are, pull jetter head back to those spots and eliminate roots, do this for all remaining roots till access point is reached.


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

AssTyme said:


> No reason a good rodding shouldn't have cleaned the roots up.
> 
> Somebodies not doing their job...... :no:


I tried getting a 4" cutter through there but it will not make it through. No doubt there are problems with the line.


----------



## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

Cuda said:


> The problem is there are really 3 ways to jet a line.
> 1 (worst) Let jetter run out the line real fast then pull it back in real fast, collect check and leave.
> 
> 2 Jet out line med to slow speed then pull back somewhat slow, not all roots are gone but should last a reasonable amount of time (1 year to 2)
> ...





Sounds like he got a #1 jet job then hole poked with a rod :blink:


----------



## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

Indie said:


> I tried getting a 4" cutter through there but it will not make it through. No doubt there are problems with the line.



A true/actual 4" cutter or a cutter labeled as such ? A lot are undersized, General, Eel, etc.... It's pretty hard to get a true 4" bit through an old cast line. On my drum machine I always finish with a 3 1/2" or 4/3 offset.

What do you think is preventing the large cutters progress ?


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

AssTyme said:


> A true/actual 4" cutter or a cutter labeled as such ? A lot are undersized, General, Eel, etc.... It's pretty hard to get a true 4" bit through an old cast line. On my drum machine I always finish with a 3 1/2" or 4/3 offset.
> 
> What do you think is preventing the large cutters progress ?


It is hard to say what the problem is but it's at the main connection. The video confirmed the distance to the main but neither that company nor I could decipher what was going on except that there were quite a bit of roots. 

The cutter I tried was the 4" pear cutter for the Ridgid 1500. It would not make it through. The 3" version did.


----------

