DUNBAR
03-05-2008, 11:25 PM
There's no point of starting a poll on this one because I don't think people will be honest, in print on this subject matter.
I never hear of anyone EVER talking about using hydropressure, the standing water behind the clog as calculated leverage towards unclogging the drain.
When you're called out to clear a drain, you should be instantly telling the customer to flood the system, meaning bringing the maximum level of water standing behind that clog without doing damage to the surroundings. Meaning, don't add water to the equation if you know it's going to destroy a carpet or items on the floor.
Water is one of the most powerful tools when clearing a drain, it's the helping hand that offers flow-by when you DO start to pop that clog and get it rolling.
DO YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT AND HAVE A FOUR COURSE MEAL, ORDER A SHOT GLASS FOR A BEVERAGE?
Of course not.
Water is the key ingredient to the equation of effectively clearing drains. You don't get a damn cookie for the most stuff retrieved out of the drain. Why touch the ****? Don't offer the logic that it should be out of the drain, not in it. IF you are truly attacking that drain correctly, you're going the full length, structure to main sewer. Once it makes it to the main sewer, it's someone else's problem, PERIOD. If it's a septic tank and you know it's something that can stay floating and jump the baffles, head to the distribution box and cause problems, better use your head and get what it is back.....but 9 times out of 10 you'll never get everything, especially tampons.
That water standing in a closet bend, floor drain, kitchen sink, laundry........I'll bring the level up high enough for head pressure at the clog, my sight gauge so I can tell I'm onto the problem. When I'm hitting a cleanout with an offset to where I can't see it or I can never get the level high enough because of where I'm at, I'm looking at the floor drain watching it for the first sign of a drop.
If I start to see it drop, I'll stand up instantly and pull that cable out about 4-6 feet to "pop" that clog. That quick movement send the force of the water right through the clog where the cable was, starts the ending to the problem.
Of course, toilet paper won't have this result most times but back in the day my boss would tell us to use the large spring, the retriever attachment if we thought was a toilet paper clog along with a blow-up sack in the same drain with the cable turning going in in the the same opening. If that was your last opening heading to the main, you're in business.
Before I even get the clog open, I tell the customer "As soon as I give you the go ahead, I want you to flush every toilet in the house 10 times in a row, run every faucet in the house when I get this drain unclogged.
^^
I've never seen these words in print, anywhere. Drain cleaning without the use of water is a sin in my book because you're leaving residual buildup in the pipe.....the cable is NOT going to bring back everything you think it is, no way.
You eat with the use of a beverage, no reason it doesn't apply to the method of drain cleaning.
I'm pointing this out and making notice of this obvious "hidden" practice. Some of you probably do this as second nature like I do, some of you are going to get real defensive and possibly object to this practice. I don't really care either way, I'm just putting it in full view so the public knows of its benefits to the cleaning of a drain.
Of course jetting is excluded from this rant, I'm talking about cleaning a drain and making darn sure the customer gets the best bang for the buck.
It is not uncommon for me to run all the hot water out of a water heater after I open a kitchen sink drain, laundry tub. On a main drain I'll have the customer almost wonder why I asked them to run every faucet in the house for 10-15 minutes. My response?
"Sir/Ma'am? What is cheaper? Me coming back to charge you again to clear this drain or the cost of the water that was used to make sure it is clean?"
Water is cheaper, by far.....and when I tell them the do you eat a large meal and order a shot glass for a beverage line, they agree totally to my thinking
AND
most of the time I hear "Ya know, you're the first guy that has ever asked us to run water after the drain is opened."
Hrmmmmmmm... interesting. Sounds like someone is setting themselves up for job security for the "next time" it's going to happen....because it is. Residual buildup that will most likely take months to backup again. Simple? Simple.
So, what's up with this non-mentioning of the use (lack-of) of water, hydropressure to clear a drain? Just the water standing behind the clog is not enough.
I never hear of anyone EVER talking about using hydropressure, the standing water behind the clog as calculated leverage towards unclogging the drain.
When you're called out to clear a drain, you should be instantly telling the customer to flood the system, meaning bringing the maximum level of water standing behind that clog without doing damage to the surroundings. Meaning, don't add water to the equation if you know it's going to destroy a carpet or items on the floor.
Water is one of the most powerful tools when clearing a drain, it's the helping hand that offers flow-by when you DO start to pop that clog and get it rolling.
DO YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT AND HAVE A FOUR COURSE MEAL, ORDER A SHOT GLASS FOR A BEVERAGE?
Of course not.
Water is the key ingredient to the equation of effectively clearing drains. You don't get a damn cookie for the most stuff retrieved out of the drain. Why touch the ****? Don't offer the logic that it should be out of the drain, not in it. IF you are truly attacking that drain correctly, you're going the full length, structure to main sewer. Once it makes it to the main sewer, it's someone else's problem, PERIOD. If it's a septic tank and you know it's something that can stay floating and jump the baffles, head to the distribution box and cause problems, better use your head and get what it is back.....but 9 times out of 10 you'll never get everything, especially tampons.
That water standing in a closet bend, floor drain, kitchen sink, laundry........I'll bring the level up high enough for head pressure at the clog, my sight gauge so I can tell I'm onto the problem. When I'm hitting a cleanout with an offset to where I can't see it or I can never get the level high enough because of where I'm at, I'm looking at the floor drain watching it for the first sign of a drop.
If I start to see it drop, I'll stand up instantly and pull that cable out about 4-6 feet to "pop" that clog. That quick movement send the force of the water right through the clog where the cable was, starts the ending to the problem.
Of course, toilet paper won't have this result most times but back in the day my boss would tell us to use the large spring, the retriever attachment if we thought was a toilet paper clog along with a blow-up sack in the same drain with the cable turning going in in the the same opening. If that was your last opening heading to the main, you're in business.
Before I even get the clog open, I tell the customer "As soon as I give you the go ahead, I want you to flush every toilet in the house 10 times in a row, run every faucet in the house when I get this drain unclogged.
^^
I've never seen these words in print, anywhere. Drain cleaning without the use of water is a sin in my book because you're leaving residual buildup in the pipe.....the cable is NOT going to bring back everything you think it is, no way.
You eat with the use of a beverage, no reason it doesn't apply to the method of drain cleaning.
I'm pointing this out and making notice of this obvious "hidden" practice. Some of you probably do this as second nature like I do, some of you are going to get real defensive and possibly object to this practice. I don't really care either way, I'm just putting it in full view so the public knows of its benefits to the cleaning of a drain.
Of course jetting is excluded from this rant, I'm talking about cleaning a drain and making darn sure the customer gets the best bang for the buck.
It is not uncommon for me to run all the hot water out of a water heater after I open a kitchen sink drain, laundry tub. On a main drain I'll have the customer almost wonder why I asked them to run every faucet in the house for 10-15 minutes. My response?
"Sir/Ma'am? What is cheaper? Me coming back to charge you again to clear this drain or the cost of the water that was used to make sure it is clean?"
Water is cheaper, by far.....and when I tell them the do you eat a large meal and order a shot glass for a beverage line, they agree totally to my thinking
AND
most of the time I hear "Ya know, you're the first guy that has ever asked us to run water after the drain is opened."
Hrmmmmmmm... interesting. Sounds like someone is setting themselves up for job security for the "next time" it's going to happen....because it is. Residual buildup that will most likely take months to backup again. Simple? Simple.
So, what's up with this non-mentioning of the use (lack-of) of water, hydropressure to clear a drain? Just the water standing behind the clog is not enough.