Jetting Roots -Please Help!

[PipeLiner]

I have a General 5.5gpm @ 3000 psi jetter. I would like to know if anyone has experience in removing roots in 4" & 6" lines with a similar machine. Is the jetter too small to even consider it? What type nozzle should I use, warthog? root rat? root ranger?

Thank You.

[Ace Sewer]

I've done little good with roots at this flow rate. Drain medic has done better by using camera with jetter to watch and position nozzle exactly. I have yet to attempt to repeat what he has described. I have a 3/8" warthog, as well as other nozzles. Have not tried the root ranger or root rat. Let me know if you find something that works for you.

[Jay Mpls]

Ace...what are you doing maintenance-ish each time with your wart hog?
anything special?

[Ace Sewer]

I oil it every few jobs... they say 10 hr, but I find more often is better, and it is cheap and easy and quick to do. Eventually the bearings give up and pit and it will rotate by hand but not under pressure and I have to replace them. If it starts rotating too fast, shut it down and oil it; the fast-spinning kills the bearings in my experience. I will often hook to a hot supply for ice or grease. Supposed to be hard on pumps but its not hurt mine that I can tell. I do notice that the hot water lets the warthog rotation speed up more than I would like, and think I have had some ill effects from that. I use the heaviest oil stone age offers.

[PLUMBER RICK]

I have a General 5.5gpm @ 3000 psi jetter. I would like to know if anyone has experience in removing roots in 4" & 6" lines with a similar machine. Is the jetter too small to even consider it? What type nozzle should I use, warthog? root rat? root ranger?

Thank You.


i know that the root ranger will destroy roots if you can get the jet (rear)to the roots.

this nozzle will hit the roots with a solid 0 degree impact oscillating spray of water.

no other nozzle will give you 100% to a single jet.

a root rat uses cable/ chains to cut.

wart hog uses 2- 45 degree rear jets and 1 forward jet.

so overall, the root ranger has the hardest most direct impact of nozzles. the real question is, will it penetrate a hard root stoppage without a forward cutting jet?

i've spoken to the guys at ridgid for a demo at the roundup.

i own a similar nozzle that i push into the pipe and it will cut anything.

i use a similar spec. machine with my portable 18h.p jetter. 5.6gpm @3000psi.

rick.

[Ace Sewer]

Re root ranger, do you have to rotate the hose and nozzleto get a 360 cleaning? watch with camera and make sure? or just get it past all the roots and do a couple nice slow passes and you can trust it?

[PLUMBER RICK]

Re root ranger, do you have to rotate the hose and nozzleto get a 360 cleaning? watch with camera and make sure? or just get it past all the roots and do a couple nice slow passes and you can trust it?

ace, the root ranger is a rotary oscillating nozzle. it takes a 0 degree jet and gyrates:D it to cover like a 20 degree spray head. sort of works like the warthog, but with just 1 hard hitting jet.

the real question is still to be determined. will it cut a solid stoppage with no front jet?

we will see it in action at the round up;)

rick.

[Root Ranger]

the real question is still to be determined. will it cut a solid stoppage with no front jet?


Would the warthog be as effective without its front jet aswell. I never use these jets heads on a first run, always using 6r 1f or 3r 1f to penetrate the blockage. I find this the best way for the bigger jet heads to do their real work. And it doesnt matter if I`m pumping 5.6 or 13.2 g/m

[Drain Medic]

I have a General 5.5gpm @ 3000 psi jetter. I would like to know if anyone has experience in removing roots in 4" & 6" lines with a similar machine. Is the jetter too small to even consider it? What type nozzle should I use, warthog? root rat? root ranger?

Thank You.


I use a Water Cannon 6gpm, 4000psi with a all reverse nozzle to cut roots when i cant use the trailers. I put the camera in the line as well and go joint to joint. It takes alot more time then using my 14gpm 3000psi trailer with the warthog, but it does a good job.

You just need patience, and have to keep rotating the hose in a circular motion. ;)

[aero1]

used the roor ranger successfully on a 6 inch line, but as rick pointed out if we hadnt cut our way thru the blockage with our k 1500 first we would have been shooting blanks, after we made a path it did a fine job of cutting out what was left behind, pipe was terracotta and there was still areas left behind that i would of liked to eliminate. so this friday we have a similar situation and we are going to demo a warthog but this time were going straight in no cable just camera and warthog and hopefully it performs as good as ive read and heard and will post results and compare the two jetter heads. i feel that knowledge and the right tools you have make you a very formidable opponent so this will be interesting:)

[PLUMBER RICK]

aero, what are your jetter specs? gpm/ psi?

6'' could be an issue as roots tend to be at the top and the nozzle will ride on the bottom of the pipe. you might need to get a centering guide.

or make one.

that nozzle was sized for the ridgid 3000 machine. 4gpm @ 3000psi.

more gpm is required to clean large pipe.

rick.

[aero1]

rick our jetter is 10 gpm at 3000 psi and before we purchased the root ranger i had several conversations with ridgids tech people as was told that root ranger wolud work fine and i have to say thanks to you ,your insight on jetter info has really helped me out as were new to the art of jetting, wve been around since 1948 family owned and didnt realize how much more owning a jetter has allowed us to do.

[PLUMBER RICK]

aero, i really think that the root ranger nozzle is starving you jetter.

if there is a way to get a larger orifice, then you can take advantage of the 10gpm.

make sure you get a warthog sized to the pump, and hose size and length.

i have a 1/2'' warthog. but i should also get a 3/8'' for the 3'' lines and tight turns on 4''.

i will be looking at the root ranger at the roundup as it has the most bang for the buck.

rick.

[aero1]

rick when you mention starving the jetter does that mean its putting stress on the machine and i should limit or not use it, i like the idea of a larger orfice but would have no idea who could do that, i did speak to stoneage and they put me intouch with the locale rep who took my specs and was setting up the warthog for us we decided to go with the 3/8 version.

[PLUMBER RICK]

10 gpm at 3000# requires approx. a number #10 nozzle .075" (8.7gpm)

a #12 .082'' puts out 10.4 gpm so it will cause a drop in pressure. remember this is the flow needed at the nozzle. you lose some in hoses.

in comparison 4gpm at 3000# is a #4.5 nozzle.

the root ranger is most likely a #4.5 nozzle .050'' as it's designed for the 3000 jetter 4 gpm @3000#.

you can get custom sizes drilled for the stainless nozzles, but the root ranger is a ceramic nozzle and those come sized.

rick.

[PLUMBER RICK]

rick when you mention starving the jetter does that mean its putting stress on the machine and i should limit or not use it, i like the idea of a larger orfice but would have no idea who could do that, i did speak to stoneage and they put me intouch with the locale rep who took my specs and was setting up the warthog for us we decided to go with the 3/8 version.

i take it that you are using a trailer jetter. meaning the excess water flow goes back into the tank via the unloader valve.

you probably will wear the unloader as it's doing extra in bypass. try turning down the rpm as this will decrease the gpm the pump puts out.

watch your psi and adjust accordingly.

if you can rig up a pipe and bucket, you can do a real flow test.

now if you can get a larger root ranger insert, your machine will kick butt at 10gpm. that's 1 gallon every 6 seconds:eek:

do the test and check the math.

rick.