Roof top access

[PLUMBER RICK]

i know it's been posted before but i'll re post it with a different angle.

had a long time customer call me sunday evening with a main line stoppage. last time they had a main line was 15 years ago

they have a home warranty contract with a $45. deductible.

i told them to call the warranty co. as there is nothing i can do for $45.

of course i knew they won't touch it without a cleanout and anything outside the house.

they called me back to do the job

so onto the roof i go. 3'' roof vent 50' to the stoppage. pulled back roots with the 7/8'' cable and 3'' sawtooth cutter.

suggest to install an outside ground level c/o for the future as the roots were pretty healthy.

so between recreating the stoppage. going up to the roof with my k-60, 90' of cable, snaking and putting everything back into my truck. writing the invoice, i was still done in under an hour.

try that inside a house with carpeted bathrooms and pulling a toilet

k-60, bring it on roots

rick.



3'' toilet vent under the sheet metal double wye cap



k-60, 90' of 7/8'' cable, 3'' spiral saw, and 1979 circa little giant ladder.



so i couldn't get the owner to go on the roof, but she did get my catch of the day. and at 8:15 it was still hot.

[jhplumbing]

I bet you could not wait to take pictures!!

The Root saw is an awesome cutter!

[PlumbingSkool]

Rick!!!!

Awesome man !!

They need to make a:

"Plumber Rick RIDGID Tool Calender"



~Joseph

[PLUMBER RICK]

a few more from today.

flat roof 1930's house with 4'' roof vent. 75' of 7/8'' with 3'' saw.

rick.




normally i would extend the ladder past the roof line, but with tile roof, i don't want to crack the tile.




look joey, no hands.



another hot one today. only a 75' run and done in 20 minutes.

[PlumbingSkool]

Oh cool, and dam !!!! 20 minutes !!

Now thats fast, does that include climbing the ladder

[TomSV650]

[Mr. Ooter]

What do you do if you find roots in the main? I can't tell from the pic, but if that's a 3" vent and the main is 4"....?

Can that cable handle bits that you have to squeeze into the pipe? I'm just curious because I've never used a sectional machine or one with that open cable.

I wish I could clear a drain in 20 minutes! I suppose I could but once you include the set up time and having to drag a drum machine in and out of the basement in two pieces it takes a while longer.

edit - I clicked on one of the pictures from the forum start page and ended up here and didn't realize I was performing thread necromancy along with skipping the first few posts!

[PLUMBER RICK]

the sectional will funnel the roots up into the open wind of the cable and remove them. you typically don't bring back such a root ball that you get stuck.

the same could be said for 95% of my main line cleanings. we typically have a 4'' c/o max and always have a 6'' main from the sidewalk to the city saddle. there's only been 2 sewers that i've ever been stuck in that i couldn't get back out.

rick.

[westcoastplumber]

"and 1979 circa little giant ladder."

I'm glad I know how long my little giant ladder is going to last.....

Great ladder, isn't it?

[ToUtahNow]

Originally Posted by westcoastplumber

"and 1979 circa little giant ladder."

I'm glad I know how long my little giant ladder is going to last.....

Great ladder, isn't it?

My oldest Little Giant ladder is even older than that. Had I been on a Little Giant ladder instead of he HD one I was on I would have saved myself the last 5-years of surgeries.

Mark