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A drain cleaning sewer machine is a significant investment as one who works with plumbing for a living. Such powerful tools make a useful ally when it comes to ridding a clogged drain or sewer of a formidable blockage. If you treat your sewer machine well, it will do the same for you time after time for years to come. Because of this, it is of the utmost importance that you know and practice proper maintenance on it in a regular fashion. Spartan Tool is here today to give you 10 Tips for Cable Machine Maintenance in order to help you get the most out of your drain cleaning cable machine.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Cable Machine’s Drum
The cable machine drum is one of the most important sections of your drain cleaning sewer machine. It is responsible for housing the drain cable, keeping it properly wound, as well as feeding and retracting it through a line during sewer and drain cleaning. Because of this, it is of the utmost importance that you practice proper maintenance on it on a regular enough basis. This will help your drain cable machine perform at its best and also help prevent any potential damage to the machine and plumbing that you do any work on as well as any health and safety concerns.
1. Pull the Plug on the Drum
Many sewer machines feature a plug on the drum itself that can be pulled in order to release any water that has built up in it throughout a drain cleaning job. If your drum has such a plug, it is important that you open it and let all of the water that has amassed inside of it throughout the day into a bucket in order to prevent any rust from occurring.
Additionally, you should empty your cable machine drum after every use during the winter months because if you do not, you run the risk of the drain cable becoming frozen inside of the drum and thus unable to be used to remove any clogs that happen to be in a drain or sewer. This can end up costing you a great deal of time, effort, and money.
2. Clean the Inside of the Drum
In addition to emptying all built up water from the drum as frequently as you are able to, it is also a wise decision to periodically clean out the inside as well. A considerable amount of gunk can find its way into your drain cable drum and get built up. This can keep your drain cable from moving and storing properly, not to mention act as a cause for deterioration of the cable and health and safety concerns. One such reason for this is that many homeowners frequently pour acidic drain cleaners down their drains, and these can cause your drain cable to weaken and need to be replaced sooner.
3. Replace the Cable Clamp and Anchor Cable
In addition to the aforementioned forms of cleaning mentioned above, you will also want to ensure that you replace drain cable attachments like the anchor cable as well as the cable clamp on a regular basis. If you are cleaning four or five mainlines a day, you will want to be replacing these parts at least once every six months in order to make sure that you have a firm grip on everything and your sewer machine stays working properly when drain cleaning.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Cable Machine’s Power Feed
Your drain cable machine’s power feed is another aspect of the inner workings that you should be mindful of when performing routine maintenance. The power feed not only plays a role in how well your drain cable machine is able to feed and retrieve drain cable, but also how long your drain cable is able to provide you with reliable and effective service for cleaning out drains.
1. Lubricate the Power Feed Handle
One of the most important things you can do to help maintain your power feed handle on your small sewer machine is to lubricate it on a regular basis. By doing this, you can avoid putting unnecessary pressure and friction on your drain cable. Often times, gunk, grease, and sediment can find its way into the bearings of the power feed. As a result, when an operator cranks down the power feed handle, it will put immense amounts of pressure on the bearings which can end up causing them to crack or break. When this happens, retrieving the cable out of the drain and getting it back into your drain cable machine will become a long and difficult chore.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Cable Machine’s Machinery
There are various parts of the machinery of a drain cable machine that need to be tended to from time to time. By performing the routine maintenance on these parts, you can help ensure that your small sewer machine will remain in optimal working condition for a long time to come. The following are some tips that you can follow in order to do so.
1. Mind the Electricity
One of the most important things you can do to make sure that proper maintenance while you are actually working with your drain cable machine is to mind all of the electrical components involved. This means keeping the machinery safe by ensuring that you have a properly functioning GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) cord, that all electrical components are connected correctly, and that there are no tears in the power cord.
The reason for this is that even the tiniest amount of water over an exposed wire can lead to an extremely bad time for everyone involved. Homes that are 40-50+ years old have poor wiring, and no GFCI safety plugs or even a three-prong outlet. Because of this, always check your customers’ outlets first, and ensure that any electrical cords you are using are in proper shape.
2. Clean the Drain Cable Retriever Semi-Annually
If your drain cable has a retriever device attached to it, it is recommended that twice a year that you remove it from your small sewer machine and break the whole thing down. It is important to get rid of any gunk and build-up in there so that you do not put any unnecessary wear and tear on your cable and other parts of your drain cleaning tools. From there you will want to make use of a parts washer to get rid of any of the grime and sediment that has accumulated on the bearings and wheels. Once you have sufficiently cleaned off those parts, you will then reassemble and reinstall them on your drain cleaning machine.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Cable Machine’s Cable
A well maintained drain cable is one of the best tools you can have as a professional dealing in the removal of obstructions in household and sewer lines. By taking care of it properly, a drain cable can last you a considerable amount of time, and as a result, money as well. The following are some tips that you can follow to help you improve your drain cable’s efficiency and prolong its working lifespan.
1. Clean the Cable
There are actually two separate parts to this tip. Both are of equal importance, as they make a world of difference in the long run when it comes to keeping your drain cable in tip top condition and ready for sewer and drain cleaning. Cleaning your drain cable not only prolongs its lifespan, but also helps you continue to use it effectively and safely. Because of this, it is important every now and again to open your drum and clean the off the grime the drain cable has accumulated over continued uses with your small sewer machine.
Step 1: Clean and Soak Your Drain Cable
To get things started, you will need to open up your sewer drain cleaner’s drum. Once you open up the drum and remove the drain cable, you will want to give said cable an initial rinse. This will not get rid of much in the way of germs and grime, but it will at least get some of the bulkier dirt off. From there, you will want to let your drain cable sit in a bucket of water and detergent. Once you have let it sit for a little bit, be sure to remove it and wipe it down with a rag and let it sit to dry so that no rust accumulates on it.
Step 2: Let Your Cable Dry Out
This part is one of the most important. After you have finished letting your drain cable soak and ensuring that it is completely clean through and through, you will want to make sure that you give it plenty of time to sit out and dry. The reason for this is that you will want to make sure that it does not get any rust or other undesirable elements caught up in it that may make it a health and safety hazard to use. Plus, it will not last as long as you will want it to. Additionally, this will make it much more difficult to add any lubrication onto your drain cable, thus making the task of getting it through a clogged line a much more daunting, time consuming, and frustration provoking one.
2. Lubricate the Cable
After you have sufficiently cleaned and dried out your drain cable, you will then want to properly lubricate it. You will also want to make sure that you lubricate your drain cable after each time that you use it on a drain obstruction removal job. Doing so will give you a much easier time when it comes to getting it down a clogged line to reach an obstruction and subsequently remove it. Additionally, lubricating your drain cable helps prevent rust from forming on it.
Plus, a well lubricated drain cable is less hard on a customer’s plumbing, thus saving them time, hassle, and money as well on replacing damaged pipes.
There are a number of different kinds of oils that can be used to lubricate a drain cable. Many of the pros out there today use snake oil, but ones like gear oil and even common motor oil are still effective and viable options too. Regardless, just make sure that you apply it often enough to keep your drain cable in proper working condition.
3. Look for Wear During Use
When it comes to drain cleaning tools, their life expectancy can vary, depending on what it is. Because of this, whenever you are using a sewer cleaner, you will want to always check for any wear during use. One of the best ways to do this is to watch the spin of the drain cable. Fluctuations in the drain cable of up to an inch are indicative of normal operation. If you notice more than that, it indicates that there is a noticeable amount of wear. When the wave in a drain cable’s spin reaches 2 to 3 inches of movement, it is time for you to replace the drain cable.
4. Replace Weak Cables
One thing that can potentially lead you to some considerable problems on the job is dealing with a flimsy, weak cable that has been put through significant use. If left unreplaced, you can potentially end up with the cable flipping over inside of your drain cable drum. Even worse, you could end up having the drain cable wrapping around your hands if you over-torque on a clog you are trying to remove from a drain. This can as a result be a cause of serious injury.
Because of this, you will want to make sure that you replace your old, worn out cable with little to no strength left as often as necessary. It will keep your drain cable machine in good working order, make your jobs go smoother, and keep you and anyone near you safe while your sewer machine is in operation.
