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When going into any profession, it is of the utmost importance that you have the proper tools for the job. Because of this, there are a number of things to take into consideration. Sewer and drain cleaning is certainly no exception to this. Such jobs often require the right drain cable machine, as they can make quicker, easier, and more efficient work of whatever happens to be clogging a drain. However, you may not know which sewer machine is the right one for you and the kinds of work that you do. Fortunately, Spartan Tool is here to help with a guide on how to choose the right drain cleaning machine.
Knowing the Common Kinds of Drain Cleaning Machines
There are a number of different types of drain cleaning machines available on the market right now. Each of them have their pros and cons, and it may seem a bit overwhelming to you when deciding on which you would like to purchase. You want to make sure that you are getting a small sewer machine that suits your personal professional needs and will not leave you in a position where you have invested a considerable amount of money in the wrong hardware. The following are some of the most commonly used sewer machines available:
Hand Held Drain Cleaning Machine
For clogs in smaller household lines, one of the most commonly reached for drain cleaning tools is a hand held drain cleaning machine. They are relatively small and easy for most people to operate, and can reach down most toilets, showers, sinks, or other drains using a professional grade drain cable to help remove whatever happens to be causing a serious clogging issue. They are incredibly useful for many basic kinds of clog removal jobs, like mud clumps, food waste, hair clumps, and more. Keep in mind though, that they are available in shorter cable lengths.
Not only do hand held drain cleaning machines handle organic based clogs well, but they are also useful for preventing you from needing to get out extra tools to get into the plumbing and disconnecting various pipes and pieces if something falls in. Hand held drain cleaning machines work well for getting things like little toys, jewelry, watches, or any number of other smaller objects that have managed to fall down into a drain. This can help make some little kid or their parents very happy and relieved.
In many instances, hand held drain cleaning machines work together with augers. Augers are a kind of tools that feature a hook and loop design so that the user is able to grab onto whatever is causing the clog and get it out of there with no problem.
Cable Drum Machines
Cable drum machines are a heavy duty type of small sewer cleaner that are powered by gas or electricity and specialize in reaching deep into plumbing for the sake of cleaning sewer lines of whatever clogs may be in them. They are designed to work as a type of auger that breaks through whatever type of drain clog you might have to get the plumbing working properly again.
The drain cleaning cable within a cable drum machine sits within a drum and feeds in and out a little bit at a time when fed by the operator. This keeps the work area clean, and also prevents splatter and other types of mess that could occur when using other types of sewer machines.
Sewer Jetter Cleaners
When you need a bit more power and force with removing a nasty clog while sewer and drain cleaning, then a sewer jetter drain cleaner may be just the tool for you. Sewer jetter drain cleaners can use on average around 3,500 PSI of force (depending on the drain cleaning machine being used) move water to get rid of clogs that standard sewer drain cleaners cannot. Needless to say, this kind of small sewer machine is used to take on the bigger jobs that you might run into and thus is not your first line of defense.
That being said, sewer jetter drain cleaners do have more utility to them than just the removal of nasty clogs. They can also be put to use toward cleaning out the plumbing itself. These drain cleaning tools can also remove nasty contaminants that are often be found down drains and sewers, like grease and oils. In fact, regular use of a sewer jetter drain cleaner on a drain can help prevent the build-up of contaminants that lead to clogs in the first place.
How to Choose the Right Drain Cleaning Machine
Due to the fact that so many different types of drain cleaning tools exist, you will want to know what kind you should go with. As mentioned before, depending on the nature of the jobs you take on, the kind of drain cleaning machine you go with will change. There are a few questions that you should ask yourself before you invest in equipment for sewer cleaning. Such questions include things like:
How Deep are the Clogs You Deal With?
Sometimes clogs are farther down the line than smaller drain cleaning tools can reach. In general, the larger the machine, the further the reach. If you typically work in smaller houshold lines, a 50-foot reach may be sufficient. If your work takes you out to the sewer main, you will want a machine with a larger cable capacity or longer hose.
To pinpoint the exact location of a stoppage, use a video inspection camera. This will show you the depth of the blockage as well as the type of clog or pipe damage you are dealing with.
What Sort of Clogs Do You Typically Run Into?
There are a variety of different things that can cause a clog in a drain or sewer. Anything from grease, to hair, to food, to exponentially more. Because of this, you will want to have a drain cleaning machine that is suited toward the types of clogs you run into most often when you are out on a job. Different small sewer machines are suited to handle different kinds of clogs, so it is best to make sure you find out which one will best suit your professional needs. The following are some of the most common types of clogs and what machines are best equipped to handle their removal:
Hair Clogs
Hair is one of the most commonly found things inside of drains. Whether it is from a shower, sink, or elsewhere, it gets everywhere and can end up causing some serious drainage issues. Such clogs are a major annoyance for customers and plumbing professionals alike, but they are not without their remedy. Machines that can handle hair-based stoppages include handheld drain cleaning machines, cable drum machines, portable electric jetters, cart jetters, and hydro jetters.
Grease Clogs
Another commonly found type of clog during sewer and drain cleaning is grease clogs. These tend to happen most often when there is an abundance of grease poured down a drain on a frequent basis. It can also happen from dishes that have a great deal of greasy content on them being washed in the same sink frequently. A cable machine can be used to remove the stoppage, but cleaning the line with a hydro jetter will ensure all the grease is removed. Regular hydro jetting of these lines will help prevent future grease clogs.
Foreign Object Clogs
Have you ever seen someone lose jewelry, toys, or other small trinkets down a drain? Maybe it has happened to you at some point? Whatever the case may be, such objects frequently seem to find their way into drains, toilets, sewers, and other parts of the plumbing and clog everything up. Though you do need to consider the size, dimensions, and weight of the object in question while taking on such a job, there are a wide variety of drain cleaning tools you can use to remove them, such as hand cable machines, drain cleaning cable machines, auger based drain cleaners, in addition to sewer jetters.
Roots and Vegetation Clots
Some times, the great outdoors does not stay outdoors. Occasionally, it manages to find its way inside in the most unexpected ways. This is especially true with tree roots and other types of vegetation making itself at home inside of pipes and sewers. When it comes to cleaning sewer lines or drains with a sewer drain cleaner, you will want to make sure that you are using tools that are up to the task of handling such tough tasks. When doing sewer and drain cleaning with a drain cleaning machine, you will want to make sure that you are using a drain cleaning cable drum machine that has blade and other attachments designed specifically for the purpose of removing vegetation clogs from pipes.
What Sorts of Transportation and Storage Needs Do You Have?
Another thing to take into consideration when you are looking to find out how to choose the right drain cleaning machine is what your transportation and storage needs are. Some of these sewer drain cleaners are bigger and heavier than other, and may have dimensions that do not respond well to the types of jobs you do or the kind of storage and vehicle you have available.
For instance, one of the reasons that handheld cable drain cleaning machines are as popular and widespread in their use as they are is that they are both relatively lightweight and easy to transport and store. On the other hand, sewer and drain cleaning machines such as cable drum machines and sewer jetters are larger, heavier, and are wider in dimensions.
Depending on what type of vehicle you use, where you keep your sewer and drain cleaning tools when not in use, and what kinds of spaces you usually work in, you should decide on a drain cleaning machine that will fit in easily.
