Types of Drain Cleaning Machines

One of the most common drain cleaning tools that is often reached for first after liquid drain cleaners have proven to be ineffective against a clogged drain is a hand drain cable machine. These hand operated machines have the ability to reach down into a drain of a sink, toilet, or shower using a professional grade drain cable to get a wide array of different things, including but not limited to: clumps of hair, food waste, mud clumps, and more.

Handheld cable machines can also be good for reach jewelry, small toys, or other objects that have fallen down into a pipe without having to get out the wrenches and remove pipes from where they are connected. Hand cable machines typically work in tandem with augers, which are tools that have a hook and loop design that makes it so that the operator can grab onto the source of the drain clog and can pull it out with ease.

Some times, however, a drain cleaning job requires a piece of hardware that brings more to the table than a typical hand cable machine is able to. This could be for any number of reasons, such as the clog being noticeably farther down a line than a standard hand cable machine is able to. Powered either by gas or electricity, drum cable machines are a form of drain auger that are able to provide the power and force necessary to break through tough blockages that are situated far down into a drain and get water flowing again.

Cable drum machines work best with drains that measure between 3/4" to 10” in diameter. When ridding a line of whatever obstruction is barring the path of water, cable drum machines will use either a cutter or cable attachment. Which one gets used is dependent entirely upon the type of obstruction that is being dealt with at a given moment.

Continuous cable machine pieces may consist of cables that measure up to 25’, 50’, 100’ or more in length and may vary in said length. They are joined by only a couple of different couplings. When being operated however, it is usually not necessary for more cables to be added onto the one(s) that are already in use.

Unlike sectional cable machines however, continuous cable machines are one entire unit. They consist of the drum, the power auger unit, and the cable, which are all attached to one another. This does make them a little more difficult to transport and store, but the results are often considered to be well worth the trade-off. Some of the major upsides for drum machines is that not only do they operate faster than other auger based drain cleaning machines, but they also never have any splatter due to the cable all being contained within its drum.

As we have seen in a variety of contexts in nature as well as a variety of human devised applications, water can be an incredibly powerful and effective force for getting most things moved from one place to another. Liquid when moving at a high enough velocity can move solids like rocks, trees, and even buildings. Because of this, the same idea can be applied to removing tough obstructions from a line through the use of a hydro jetter cleaner.

How hydro jetter drain cleaners work is relatively simple. The operator will feed the jetter’s hosepipe with the appropriate nozzle attachment down into the drain or sewer that is experiencing a blockage. From there, the hydro-jetter can be activated to use powerful high pressure water based force (up to 35,000 psi, depending on the machine being used) to help you get rid of whatever clog is causing the blockage down in the line.

That being said, hydro jetter drain cleaning machines are good for more than just ridding drains and sewers of blockages. Additionally, they are capable of effectively removing undesirable contaminants that can often be found down drains and sewers, such as grease and oils. This useful ability in turn makes hydro jetter drain cleaning machines a useful tool for taking preventative measures to keep pipes in good condition and unblocked. Regular use of a hydro jetter drain cleaner in a drain or sewer can end up saving owners a great deal of time, hassle, headache, and money in the long run.

It can be a massive pain to deal with a drain that keeps on clogging time and time again. You can take all steps necessary and use some of the most powerful and effective hardware currently on the market, but some times the same drain or sewer will keep becoming clogged. When this happens, it is time to get a closer look at what is going on and causing this to happen. This is where a drain video inspection system can be a massive help.

With a video inspection system, it is much easier to see what is causing a clog to happen, as with other methods, you can only make an educated guess at best. When you can get a look at what you are dealing with, you can not only see what is going on, but then take the necessary steps to prevent it from ever happening again. As a result, this can save your customers a lot of money and potentially damaged plumbing later on. Plus, it keeps you from having to open up or dig up a pipe system, saving you tremendous time and effort as well.

Video inspection systems are typically set up with a camera that has high resolution which is then mounted onto a flexible rod that can bend in a variety of different ways. The operator will then insert the rod with the camera attached to it down the drain or sewer. As the camera is making its way down the line, it will begin recording all images it comes across. This will allow you to identify where the issue is happening down in the drain or sewer system and also what the issue happens to be.