Drain Cleaner
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Danger and Usage Considerations for Drain Cleaner
Handheld Drain Auger
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Drain Cleaner Water Jetters
Water Jetters Drain Cleaner
Jetting a sewer involves pushing pressurised water being pushed into the drain so that any waste blocking the channel for the water can be removed. This is often more effective than using plumber’s snakes or drain rods as the power of the pressurised water is far greater than any pressure that can be achieved through manual work. Water jetters are also so effective due to water’s ability to easily manoeuvre around corners within the pipe system and reach spots that other manual cleaners cannot reach.
A water jetter consists of a highly pressurised water supply (usually from a pressure washer or a displacement pump), a pliable high-pressure line (which can be hundreds of metres long,) a mini-reel and a nozzle which uses hydraulic power to manoeuvre the line into drains, clean the interior of the pipe and push out any remaining waste. The high-pressure line is called a jetter hose and attaches the engine to the mini-reel and the mini- reel is a hose reel which can be extended and placed away from the engine. Water jetters can be attached to vans, trailers or trolleys and the can range in how powerful they are (from 1,000 psi to 5,000 psi.)
A variety of water jetter nozzles are available for different specific purposes. A bullet-type nozzle is streamlined and is used to create a hole so that the larger root cutting nozzle can be used later. A root-cutting nozzle spins and sprays a water stream horizontally along the pipe. Pressurised water jetters with a root-cutting nozzle can clear through a drain that is overrun with tree roots. The device’s rear-facing jet of water can also clean the interior of the pipe and fully clear the waste water line.
A water jetter has been identified as a technological development of the original plumber’s snake or electric drain clearing methods.
Water jetters are also available as portable devices, as well as pressure washer water jetter attachments, and these are predominantly used by homeowners or service workers to destroy soft blockages within their drain systems and to stop the reoccurrence of similar blockages. Pressure washer water jetter attachments are usually cheaper and lighter than drain cleaners that are electrical and can reach the same distance. They are also less likely to scratch plumbing attachments and are so are a good option for homeowners.
Water jetters that can be mounted onto vans and trailers are usually used by larger organisations as they require the higher hydraulic power that can be provided by strong displacement pumps. These strong pumps mean that more substantial, solid blockages and tree roots can be removed by the water jetter.
Water jetters are a popular method for drain cleaning as they can reach a large length of pipe fairly simply and easily. As they can both clear the blockage of the drain and clean the interior of the drain, they also reduce the requirement of further drain cleaning to take place.
Many portable water jetters and pressure washer water jetter attachments are unable to remove solid blockages and large tree roots and this is one of their main disadvantages. Trailer-mounted water jetters would be more suited to such tasks, but they are extremely heavy and are more expensive than their counterpart. They do also require a large amount of training so that they can be used according to safety guidelines and so are not accessible for everyone.
To use water jetters, goggles or some form of eye protection must be worn as well as safety gloves. This is to ensure that the user does not come into contact with any of the fluids from the drain and that the nozzle only works inside the waste water pipe. To use large water jetters, a large amount of specialist training is also required so that safety guidelines are adhered to so that injuries can be avoided and minimised.
