When You Absolutely Need a Professional Drain Cleaning Machine

9th Mar 2020

Originally designed specifically to handle tree roots that have found their way into pipes, causing obstruction and havoc, electric drain cleaning machines have since evolved to tackle a wide range of drain and sewer related problems and blockages.

The right drain machine can clear obstructions that other methods can’t, but it’s not always clear when one is needed. A slow moving drain can mean a lot of things, and it doesn’t always warrant a pro grade machine. At the same time, over-reliance on drain cleaners and harsh chemicals can damage pipes over the long run.

Knowing when you absolutely need to use an electric cable machine rather than relying on chemical compounds is an essential and often overlooked part of plumbing upkeep. You certainly risk permanently damaging your pipes if you run and get the drain cleaner at the first sign of a slow drain. This is something you want to avoid by using the right tools at the right time, as well as taking the necessary preventive measures to ensure your pipes last as long as possible.

Let’s shed some light on pipe care, the proper applications of a high quality drain clearing machine such as the ones we here at Duracable pride ourselves on, and the different types of these rooters that best fit your specific needs.

History of Drain Machines
Drain cleaning used to be an arduous process, especially when it came to removing stubborn tree roots. This typically required the pipe to be dug up and the roots to be removed manually. Obviously this was a very expensive task that was both time-consuming and impractical.

In the late 1920s, Samuel Oscar Blanc cobbled together his own solution to the tree root problem by fashioning a rotating cable machine that was able to clear just such an obstruction from his pipes. This forever cemented him as an innovator in the world of pipe maintenance and drain cleaning.

Since the initial development of rooters in the early 30’s, they have evolved tremendously to accommodate all kinds of plumbing problems, be them residential or industrial. Though the original core concept of a rotating cable still stands, the machines themselves have become far more efficient and powerful. They are now capable of tearing apart even large, dense tree roots and other obstructions with relative ease, without much risk of damaging any of the piping or causing any other kinds of complications.

We here at Duracable have taken our own approach to the development of high-quality drain machines with superior construction and versatility, giving them a distinct edge. The original rooters were designed specifically for sewer lines and were rather clumsy machines. To this day, many brands and models of drain cleaning machines tend to be impractical for certain situations or unnecessarily large for everyday use. Duracable offers three distinct drain machines in various models that are designed to fit exactly the job you need done.

Practical Pipe Care
Ideally, you don’t want to get to the point where you need to use a professional grade machine at all. Having a quality drain cable machine when you need it is definitely important, but equally important is practical everyday pipe maintenance and care.

One of the first steps toward proper plumbing maintenance that many people, even professionals, never seem to take into account is that most pipes are simply not equipped to handle the various debris and material that we seem to think it can. Grease, chemicals, hair, giant globs of whatever is leftover from dinner.

None of this stuff was truly ever designed to go down your drain, yet it’s such a common practice most of us don’t even think twice about it.

Coffee grounds, cooking oil, croutons, and chicken skin don’t belong anywhere near your drain. If any of this refuse finds a home in your kitchen sink, you’re almost begging for plumbing problems. Remember, most plumbing issues are easily preventable with proper awareness and care.

Here is a list of other material that you should avoid trying to stuff down your drains:

● Solid objects like bones, toothpicks, Q-tips, and twist ties.
● Sanitary products and medical items such as gauze, band-aids, or patches.
● Paper towels or small rags
● Pills such as medication and vitamins.
● Gummy snacks, jellies, and preserves.
● Hair, gum, giant globs of toothpaste or chunks of soap
● Oil, grease, and any kind of visceral liquid that doesn’t mix well with water
● Scraps of vegetables and meat

Just making the conscious effort not to place debris like this into your drains can go a long way in ensuring your pipes stay clear. However, clogs do happen, either over a long period of time or by accident, and you need to know the various proper solutions for dealing with them when it happens.

There are dozens of different liquids and chemicals on the market that are designed to clear drains. Some range from harmless and useless to extremely potent and even dangerous. While there is no hard and fast rule for when to use certain kinds of drain cleaners, you should keep in mind that relying too much on harsher chemicals can and will damage your pipes. Just as the chemicals are designed to eat through the debris, they will similarly eat through older or weakened pipes.

Sometimes drain cleaners can do more harm than good if the integrity of a pipe is already somewhat compromised. In cases of older piping, even a moderately powerful cleaner can potentially exacerbate the problem and produce a leak.

If you have only a moderate slowage in water draining, especially in a sink or tub, you might want to consider organic and gentler options for pipe cleaning. Vinegar and baking soda, for example, are underrated methods for clearing moderate blockages that don’t pose a threat to your plumbing. Another tried and true method is the use of boiling water.

For weaker blockages, you can easily handle them with these methods without having to resort to harsh chemicals or drain machines. However, for real clogs and bigger problems such as invasive tree roots and other physical objects, a rooter is absolutely recommended over other chemical options.

You’re only going to damage your pipes by pouring gallons of toxic chemicals down your drain, and in some cases, these methods simply will not work. There’s only so much these acids can do before the risk outweighs the reward of a clear drain.

At this point, it’s much better to invest in a high-quality drain machine that will not pose a threat to your plumbing and will be able to take down stubborn blockages with relative ease. This is an essential aspect of proper plumbing maintenance. Due to the expenses involved with replacing plumbing, especially your mainline, it is crucial that you don’t resort to lazy options like routinely pouring whatever clog blasting chemicals you happen to find down your drain. This will only cause potential complications down the road.

Another important aspect to drain cleaning is in cleaning the actual sinks, tubs, and toilets associated with the drain. Soap scum, mineral buildup, hair, and other debris that are allowed to accumulate in and around the sink or tub will eventually find their way into the drain, which is what you’re trying to avoid.

By properly cleaning your tub, for instance, you greatly reduce the chance that hair and clumps of soap will find their way into the drain. Using a drain stopper is also useful, but keep in mind that if these aren’t regularly cleaned or replaced, they can work against you and potentially lead to clogs. A kitchen sink strainer is essential for catching leftovers off of plates and pots, just be sure that you’re not just dumping some of it right back into the sink.

Small measures like the ones listed above can be quite effective in drain maintenance. It never hurts to routinely give your drains a round of boiling water every couple of months, just to shake things up and help clear out any residue that could be accumulating.

Different Types of Drain Machines
Where the blockage is located will often determine what kind of drain machine you need for the job. Duracable manufactures smaller models that are specifically designed to give you all the power you need to snake out a kitchen sink or toilet, without having to lug a much larger model around.

Likewise, if you have a tree root blockage in your mainline, you’re going to want something with a little more size and power to get the job done.

You’ll know when you absolutely need a rooter when all the boiling water and vinegar in the world doesn’t mitigate the problem despite continuously slow drainage. This is a surefire sign of a tree root or other large object obstructing the flow and catching other debris over and over again. Once a blockage gets to this point, your only viable option is to use the proper kind of drain machine.

Sink Drain Machine
The perfect solution for residential plumbing lines, these machines are just the right size to cover all of your needs if you’re looking to clear out a sink drain or smaller to mid-sized line. They pack enough power to get the job done without being as unwieldy as a full-sized mainline cleaner. Duracable has several models that range in size so you know you are getting the right equipment for your specific needs.

Sled Drain Machine
A more traditional option that has enough power to tackle just about any root or blockage clearing task while being versatile enough for use in just about any residential or industrial setting. With different models, including the powerful DM55, there’s a sled drain machine that fits the role you need it in.

Upright Drain Machine
For an even more accessible and practical option than the sink drain machines, we carry a range of upright drain machines that are extremely easy to use and are compact, making them the perfect option for everyday plumbing tasks as well as bigger jobs when necessary. Their size makes them ideal for getting into tighter residential spaces, they can be operated horizontally and vertically, and even have a built-in toolbox for any gloves and other tools you need for the job. They are the best solution for personal home use or if you focus primarily on smaller residential blockages.

The Best Drain Machine Solution
Whether it’s a bathroom sink full of hair or large tree roots invading a mainline, we have the answer. When it comes to cleaning your drain lines, sometimes you need a solution that’s more reliable than chemicals and pots of boiling water, and that’s where we come in.

Our line of expertly made cable machines are designed with all aspects of the drain cleaning industry in mind. We weren’t interested in creating a lazy one-off solution to just a few common problems. Rather, we took the time to craft a line of machines that fit any drain or sewer tech need, and are able to do their job with power and precision.

This is why we are able to guarantee our machines with competitive 2-year warranties because they are built to deal with the rigors of the industry. When you absolutely need a drain machine that you can rely on to do what you need it to do, you won’t find a better solution elsewhere on the market. Our machines are not only built to last, but they are also the product of nearly 40 years of industry expertise and it shows.

Manufacturing some of the toughest and most versatile drain machines in the industry, we are certain we have the clog clearing solution for you or your business. If you are looking for more information on our products and want to get in touch with one of our experts, please feel free to reach out to us here at 800-247-4081.