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Drain Cabling

Drain machines, snake machines or cable machines, all interchangeable terms are a traditional way of attempting to reestablish drainage in backed up drain lines.

We carry a full compliment of all different types of such snake machines in the trucks, from 1/4” small diameter flexible cable machines with power feeds to grab those common hairball stoppages in showers and lavatory sinks, all the way up to powerful main sewer cable machines with the strongest heat treated, oil tempered 11/16” dual core cables designed to go up against the worst sewer root stoppages.

Remember, cables are displacement devices that are best used for certain stoppages like hair where small diameter cables can corkscrew onto and grab such organic debris. Snake machines DO NOT “clean” drains under any circumstance, and no ethical professional would use that misleading term. They will however usually reestablish drainage.

When it comes to roots, cabling is frequently done to in a usually successful attempt to temporarily reestablish drainage, but this does not resolve the break or connection malfunction in your sewer. Cabling roots in a round about manner can actually accelerate the destruction of your sewer just like pruning plants encourage more vigorous growth. The main penetrative root that has exploited a break in a drain line add rings in diameters every growth cycle just like a tree trunk adds rings in diameter. This can break the drain pipe open more. Normally cabling a sewer with roots bores a small hole in the bottom of the root mass but leaves the majority of the roots to grow back more dense and vigorous than before, till eventually if the root occlusion is too dense, the root cutter head may not successfully pass through, leaving your sewer backed up. When this happens, most plumbing firms will suggest an entire sewer replacement, which in our experience is rarely needed, as more often our clients sewers have been good candidates for surgically precise spot repairs, saving thousands over sewer replacements.

For root masses that are appropriate candidates for such, Dave Bischof can offer our clients the option of intervallically injecting our Sewer Saver™ root killer treatment. When properly deployed this process eventually remove the roots from both inside the sewer, from the break and slightly outside the pipe, while being non-systemic to your healthy plant or tree. This normally will prevent the probable eventual destruction of your sewer from roots repeatedly pruned.

After an inspection and evaluation, our plumbing professional will present the appropriate options for your particular drain problem and discuss the advantages and limitations of each so you can make an informed decision within your budget giving peace of mind.

After trying several regional plumbers-(names omitted by Dave Bischof due to our ethics) with very disappointing results, I was delighted to find a company that was quick, on time, careful and reasonably priced. Great!

– Bob Lambert

1-800-750-4445