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Drain Cleaning for EX

10K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  422 plumber 
#1 ·
This pretty much pertains to all plumbing. But lets use Drain Cleaning for example. You get a call and what the ho expects a poorly dressed handyman to deal with their issue. What they (ho's) don't realize is Drain Cleaning and Plumbing is a Professional and Hazardous trade. Though alot of us and I do it, not wear the proper safety items that are out there for us to utilize. I am saying this for myself to. As much as a hassle it may be, we all need to wear the proper safety items to protect outsleves and use proper protection for their home, showing that we care about their biggest investment. In doing so, we show that we are professionals and start eliminating the steriotype that we have been given. It won't happen overnight but it can. Even explain to them what no one else ever has about the hazards and why we are doing what we are doing when laying down tarps and so on. I have said this before, somewhere, we are a type of health care professionals. It can even boost profits along the way.
A Drain Cleaning Institute has a book that has good safety protection noted that should be worn. If you read it you may say, Really, all that? But it is safety.
I have a friend in Tx that is a plumber and we have talked about how he, in the last few years are finding more and more needles in sewers.
Just a thought.

In Christ,

Song Dog
 
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#2 · (Edited)
i understand the appropiate dress for sewerr cleaning......

but my daily attire is a pair of pants with stains and holes and boots with the toes rubbed right down to the steel and shirts with holes and stains and i only shave twice a week.....although i do use the boot protectors when going in to homes cause im not about to untie and retie my boots a million times....

i have never cared what people think of me i get great jobs in weatlhy parts of town and do multi million dollar jobs.....my work shirts with my name and number on them are in horrible shape.....i dont have a image and if people dont like f*** them go hire a neatly dressed company and deal with the non personality...i talk to people like people and treat them with respect.......even when im not working i wear nicer work clothes that havent been destroyed yet......

i have all my hep shots and and all other vaccinations for the nasty jobs......

my hands are flux and copper stained with glue imbeded in my finger prints.....i never wear gloves even in the cold winters.....i do wear them while cleaing sewers
 
#3 ·
I wasn't gonna reply to this but the way you speak on the board does not show any respect for other memebers who may have good input without reading rounchy words. If you don't like a post, don't reply to it unless you can do it in a tactful and respectful manner to others who may read it. Twice in on 2 seperate occasions in my post you had to ***** out letters for words.

In Christ,

Song Dog
 
#4 ·
On several occasions I've told that I landed a job because I didn't dress or act like a salesman.
One was a 12K boiler, when I finished the job the guy told me he chose me because I talked to him down to earth like a neighbor...also told me my price was the middle range.
His thinking was that when something was wrong he could call me in person rather than an answering service or some young fella that just so happened to be on call.
I don't necessarily look as bad as Rex describes, I do keep a cordless shaver, cologne & fresh shirt in my truck for those long days when I have an estimate on the way home.
 
#9 ·
G Junkie, Thats why I will not use text messaging:laughing::laughing: BTW- thanks for your service in the Navy. I have a nephew in the Army in Afgan.

In Christ,

Song Dog
 
#10 ·
Ben,Ho is home owner like killer said.I had problems with that too before I knew :laughing:.As far as apparel, I have winter uniforms and summer uniforms.My uniforms may a have a little glue or mastic or some solder grapes hanging or such but never holes,and I iron my uniforms every day.I never polish the boots because you can get shoe polish on peoples rugs and floors,though most of the time I wear booties.
 
#11 ·
What I was getting at as far as what to wear. It has been advised to wear gogles and rainsuits for jetting and none loose fitting clothes on cable machines.
Am I gonna wear a rainsuit to jet when I get one, doubt it, but safety glasses is a yes. I may start wearing safety glasses when cabling. I knew a person who got sewer juice in his eye and got a bad infection in it.
It had nothing to do with uniforms, though I wear them. And if they come back wrinkled, I will iron them too.

In Christ,

Song Dog
 
#12 ·
I wear canvas gloves so my skin is not torn from my hands ,I don't like the phony studded gloves.Other than that I rarely wear any protection.I'm more concerned about the asbestos swimming in my lungs right now than getting something funky from a sewer.I laugh at plumbers who wear gloves to auger a toilet and stuff.Just my opinion,if i die from a poopy disease you can laugh at me.I do have a chipped front tooth from a cable back in the 80's,insult on top of injury.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Even though retired my image is me on the few jobs I still do , clean shaven, fresh starched shirts, clean jeans,boots for sewers, crocs,booties for inside homes, auto floor mats for mini gorlitz on sink counters, thick padded,packing blankets from u haul,cheap tarps from harbor freight, when big machine is inside , cover around reel to keep gorlitz from splattering ,and orange sented clean up spray soap but most of all updated flat rate book from 2002 ,,and my prices are higher than most ,<>no advertising,>< repeat customers and referral ,jobs, from friends dont want drains period >< use my head not my back <><>< and ugly gloves bought by the case ><I keep my state masters in plumbing and gas up to date but pass most plumbing to friends that dont do sewers and some sewers to friends that do
 
#20 · (Edited)
you all need sensitivity training

I usually just try to wear a pair of gloves when we do a kitchen line or tub drain...

we gave up on the big drain lines years ago, it is just too heavy, miserable, and not cost effective:no:

anything is better than grinding on tree roots for hours on end....

judgeing from the tone and language here, I think we all need to take some sensitivity training classes, becasue their are a lot of people that might take offence to all this foul language and
who are watching these boards like a hawk..:laughing:
 
#22 ·
Do you use those gloves Unclog? How long do they last?

Could anyone who uses the leather with the staples please tell me how long they typically last and what they cost?

For years I have just used the typical leather glove with a cuff that you can buy about anywhere. I buy mine at Menards. Under two bucks a pair but they only last for about 3 or 4 roddings and sometimes they "grab" on the rod a little. I have never had any broken fingers or hands but sooner or later the law of averages is going to catch up with me.

Where do you buy these from?
 
#24 ·
What do you pay for those Protech?
 
#29 ·
I'm still waiting to see somebody cleaning a drain for their ex. I can certainly understand how that could entail plumbing safety.

I have the leather mitt that comes with the Ridgid K-60sp. I wear nitrile gloves with it. I recently hosed it off with a pressure washer so it wouldn't look quite so gnarly.

I've used both drum and sectionals, and I'm a bit fuzzy on why you'd want a grip with the cable. I'm guessing it's so you can pull it back out of the drain. When I was using a drum, it seems to me I was using gauntleted rubber gloves. I had a power feed but preferred to feed most of it by hand because it was quicker. I still remember the aching shoulders.

With the K-60, it's usually just a matter of lifting the cable up and letting it slide to feed and retrieve, so grip isn't a problem.
 
#30 ·
I use the UGLY GLOVES, they rock. I wear nitrile underneath. I wear nitrile gloves now whenever I handle anything drain related, from toilets to lav traps. I wear safety glasses at most work sites, and prescription glasses otherwise. I do have some disposable tyvek suits I keep forgetting to wear when I rod drains.
 
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