AssTyme

Got called out to a large Bar & Grill yesterday. No grease trap & a 160' run of 4" cast. Line was full of soft/tar like grease. Rodded through it 3 times with a doulble bladed 3" grease cutter and twice using a large spring retriever with my Spartan 300 with .55 cable. The first time I brought back about 20 mice. This line wasn't opening. Hooked up a flush bag and line opened right up. I then rodded through it two more times running a lot of water.

What would be the preferred blades and technique to properly open this gummy line using a drum machine ?

Indie

I probably would have done the same thing with one exception, we have a smaller jetter, and it definitely would have come into play.

SewerRatz

Augers work well in helping to stir up the grease. There are times I find duct taping a rag to the 3" cutter where you have two tufts of the rag sticking out each end that exceeds the diamtor of the pipe by an inch or so. This scours the pipe and helps push the blockage.

If the above does not work I fire up my small electric jetter.

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Ron Hasil Lic #058-160417
A-Archer Sewer & Plumbing specializing in:
Tankless Water Heaters | Drain and Sewer Cleaning
Sump and Ejector Pumps | Backflow RPZ Testing

TheMaster

The rag tied around the cutter head works well...I concur and have used that method with sucess. great post sewerRat

Redwood

Using the rag to punch a hole through is a good way but with a line in that condition I would have upsold to jetting for piece of mind....

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Aussieplumber

If you can find the $, a High pressure jet machine (jet rodder) will do the job. Been jet rodding one of the worlds biggest food outlets in Australia for about 15 years. And the grease in beyond grease to when I hardens and turn solid. And my 5000psi jet rod with a product call grease release cleans the drains right back.
On a big grease blockage i find the Rigid 1500 useless. The grease just build up behind the cable and does nothing but stir the grease into soup. With the jet rodder in and out in most cases 1/2hour

130 PLUMBER

Yep,also if you have a helper with you,you could always open up the man hole in the street to try and hear when you cable actually is passed the stoppage for you could work the cable back and forth to brake loose the blockage

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http://www.allanjcoleman.com/stoneage/nozzles.html


My Plumbing Master back in the day was Mike and Carol Brady

UnclogNH

When running into heavy grease or sludge I run a pair of paddle blades to stir it up good. When I find the grease or sludge clog is to heavy to be moved by the amount of water in the sewer. I run my blade past the clog stuff in a flush bag in with the cable turn it on and use the machines power feeder to pull the cable back while using the blade to chew up grease and water pressure to force the grease and sludge out of the line.
Works every time when you can't use a jet.

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Charging less does not mean more call volume it just means you have to work harder to reach your goals.

AssTyme

The flush bag seals with the cable in line ? This sounds like it would be a bit harsh on an expensive canvas flush bag ?

SewerRatz

My father used to tape a garden hose to a flat push rod. As you are pushing in the rod with the hose running it will back up once you pass the soft blockage it will stop backing up, so now you will know where to work the stoppage with the ball and end of the hose.

Now do not go out and buy a hand rod if you never used one. You can get yourself into tons of trouble if you do not use it right. I have seen more blown out elbows due to someone with a pushrod not knowing the difference between an elbow and a blockage.

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Ron Hasil Lic #058-160417
A-Archer Sewer & Plumbing specializing in:
Tankless Water Heaters | Drain and Sewer Cleaning
Sump and Ejector Pumps | Backflow RPZ Testing