How to Decide Whether to Rent or Buy Drain Cleaning Equipment

Costs, needs for facilities and technical skills are taken into account in the manager’s decision.



Drain cleaning equipmentElectric Eel Manufacturing Co.

Cleaning drains is a dirty business – and one that many maintenance and design managers outsource. However, the stigma associated with removing clogged pipes is often not justified.

“People have such a strong visceral reaction to the concept of drain cleaning because they believe they are touching raw sewage,” says David Dunbar, national sales manager at General Pipe Cleaners.

Today’s drain cleaning tools are easier, safer, and cleaner to use than their predecessors.

Whether managers decide whether to buy or rent drain cleaning equipment, with the right tools and training, technicians can solve common installation problems and avoid recurring problems, resulting in significant long-term savings.

Essential things

Maintenance workers will inevitably have to make calls about clogged toilets and secured sinks, regardless of the type of building they are servicing. To address these issues, it can be beneficial to have equipment readily available as part of a drain cleaning program.

“It’s important to remember that clogs can occur in any drain pipe at any time – day or night,” says Tina Mares of Ferguson Enterprises. “Depending on the experience of the crew and the problems they are facing, special equipment is required.”

When deciding which equipment to buy or rent, the diameter and length of the drains play an important role, says Mark Speranza of Electric Eel Manufacturing Co.

“A drain cleaning program typically takes two to three drain cleaning machines to solve a variety of problems,” he says.

In addition to a plunger, suppliers recommend that maintenance departments use a cabinet snail, also known as a toilet snail. These 3 to 6 foot long snake sections are passed over the toilet to safely remove obstructions without damaging the toilet.

Maintenance teams should also have access to a hand or motorized snake or auger to clean small 1¼-2 ”diameter drains such as those found in showers, tubs, and sinks. Typically, this type of drain cleaning tool has a range of 35 feet.

“When small pipes clog, it’s usually within the first 5 feet,” says Dunbar. “Paper products are just as well known for this as soap and hair. So you need a cable or snake flexible enough to handle the twists and turns of those pipes. “

Medium-sized pipes 2 to 4 inches in diameter are also prone to clogging from paper, hair, and soap. These drain lines connect two or more sinks or toilets and require a medium-sized machine with a range of 50 to 75 feet.

Facilities experiencing tree root issues should also consider renting or purchasing a large drain machine to clear pipes 4 to 6 inches in diameter outside the building. According to Speranza, there are two types of machines available: continuous drum machines and cable section machines.

“Cable section machines allow you to cover distances of up to 200 feet by adding 8-foot sections of cable along the way,” he says. “Continuous cable drum machines are suitable for deleting lines of up to 30 meters.”

Maintenance departments should also consider using a small water jet cleaner for kitchen sinks. This tool uses a high pressure water stream to clean the inside of the pipe, clearing clogs and removing contaminants.

“Our diet has changed in the last decade and there is a lot of fat going down the drain,” says Dunbar. “I hear from maintenance organizations (teams) that between 50 and 75 percent of the grease rubberized in today’s world is within 10 to 15 feet of the sink. So for fat, this is the right tool. “

A kinetic drain cleaner or an air cannon drain cleaner is an essential tool for quickly and effectively removing clogs, especially when buildings have problems with stagnant water.

“The kinetic drain cleaner sends a shock wave of kinetic energy down the drain,” says Dunbar. “We sell a lot of them to hotels, prisons and schools. If a foreign object is blocking the drain, it can be removed very effectively and you can do it in 30 seconds. “

Camera inspections

Access to a variety of drain cleaning machines can save maintenance departments time and money, depending on the skill of the technician and the type and frequency of the building’s plumbing needs. However, with video inspection cameras, it may be more practical to rent the equipment or use a contractor.

“A pipeline inspection camera is the most expensive piece of equipment in a drain cleaning program,” says Speranza. “You can visually identify the cause of recurring problems and other problems in both indoor and trunk lines. For example, if you’ve broken a pipe, the camera will help you figure out where to dig to replace that pipe. “

Video inspection systems can cost $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 and have a steep learning curve unlike many other drain cleaning machines.

“They really need someone who knows what they’re doing,” says Mares. “You don’t want to spend a lot of money on an inspection camera and you don’t know what to look for. Sometimes it’s better to hire one or hire a professional to work day in and day out. “

Dollars and sense

When managers consider drain cleaning equipment, they need to balance the technician’s ability to operate the machine and its cost.

“Drain cleaning machines can be dangerous,” says Mares. “I wouldn’t recommend owning or running one if you don’t have the experience or have never run one before.”

In addition to assessing the expertise of employees, managers need to calculate the department’s annual rent and contractor expenses before deciding whether a purchase makes financial sense.

“It doesn’t take long to spend a lot of money renting equipment or outsourcing your plumbing needs,” says Speranza. “A main drain machine costs about $ 2,000. That’s two or three trips from a plumber. And if you spend $ 10,000 a year getting someone to inspect your sewer or drainage lines, you should probably buy a camera. “

In addition to calculating annual contractor and rental costs, managers who choose to purchase equipment need to amortize the cost of a new machine over its lifetime.

“A large drain cleaning machine will last an average of 10 years and a small one about five years,” says Dunbar. “So if the machine costs $ 2,000 and lasts 10 years, that’s $ 200 a year. If I spend more than $ 200 on renting a machine every year, it makes sense to own one. “

Facilities should also consider the maintenance costs associated with owning drain cleaning machines and employ a preventive maintenance plan for new purchases.

“Remember that with proper maintenance, you can extend the life of your equipment and increase your return on investment,” says Mares.

The turning point

For facilities that regularly rent drain cleaning machines, budgets weigh heavily on the decision to stop renting and start owning. Other factors can also cause managers to make a purchase.

“The turning point in a purchase has several variables, but the one that a lot of people don’t think about is the type of workplace disorder caused by these types of drainage problems,” says Mares. “If you’re constantly struggling at 3 a.m. when you can’t rent a drain cleaning machine, you probably want to buy one to have on hand as long as you have someone who knows how to use it.”

Indeed, common emergency installation problems could be the tipping point for facilities to buy equipment they could otherwise rent.

“If you have an emergency, you are a couple of hours from start when you rent the equipment,” says Dunbar. “You have to send someone to get it, bring it back, and then return it when you’re done.”

With the in-house equipment, technicians can not only cope with emergencies, but also prevent them.

“Preventive maintenance is always better than contingency management,” says Dunbar. “If you have the equipment, you can address things before they become a problem. For example, if you know the kitchen sink is backed up every six months, you can blast it every three to four months. So you will use the machines for things that are not emergencies that you would not have thought of before. This will have a long-term effect on cost reduction. “

For facilities still on the fence to buy or rent drain cleaning equipment, Dunbar recommends checking the quality and safety features of the equipment being rented from the department.

“Sometimes the rental equipment is not as safe or as easy to use as the machines you would buy. So make sure you get a professional machine, ”says Dunbar. “Typically, landlords want to rent you a machine that requires both hands to be on the cable, and that’s not a safe position. You want something with a power control and guide tube that is safer and easier to use. ”

While the tipping point for purchasing a drain cleaning machine varies from facility to facility, the desired goal remains the same: clearing drains and preventing clogging quickly, safely, and inexpensively.

Kassandra Kania is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, NC

Related topics:

Remarks

You might also like

Comments are closed.