Ten-thousand dollars! That’s what a national drain cleaning franchise wanted to repair recurring clogs in a 37-year-old Oberlin, Ohio, apartment complex.
“They claimed they had to bust up the first floor laundry room concrete and hallway to replace the pipe and fix the problem permanently,” maintenance staffer Gary Schakel recalls. “But, I had other ideas.”
The “other idea” meant trying the building’s new Speedrooter 92™ power drain cleaning machine first. “I had used the Speedrooter at my previous position,” Schakel adds, “And I knew it could do the job.”
Power and Reach for Long, Tough Jobs
With four laundry rooms atop each other on one stack, the 76-unit College Park Manor suffered chronic blockages in the same area for at least 15 years. The problem frequently returned, despite repeated snaking and some pipe replacement.
With plenty of power for long, tough jobs, Speedrooter 92 from General Pipe Cleaners is one of our drain cleaning tools that blends rugged reliability with optimal control and ease-of-use. The durable design features a braced frame at key stress points and Flexicore® cable – the industry standard for toughness.
“I always like using the right tools to get the job done right the first time,” the retired U.S. Navy veteran says. “I guess that reflects my service experience!”
Schakel located a 4-inch cleanout at the bottom of the 2-inch diameter drop. Using a “spear head” cutter, he then punched ¾-inch Flexicore cable down four floors – clearing nearly 40 years of encrustation from scum and grease.
Heavy duty wire tightly coiled around 49-strand-aircraft-type wire rope, General’s heavy duty Flexicore cable blends superior kinking resistance and unequalled strength with the right amount of flexibility. It’s so tough that it carries the best warranty in the business – one-year protection against breakage.
“Just as I expected, our Speedrooter 92 did the job – and without $10,000 cost, mess and hassle!” Schakel laughs.
Great for Ongoing Maintenance
Schakel also creatively employs the maneuverable, user-friendly General device for preventive maintenance.
“With older pipes and back-to-back kitchens and baths, our pipes rapidly clog with grease and scum,” he observes. “And I like using Speedrooter 92 to keep lines running free and clear.”
Using General’s Five Blade Cutter, Schakel’s favorite “sludge pusher” attachment, he shoves all the goop out from the 4-inch lines into the mains.
College Park’s maintenance pro also values Speedrooter 92’s one-person operation. “I especially like the cable guide tube,” he adds. “With great balance and forward-off-reverse, variable speed control, I can safely and effectively operate the machine myself.”
That’s especially vital in the narrow confines of older structures. Speedrooter 92 is designed for tight doorways. One person can easily transport it upstairs or onto a truck, “with no extra costs for helpers,” Schakel says. The machine’s specially designed frame slides smoothly from the loading wheel to the handle to the stair climbers and finally to the wheels. The adjustable height and swept-back handle also provide maximum maneuvering leverage.
Reliability Nets Cost Savings
College Park Manor has everything from 2-inch casts to 8-inch tile lines, Schakel notes – and “Speedrooter 92 handles them all.”
With raw driving and pulling power for long, tough jobs, the power cable feed on General’s drain cleaning machine drives ¾-inch, 5/8-inch and ½-inch cables. Drum changes are easy, too. Switch from ¾-inch or 5/8-inch cables to a small drum with 100 feet of 9/16-inch cable to clear smaller lines. The drums sport a see-through inner cage to quickly determine how much cable remains.
“We have Speedrooter 92 on station 24 hours a day,” he declares. “Our cost savings have been just phenomenal!”
Contact the Drain Brains® at General at 800-245-6200 or by email [email protected]. Or, check-out the Speedrooter 92 by visiting this page. You can also contact us via our online form, here.
If you’re ready to buy, please visit our Retail Locator page to find a dealer nearest to you.
