Rugged, reliable tools mean much to Master Plumber Clint Powell.
Owner of Powell Plumbing in South Fulton, TN, he values the importance of trustworthy equipment to his daily operations – and to his business reputation.
That’s why durable, dependable drain cleaning tools from General Pipe Cleaners anchor his equipment arsenal – notably the Speedrooter 92® drain cleaner and the Gen-Eye® Mini-POD sewer camera system with the Hot Spot® digital pipe locator.
“I love General products,” Clint says. “Everything I’ve ever used from General has been outstanding.”
Lessons Learned
Clint inherited the business when his father, founder Stan Powell, succumbed to Covid in 2020.
Unfortunately, the cheap, foreign-made sewer camera and drain auger he also inherited proved extremely unreliable – compromising company profitability, performance, and professionalism.
“We serve a rural area, roughly a 50-mile radius from us,” he notes. “And drain cleaning easily accounts for half our business. We get calls every day – it’s that important.”
Methodical Plan
Renting initially helped confirm which tools and brand worked best for Powell Plumbing.
“Still, each month we were spending several hundred dollars renting, say, an inspection camera,” Clint admits. “And that convinced me that, for us, purchasing made better sense.”
Especially with Powell Plumbing’s new Gen-Eye Mini-POD.
Reliably Spotting Troubles With Ease
“Our old, foreign-made sewer camera lasted – maybe – six months,” Clint says, shaking his head. “The camera lens quickly cracked – and half the LEDs quit working.”
And when shoddy, defective equipment fails, Clint rapidly adds, customers blame the operator – not the tool.
But Powell Plumbing’s Gen-Eye Mini-POD system proved different.
“It works every time,” Clint smiles. “And purchasing our own Mini-POD means that we now have sewer camera capability anytime we need it – no waiting necessary!”
Compact Package
Always easy on both back and budget, lightweight, compact Gen-Eye POD inspection systems combines camera, reel, and monitor in an all-in-one package.
It’s versatile, too.
Mini-POD’s Wi-Fi capability lets plumbing and drain cleaning pros use a tablet or smartphone to record an inspection – then send it to customers on the spot, or share it back at the shop.
Big Extras
The generous 7” LCD color monitor mounts on a rugged, flexible gooseneck that swivels for optimal viewing angles – wherever operators are working. And the durable padded case protects the monitor – and owner investment.
The Mini-POD version carries 125 ft. or 175 ft. of push rod – with mini self-leveling color camera small enough to troubleshoot 2” to 4” lines. The full size Gen-Eye POD sports a self-leveling camera and 200 ft. of Gel-Rod® for inspecting 3” to 10” drains.
Gen-Eye POD systems also include an LED Dimmer Control, both AC and DC power cords, 2”, 3” and 6” Trap Skids, and a 512 Hz transmitter.
Quick & Accurate
Powell Plumbing also opted to include General’s innovative, easy-to-use Hot Spot® digital pipe locator with his Mini-POD package.
With the Hot Spot, even novice operators can enjoy rapid results. It offers matchless durability, accuracy, and reliability. And it eliminates guesswork when tracing sewer lines, drains, and septic tanks – even active power lines and buried utilities.
“It’s really come in handy,” Clint adds. “Hot-Spot accuracy is great!”
Easy & Productive
It’s easy to use, too.
“General’s instructions are pretty self-explanatory,” Clint recalls. “I just read them – and immediately started using our Hot-Spot locator!” An instruction video is also available on-line.
General’s camera and locator lets Powell Plumbing fix problems faster and get more jobs done in less time – enhancing its professional reputation.
Clog-Clearing Muscle
Once blockages are identified – especially stubborn stoppages in lengthy lines – Clint trusts his Speedrooter 92 to clear clogs.
With plenty of raw power for those long, tough jobs, General’s field-proven Speedrooter 92 blends rugged reliability with optimal control, ease-of-use, and maneuverability.
“It’s worked every time we’ve used it – unlike the foreign-made ‘Big Box’ machine it replaced!”
General’s Power Cable Feed easily drives and retracts 3/4”, 5/8”, and 1/2” cables. To adjust to different cable sizes, simply turn the knob on top of the feed. No screwdriver or special tool is required.
The durable design features a braced frame at key stress points, heavy-duty 1/2 hp motor, and Flexicore® cable.
Maximum Maneuverability
Speedrooter 92’s durable, field tested design handles easily, too. And one person can easily load it onto a truck.
The machine’s frame slides smoothly from the loading wheel to the handle to the stair climbers and finally to the wheels. The adjustable height, swept-back handle also provides maximum maneuvering leverage.
“Speedrooter 92 maneuverability beats the old machine’s – hands down,” Clint adds.
Flexicore cable offers superior kinking resistance and unequaled strength with the right amount of flexibility. It’s so tough that it carries a one-year warranty against breakage – the industry’s best.
“It’s much better than the hollow spring cable of our old cheap machine,” he adds. “No contest.”
A Growing General Arsenal
Clint’s father had already purchased an innovative Kinetic Water Ram from General. So Clint knew General’s quality standards before inheriting the company.
Lightweight and economical, the futuristic tool generates a shock wave of compressed air that instantly pulverizes stoppages in 1-1/4” to 4” lines – yet won’t harm pipes.
Just pump it up, insert into a drain with standing water – and snap the trigger. It’s that fast.
Since then, Clint also purchased General’s compact, lightweight, JM-1000 Mini-Jet.
With 1500 psi of cleaning power, the powerful little water jet hits grease, sediment, ice, and other soft stoppages with a wall-to-wall stream of high-pressure water – and flushes them away.
Excellent for spot-clearing small, 1-1/2 to 3 inch lines up to 50 feet long, it’s great for blocked kitchen, bathroom, and laundry drains.
The Bottom Line
Clint clearly appreciates the importance of quality tools.
“Our investments in General products rapidly pay off – in both work performance and customer satisfaction,” he concludes. “General equipment makes my company money!”
For more information, contact the Drain Brains® at General at 800-245-6200 or by email at [email protected].