Once a pipe is cleaned, an inspection camera can be used to be sure that no problems remain. Cameras are also used in many stages of sewer repair and location. Pipes can't be camera inspected while they are clogged or full of water, so it is critical to use the right electric eel or high pressure water before an inspection. Your inspection can be recorded for insurance claims or future reference
The most common method of sewer cleaning is by electric eel. Eels come in a wide variety of sizes, each with it's own limitations. The type of eel needed is determined by the diameter of the pipe and length of the cable. It is important to know that if a 4 inch pipe is opened with a 1 inch eel that the water will still go down, but the pipe might still be 80% blocked and require another call to a plumber before long.
Just as important as cable size is using the proper head attachment at the front of the eel cable. The head is the tool that does the opening, cleaning or cuting to clear the blockage. There are many different heads for different jobs. Some heads make a small opening in a blockage to open the pipe then larger heads are run thru to restore full flow. Other heads are designed for removal of tree roots, soap, grease, sludge, and pipe scale or rust in cast iron pipes.
Plumbers On Call has large and small High Pressure Jets services available. Sludge, Grease and Soap clogs may require high pressure cleaning instead of electric eel service. Hydra Jet and Sewer Jet machines can be similiar to the pressure washers used for washing cars. Professional Jets can be more closely compared to fire fighting equipment. These machines vary in two important ways.
Pressure cleaning equipment can range between 2000psi and 6000psi+. Higher pressure is usually required on hard materials. Almost all sewer clogs are caused by soft organic material such as grease or roots. Soft clogs can be broken up almost as easily with 1500psi as they are with 6000psi, but larger clogs in larger pipes require more water, which is explained in following section.
Not all pressure cleaning equipment is created equal. Don't be fooled by discount plumbers with equipment boasting 3000psi or more. What they don't tell you is that they will only push 2 to 5 gallons per minute. Larger clogs in main pipes require more water to force clogs out quickly and completely. A large Hydro Sewer Jet can move 65 gallons of water or more per minute. This high volume of water can be used to clean 24" or larger sewer mains that smaller jets will not even begin to clear.
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