March 27, 2019 - Plumbing & Restrooms
“If you want to test a drain cleaner, put it in a school,” says Tom Stegemann, maintenance supervisor for Festus School District in Festus, Mo. “We have had to clear everything from soda bottles to sweat shirts!”
He adds: “It’s our job to maintain the proper function of all seven school district buildings.” That means providing a “clean, safe learning and work environment” for approximately 3,000 K-12 students — as well as for teachers, administrators, and support personnel.
So when Stegemann and staff face stoppages in smaller 1-1/4 inch to 3 inch lines, they grab the Model DRZ-PH power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners. Maintenance professionals for Festus Schools routinely use it to clear drains for urinals, water coolers, hand sinks, pot sinks, and disposal lines. Weighing 30 pounds, the lightweight machine features a variable speed power cable feed for maximum control feeding and retrieving cable at up to 16 feet per minute.
Stegemann calls the machine’s power cable feed “one of the best features – and simple to use.”
The four-foot guide tube also means that maintenance personnel need never touch the cable, helping hands and jobsites remain clean and sanitary — important considerations in public school settings.
The drain cleaner is easy to operate. “With very little training, a person not accustomed to sewer augers can use this machine safely and effectively,” Stegemann says.
Maintenance staff can easily operate the drain cleaner horizontally on countertops — or vertically on the floor next to sinks and tubs. And its “carry handle” helps transport and position the machine.
Another benefit is that The Model DRZ-PH has a quiet motor. “Noise has been an issue with other equipment we’ve used,” Stegemann notes. “But the low noise – and how effectively it operates – reduce disruption to normal school activities.
The rust-resistant aluminum drum carries up to 50 feet of 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch, or 35 feet of 3/8 inch, Flexicore wire rope center cable. The cables are manufactured of heavy gauge wire coiled tightly around 49-strand aircraft-type wire rope and heat-treated. It maintains unequalled strength with the right amount of flexibility.
General’s quick-change cartridge system also allows operators to switch to a different diameter cable without pulling the old cable out of the drum.
“This tool is a great addition to the Festus School District inventory,” he says. “It allows my staff to quickly address issues with a far greater success rate than with any previous equipment.” He adds that the Model DRZ-PH “has saved us downtime for facilities and cost.”
