Plumbing: Keeping Drains Flowing
July 1, 2013
The first step in ensuring the success of drain cleaning activities is to gain a solid understanding of how and where blockages in plumbing systems are most likely to occur. Then maintenance technicians can open a cleanout close to the actual blockage site. They do this by using a hammer and pin bar to carefully punch a small opening in the cleanout plug at the bottom of a riser. Next, drain it into a container placed under the plug opening. Then, the technician can remove the cleanout plug and insert a short rod flattened on the end into the line to break up the nearby clog.
In this case, the pipe wall up to the blockage is visible with a flashlight, so the technician can inspect it to ensure the blockage is completely clear. The technician also can check the pipe wall at the site to see if the wall has collapsed or deteriorated to the point where it will soon have to be replaced.
If the blockage is farther down the line where the technician cannot see it with a flashlight, one option is to insert a closed circuit television camera into the drain to find the cause and location. The camera enables the technician to see the condition of the pipe walls to determine if a replacement is needed.
Connected to a PC, the camera can record and report situations with integrated graphics transmitted anywhere accessible on a network. It also can store data managers can use later in planning repairs and training new technicians. If the PC also contains graphics of the drain network, a technician can retrieve the stored data to anticipate the location of bends and offsets, as well as where previous clogs occurred, to diagnose new problems.
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