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Drains and tools


KnarlyCarl

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I see why your called knarly Carl. You have some skill and looks like your well set up for any battle. I enjoyed all the stories and tips you have given us and look forward for more. As my old boss would say "your only good as your tools" sometimes you need to spend that extra 100 bucks so you don't have to buy it twice. Awsome job, remember not to bite your nails.☺

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Lol yeah there ya go good advice! I have caught myself reaching up to itch my face, decided against it

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Here's how we test a new plumbing system to make sure no leaks are present, 5psi on the drain lines, and 80 psi on the water lines:

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To seal off pipes that do not have means of capping them such as washing machine drain, or showers, or even toilet drain if we don't have the floor flanges on because of certain flooring, I put in what is basically a rubber balloon that inflates to seal the pipe from the inside, and they come in different sizes:

20160414_101902

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Not sure if you can tell or not, but here is one of those test balls that has been inflated and bulges slightly

 

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So, there you have it, that's how we do it around here, to make sure water lines wont leak, and drains wont drip, protecting the health of the nation!! Oh, and that orange sticker means this passed inspection yah!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Oh. Yay. Company bought a new sewer auger, how exciting.  It's a bigger one that the other, I think I'm going to put a winch in my van to lift it up in, I use ramps now, but this guy is bigger and probably wont go up ramps as well...

 

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Ok this thing is pretty cool, the wheels remove to keep the machine more steady on the lawn, or on a sidling hill, it wont roll off on me that way, aluminum drum, wont rust out like the other one is, not bad, not bad at all.

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  • 2 months later...

Oh hey, here's an update to a few things that might help someone someday....

Inside pipe cutter since i couldn't get to either side of the pipe shown:

IMG_20160707_100600478

 

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Also here's how i like to support my vent lines in attic space:

IMG_20160707_151722421

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IMG_20160707_151742028

 

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IMG_20160707_151821866

 

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IMG_20160707_152243821

 

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IMG_20160707_152625713

 

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IMG_20160707_160116579

 

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Should with the right cutting disc

Jimbo

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Well I tried it.... then my phone ran out of juice and died so I couldn't true pics.... it is fast, but it puts out a wicked amount of the finest dust all over the place... whereas the drill bit makes "shavings" instead... at this point, I'm undecided, I'll play around with it some more in the coming months and see if it's worth it

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On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 0:35 PM, KnarlyCarl said:

Oh hey, here's an update to a few things that might help someone someday....

Inside pipe cutter since i couldn't get to either side of the pipe shown:

IMG_20160707_100600478

 

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Also here's how i like to support my vent lines in attic space:

IMG_20160707_151722421

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IMG_20160707_151742028

 

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IMG_20160707_151821866

 

\...

IMG_20160707_152243821

 

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IMG_20160707_152625713

 

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IMG_20160707_160116579

 

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nice work there bro!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got these drains in this house, the most difficult one I've had to do on my own. It was mostly made difficult because of how close together the bathrooms and washing machine was, three bathrooms within two stories, right no top of the other, plus needed separate lines for sewage pump discharge and vent, both of which are yet to come. The hard part is done at least!!

IMG_20160722_161047756

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Once I got the picture laid out to accommodate proper sizing, routing, and codes, it was just a matter of taking my time to get the correct fit and slope, and also make sure I would make it to the right place where it goes out the foundation wall.

 

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On 4/11/2016 at 10:11 PM, KnarlyCarl said:

Just saw this at work after another guy destroyed it on a call Friday haha. 

I'll put this here, and stop distracting the other thread from its intended purpose!

 

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Don't put kinks in this snake cable, we're constantly reminded, but it happens:

 

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3" pipe and elbows with the right tip and level of experience ha

 

LOL Nah that's what a ball of roots look like

Man, I'd rather be using that snake rather than replacing it.

I don't know how many times I've scared myself with a blow torch and a hammer thinking that the snake would pop, those things are would up super tight, or how many times I've blown a wheel cutting it off the base because the damn bolts are too rusted and the snake was kinked up in its cage so it was impossible to even get a ratchet in.

I hated it so much when my guys used to check in kinked snakes without charging for the snake. I did it once for them and if they checked it back kinked I'd make them replace the snake I didnt care how they did it and how long it took.

People show those things neglect when I repaired tools at the depot, show them how to use the damn things, tell them if they kink the snake I'm charging $450 on their cards.

Also charged them a cleaning fee if customers didn't at least wash the damn thing off which was never, I never understood why people would return them with roots all over the head or sewage dripping from the damn thing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

so this is the latest tool i've been using enough to make a few remarks on:

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Pro:

Cordless- i don't have to drag a dirty cord across the kitchen counter top or on the floor, the cord is usually covered in filth.

Power- not even remotely lacking

Compatibility- don't need new battery platform for my use

Shroud- can rest the tool on the floor or under the sink and it wont run away on me or scrape up my arm or a cabinet

Ball at the end- a expanded part of the auger about 3' from the end lets me know i'm close to the end

Bucket- comes with the kit, pop the auger in the bucket, don't drip goo over the floor

Stands up on the floor

Light

Locks the auger from moving in or out

Forward and reverse

Cons;

Inner core started to unravel , not sure it really makes a difference 

Auger lock- total pain in the neck to engage/disengage, have to use my full body weight to lock in place, and is difficult to unlock the auger again

End cap comes off real easy and frequently, may just leave it off altogether

The bucket already has a crack in it, like SERIOUSLY?!

 

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  • 3 months later...

It is always best to seek the help of a professional when we are having sewer problems. However, a lot of us prefer to solve the problems ourselves because of the amount of money we believe we can save. In most cases though we just dive in without any action plans thus causing even more problems. Sewer line replacemnt in Gloucester County NJ is not as easy as it sounds. You need skills and the appropriate training to be able to effectively and efficiently do it.

First, get a hold of the plumbing codes in your area. Normally, you can get these from your local authorities. These plumbing codes enable you to determine just how deep along the pipes you are allowed to dig. So you need to be aware of these codes before you start doing anything to avoid unnecessary problems and issues in the future. It is also for safety purposes.

In repairing damaged sewer lines which are under concrete foundations, you need a cutoff saw, a diamond blade, a metal cutting blade and a heavy hammer to get through the concrete.

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  • 2 months later...

Okay, so obviously I am about a year late to this party but Geeezzz Carl Really?!? Sometimes when people see me laying ABS or soldering copper pipe they ask me, are you a plumber? I always say the same thing, No...not even close. So whenever a plumber (or electrician for that matter) post on a forum I am all eyes and ears. But holly crap Carl that is a shit load of information, bookmarked and noted. Thank you and get ready because I a am going to light up your like wheel.

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4 hours ago, tpamatmat said:

Okay, so obviously I am about a year late to this party but Geeezzz Carl Really?!? Sometimes when people see me laying ABS or soldering copper pipe they ask me, are you a plumber? I always say the same thing, No...not even close. So whenever a plumber (or electrician for that matter) post on a forum I am all eyes and ears. But holly crap Carl that is a shit load of information, bookmarked and noted. Thank you and get ready because I a am going to light up your like wheel.

Lol I get it thanks yeah this is my little corner of the world haha

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On 2/21/2016 at 9:00 AM, KnarlyCarl said:

This was a call I was sent to on Thursday, to a trailer park that has seen better days, the old clay tile drains in the ground are one by one cracking and letting tree roots grow in, thereby making the sewer lines back up and spew waste out the shower drain while someone takes a shower and someone else flushes the toilet. The best part is there is no clean out pipe up to the ground to access the sewer pipes, so I have to take the toilet off if I want to try to clear the blockage.

Heres my attempt to run the auger through, it's made by Sparten, self feeding and retracting, or I can control the feed by hand if I want. Uses a dc motor for direct drive on the drum and is reversible.

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I was unable to get the auger past a spot because they used a certain fitting where two 3" pipes dumped into a common drain, imagine a two way cleanout tee upside down and the auger kept going straight through instead of making the turn downward. I could see this fitting from under the trailer, by removing the skirting and poking my head under. To verify where I was and that my auger was going past the tee, I use the Ridgid Scout tracer device, it's a mighty fine instrument to track where a drain pipe goes.

The "pill" is attached to the end of an auger and shove it through the pipe, I taped the pill here and shoved it through.

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It emits 512 Hz signal that is picked up by the receiver, I know exactly where it is and also tells me how deep it is, seen here where I tracked it going under the house. So I knew it was 2' 3" under the floor, right where I expected it to be.

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But, I couldn't get the auger to go where I wanted it to, and with no cleanout, we're going to get the mini excavator and start digging. At least with this park, I know about where the sewer runs, since I've done several others here before. Just another day in the life.

Also if you have no cleanout pipe in your yard, just hope an auger can get through from your toilet. No pressure lol.

Another note from your friendly neighborhood plumber; only what comes out of you and toilet paper should ever be flushed down a toilet

Tell that to my kid! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Couple new ones for me this past week

Thursday:

Drain from washing machine is under the slap of an addition, galvanized iron pipe that block solid, forget running an auger through, it's solidified itself shut....time to replace it... but it's under a slab..

Fortunately the width of the slab was about 6' across with it elevated above the ground, a little bit lower than the rest of the house, which is on a crawlspace.

 

So i punch a hole in the block on the exterior wall just outside where the drain line runs to, pull the old iron pipe out of there, the hammer in a new pvc pipe

Obligatory Milwaukee tool pic haha

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Here is the end of the pipe just inside the foundation, ready to accept an elbow fitting to come up through the floor i had to break apart as well

 

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Here's the same end of that pipe from inside the house where the old galvanized line was 

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Attach an elbow on this and then a small piece of pipe and cement back in place

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So here's where the other end stubs into the crawlspace, how hard was it to make the whole house a crawlspace anyways wow

 

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How i found out the line was holding water:

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But i got them up and running again at about 8:00 that night lol

 

Cast and iron drains are the worst to work with, terrible idea to have put that in a house as drains back in the day...

 

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