Back

Case Studies

General’s Drain Cleaning Machine Makes Quick Work

When staff at Festus School District in Festus, MO face stoppages in smaller 1-1/4” to 3” lines, they grab the Model DRZ-PH power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners. Maintenance pros there routinely use it to clear drains for urinals, water coolers, hand sinks, pot sinks, and disposal lines.

Case Study

Company:

School

Location:

Festus, MO, USA

Objective:

“It’s our job to maintain the proper function of all seven school district buildings,” says Tom Stegemann, Maintenance Supervisor for Festus School District in Festus, MO. 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.

Solution:

When Stegemann and staff face stoppages in smaller 1-1/4” to 3” lines, they grab the Model DRZ-PH power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners. Maintenance pros for Festus Schools routinely use it to clear drains for urinals, water coolers, hand sinks, pot sinks, and disposal lines. General’s compact drain cleaner is also excellent for quickly unclogging sinks, tubs and laundry drains in a wide range of consumer and commercial applications.

Results:

“This tool is a great addition to the Festus School District inventory,” says Stegemann. “It allows my staff to quickly address issues with a far greater success rate than with any previous equipment.” Perhaps most importantly in times of tight budgets, he adds, the Model DRZ-PH “has saved us downtime for facilities and cost!”

“If you want to test a drain cleaner, put it in a school. We have had to clear everything from soda bottles to sweat shirts!”

That’s what Tom Stegemann, Maintenance Supervisor for Festus School District in Festus, MO “always says”.

“It’s our job to maintain the proper function of all seven school district buildings,” he adds. 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” to 3” lines, they grab the Model DRZ-PH power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners.

Compact, Powerful Package
Maintenance pros for Festus Schools routinely use it to “clear drains for urinals, water coolers, hand sinks, pot sinks, and disposal lines”.

General’s compact drain cleaner is also excellent for quickly unclogging sinks, tubs and laundry drains in a wide range of consumer and commercial applications.

Weighing just 30 lbs., the lightweight, muscular 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.

Flexible, Easy-To-Use Solution
It’s easy to operate, too.

“With very little training, a person not accustomed to sewer augers can use this machine safely and effectively,” Stegemann says.

He calls General’s simple-to-use tool “very operator friendly.” Maintenance staff can easily operate the Model DRZ-PH horizontally on countertops – or vertically on the floor next to sinks and tubs. And its “carry handle” effortlessly helps transport and position the machine.

The Strong, Silent Type
And while on the job, the Model DRZ-PH’s quiet motor won’t disturb others, either.

“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” or 5/16”, or 35 feet of 3/8” Flexicore® wire rope center cable.

Drain

Flexicore 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.

Stegemann agrees, adding that the unique design “works very well – and travels with less hang ups”.

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.

Potent Professional Arsenal
For everyday drain cleaning tasks, however, the Model DRZ-PH remains Tom Stegemann’s equipment of choice.

“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.”

Perhaps most importantly in times of tight budgets, he adds, the Model DRZ-PH “has saved us downtime for facilities and cost!”

For more information, visit www.drainbrain.com, or contact the Drain Brains at General at 800.245.6200.

Model DRZ-PH” and “Flexicore” are trademarks of General Pipe Cleaners, a division of General Wire Spring Co.