General’s Power-Vee Drain Cleaner is Maintenance Pro’s Right-Hand Man

General’s Power-Vee Drain Cleaner is Maintenance Pro’s Right-Hand Man
General Pipe Cleaners Power-Vee drain cleaner with automatic feed makes clearing small drainlines faster and easier.

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After four decades, Jack Elvig Sr., really values performance and reliability in drain cleaning tools. “I’ve been exclusively in commercial property maintenance since 1966,” he says. “And in that time, I’ve developed a pretty clear picture of what works — and what doesn’t.” 

That’s why the Seattle-Tacoma maintenance pro favors General Pipe Cleaners equipment — especially the Power-Vee automatic feed drain cleaner. “It’s a great one-man machine,” Elvig says. “You pull the trigger, and it does the work for you!” 

The hand-held Power-Vee easily unclogs drains from 1 1/4 to 3 inches in diameter in sinks, tubs and laundry drains. The automatic feed makes the job easier when working in awkward spots like under sinks. 

That’s especially crucial in maintaining townhouses, apartments and condos. “I handle hundreds of units in complexes near Washington’s Sea-Tac airport,” Elvig notes. “And Power-Vee does 95 percent of our jobs.” 

Just squeeze the feed lever, and the cable automatically feeds itself into the line. To retract, just reverse the motor and squeeze again. The cable feeds at up to 16 feet per minute. The Dyna-thrust bearing system helps ensure less bearing wear and longer tool life. 

Rugged dependability removes problems fast 

“I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that we don’t have plugged drains,” Elvig says, calling General’s drain cleaning tools a “fast, efficient way” of unclogging lines. 

He especially values the tool’s rugged dependability. “Our Power-Vee goes through lots of abuse,” Elvig admits. “And General tools always perform!” It also features quick-change cartridges for rapidly swapping or cleaning cables. 

Power-Vee adjusts in seconds to any Flexicore cable from 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter with no special tools or parts required. “In over 40 years of doing this, I’ve never broken a General cable,” Elvig says. “If you break a cable in the line, you cause a whole other set of problems.” 

Heavy-duty wire tightly coiled around 49-strand aircraft-type wire rope, General’s Flexicore cable blends kinking resistance and strength with flexibility. It’s so tough that it carries the best warranty in the business — one-year protection against breakage. “Flexicore is the only cable that I really trust,” Elvig says, referring to overall equipment reliability and quick, professional service. 

“If all my cutters and snakes aren’t General, I don’t want them,” he says. “If you need them two or three times a day, they absolutely have to work — and they have to hold up.” 

When considering the whole package, Elvig says, “I’ve looked into other competitors, and they simply don’t work as well as General.” 

Mini-Rooter tackles larger maintenance jobs

But the lightweight, rugged Power-Vee isn’t the only General machine faithfully serving Elvig. For larger jobs, the maintenance pro has also trusted a pair of Mini-Rooter drain cleaners since 1982. 

Easy to transport and maintain, the Mini-Rooter unclogs drains from rooftop to basement including kitchen, bath and laundry lines. It carries 75 feet of 3/8- or 1/2-inch Flexicore cable, and weighs around 60 pounds. 

General’s practical design permits drum and cable switching in seconds with no mess or lost time. And an optional power cable feed ensures optimal feeding and retracting control. 

For extra portability, the Mini-Rooter snaps to an optional lightweight dolly. J-Drums and Dual Drums for smaller drainlines also are available. 

“One apartment complex near the airport has big trees and ceramic sewer pipes that are easily penetrated by tree roots between pipe connections,” he says. “I use the Mini-Rooter preventively to keep lines running.” 

One happy professional 

Elvig loves the peace of mind that rugged, reliable equipment affords. “I have decades-old machines — and they’re still in use,” he says. “General obviously cares about quality and workmanship.” 

In the end, Elvig pulls no punches when extolling his drain cleaning equipment. “With General, you’re not buying a name,” he says, “You’re buying quality!”



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