When a national drain cleaning franchise quoted $10,000 to repair recurring clogs in a 37-year-old Oberlin, Ohio, apartment complex, the maintenance team was forced to look elsewhere for a solution. 

“They claimed they had to bust up the first floor laundry room concrete and hallway to replace the pipe and fix the problem permanently,” maintenance staffer Gary Schakel says. “But I had other ideas.” 

That other idea meant trying the building’s new Speedrooter 92 power drain cleaner first. “I had used the Speedrooter at my previous position,” Schakel adds, “and I knew it could do the job.”

Power and reach for long, tough jobs

With four laundry rooms atop each other on one stack, the 76-unit College Park Manor suffered chronic blockages in the same area for at least 15 years. The problem frequently returned despite repeated snaking and some pipe replacement. 

With plenty of power for long, tough jobs, the Speedrooter 92 from General Pipe Cleaners blends rugged reliability with optimal control and ease-of-use. The durable design features a braced frame at key stress points, and Flexicore cable – the industry standard for toughness. 

“I always like using the right tools to get the job done right the first time,” Schakel says. “I guess that reflects my service experience.” 

Schakel, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, located a 4-inch clean-out at the bottom of the 2-inch-diameter drop. Using a Spear Head cutter, he then punched 3/4-inch Flexicore cable down four floors – clearing nearly 40 years of encrustation from scum and grease. 

Heavy-duty wire tightly coiled around 49-strand aircraft-type wire rope, General’s heavy-duty Flexicore cable blends superior kinking resistance and unequalled strength with the right amount of flexibility. It’s so tough that it carries the best warranty in the business – one-year protection against breakage. 

“Just as I expected, our Speedrooter 92 did the job – and without $10,000 of cost, mess and hassle,” Schakel says. 

Great for ongoing maintenance

Schakel also creatively employs the maneuverable, user-friendly General device for preventive maintenance. 

“With older pipes and back-to-back kitchens and baths, our pipes rapidly clog with grease and scum,” he says. “And I like using Speedrooter 92 to keep lines running free and clear.” 

Schakel’s favorite “sludge pusher” attachment is General’s Five Blade Cutter. “It’s excellent for shoving all that goop out from 4-inch lines into the mains,” he says. 

College Park’s maintenance pro also values Speedrooter 92’s one-person operation. “I especially like the cable guide tube,” he adds. “With great balance and forward-off-reverse, variable speed control, I can safely and effectively operate the machine by myself.” 

That’s especially vital in the narrow confines of older structures. Speedrooter 92 is designed for tight doorways. One person can easily transport it up stairs or onto a truck. “There are no extra costs for helpers,” Schakel says. 

The machine’s specially designed frame slides smoothly from the loading wheel to the handle to the stair climbers and finally to the wheels. The adjustable height, swept-back handle also provides maximum maneuvering leverage. 

Reliability nets cost savings

College Park Manor has everything from 2-inch cast iron to 8-inch tile lines. “Speedrooter 92 handles them all,” Schakel adds. 

With raw driving and pulling power for long, tough jobs, General’s power cable feed drives 3/4-, 5/8- and 1/2-inch cables. Drum changes are easy, too. Switch from 3/4- or 5/8-inch cables to a small drum with 100 feet of 9/16-inch cable to clear smaller lines. The drums sport a see-through inner cage to quickly determine how much cable remains. 

“We have Speedrooter 92 on station 24 hours a day,” he says. “Our cost savings have been just phenomenal.” 

For more information, contact the Drain Brains at General Pipe Cleaners at 800/245-6200, or visit https://drainbrain.com/.

General Pipe Cleaners, a division of General Wire Spring Co., is a manufacturer of high-quality drain cleaning equipment since 1930. General serves drain cleaning professionals and plumbing contractors, as well as facilities managers, the rental industry and the hardware/home center market. The Toughest Tools Down The Line.