Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.

Many times after a long day or week, we forget that the equipment that helps us keep our business running and pay our employees needs service. Oil drain machine cables or risk rust buildup. Make sure jetter components are working as they’re supposed to. Our equipment is no different than the vehicles we drive. If you don't keep up on maintenance, it will not run. Especially considering the hard, harsh environment in which it’s used. Regular service is a must.

Without my equipment, I could not do my job. If I don’t take equipment maintenance seriously, at some point that equipment will let me down. There's no reason to buy an expensive piece of equipment and then abuse it or not maintain it, which I see every day in the industry, just for it to break down when you get a good job. Then what happens? Somebody else gets the work solely because you didn't take care of your equipment.

I know we work hard and get tired, but when we get a spare moment — at least three to four times a week — check your equipment. Make sure it's right. If it's not, fix it. What I like to do is keep a log book for all my equipment and write down when I work on something or when scheduled maintenance is needed. Or put all that information on a tablet or computer. The point is, you can't hold everything in your brain and it’s vital to keep up on servicing your equipment so it can last for years to come.

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Michael Williams is a high-energy, highly motivated drain cleaner and businessman. He is the owner of Just Drains LLC in Philadelphia, providing drain cleaning and plumbing services in the tri-state area. Williams welcomes calls from others in the industry. If you have questions for him or topic suggestions for this column, he can be reached at 215-879-8459.