What equipment does B. Carlson use for thorough drain and sewer line cleaning?

Question

Accepted Answer

We use three categories of equipment: sewer cameras with locating transmitters for diagnosis, drum and sectional machines with cable and cutter heads for mechanical clearing, and high-pressure water jetters with a range of nozzles for scouring lines back to full diameter.

Sewer Cameras

A self-leveling camera head on a push rod runs the length of the line and shows pipe material, condition, and the exact nature of a blockage — roots, grease, a sag holding standing water, a cracked joint, or a collapsed section. A locating transmitter in the camera head lets us mark the depth and position of a problem on the surface, which matters enormously if excavation becomes necessary. It is the difference between digging where the problem is and digging to find it.

Cabling Machines

Drum machines for fixture and branch lines, larger sectional machines for main lines. Cutter heads are matched to the job — retrieving heads for hair and debris, root-cutting heads for intrusion, and blade heads for grease. Cabling is the gentler method and the right choice for a fast clear or for older, fragile pipe where high-pressure water would carry risk.

Hydrojetters

Hydrojetting equipment delivers high-pressure water through specialized nozzles. Forward jets cut through the blockage; rear-facing jets propel the hose and scour the pipe wall on the way back. Different nozzles handle grease, roots, and sediment. Pressure is adjustable — which matters, because sound cast iron takes a very different setting than fragile clay.

Why Matching Equipment to Pipe Matters

This is the part homeowners rarely hear about. Hydrojetting is powerful and effective, but on cast iron that has corroded thin, or clay with separated joints, high pressure can worsen existing damage. That is exactly why we camera the line first and select method and pressure based on actual condition. A contractor who uses one tool for every job on Albuquerque’s mixed housing stock will eventually turn a blockage into a break.