An innovative hand-held drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners is helping Pro-Tech Drains of Lachine, Quebec, maintain its competitive edge — and boost its profitability. The lightweight, compact Kinetic Water Ram safely, quickly and cleanly clears clogged sinks, toilets and tubs with the power of compressed air. But when he first saw it, President Alain Breton branded the chrome-plated device a "gadget."
"It looked like a science-fiction ray gun," he recalls. "We never saw anything like it."
Meeting business needs
Impressed by the reliability, durability and performance of all his other General equipment, Breton nevertheless borrowed one from his distributor for use on a routine drain clog.
"We just read the package instructions, and it worked the very first time," Breton says. "It's really easy to operate."
Using the build-in gauge, Pro-Tech Drains simply pumped the Kinetic Water Ram to the desired pressure. The tool can produce up to 160 pounds of pressure, but most clogs can be cleared with just 20 to 40 pounds. Then with overflows plugged to prevent splashback, the technician firmly positioned the flexible cone over the drain opening and snapped the trigger, instantly clearing the clog.
"We thought it was a fluke," Breton says. "So we tried it on our next job — and it worked again." Pro-Tech's founder was so impressed that he immediately drove to his distributor and bought a Kinetic Water Ram for each of his crews.
Clean and fast
General's innovative Kinetic Water Ram unleashes a powerful burst of compressed air that hammers through water at 4,700 feet per second, instantly breaking up the stoppage. The Kinetic Water Ram easily clears rust, grease, sediment and scale from lines up to 4 inches in diameter.
The shock wave also bypasses stacks and vents. There's no pressure buildup within the system, either. General's tool directs 98 percent of the force down the line and only 2 percent against pipe walls. So the Kinetic Water Ram effectively handles stoppages on the far side of drum traps or a series of tight bends, like lines in a trailer home.
That's critical on fixed-rate commercial contract work, Breton says. "The longer we take, the less we make."
One regular Pro-Tech account — a large pastry shop — developed a third-floor grease clog that loosened, traveling to an inaccessible portion on the building's ground level and backing-up a large, 30-gallon sink.
"With a cable machine, we would have spent 15 minutes just bailing water before starting. But since the Kinetic Water Ram works right through standing water, we just pumped up the unit and blasted the blockage away."
The bottom line is the bottom line
Breton points out that sort of performance considerably enhances his profitability with apartment facilities.
"We can service a 32-unit building in less than half the time it takes us to do the same work with cable machines — and it's a lot cleaner, too. Managers and residents love it.
"We get more jobs done faster with the Kinetic Water Ram. It's clean and efficient. It brings us business. Customers love it. And our profitability — c'est magnifique!"
And that's good news in any language.
