How to Choose the Right Drain Cleaning Machine for Your Business

Cleaning and removing blockages from pipes are profitable services in high demand from both private and commercial customers. After all, it’s cheaper to unblock a pipe than it is to replace it. As a result, many drainage companies now offer these services (or are looking to begin offering them) alongside surveys and pipe replacement.

Before an organisation can begin offering these services, however, it will need a capable machine — one that can remove all manner of materials from pipes of various sizes. Decision-makers can choose from numerous machines, each with slightly different capabilities, and selecting the right equipment can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we have a wealth of experience at DCR — and we’ve used this to outline the key questions you need to ask when selecting the right drain cleaning machine for your business.

1. Start Offering Drain Cleaning Services

Strange as it may seem, offering drain cleaning services before purchasing a drain cleaning machine is not only possible but highly advisable. Doing so will allow you to assess whether there is sufficient demand for these services. And with DCR offering a range of drain cleaning machines for hire (you can view them all here), you can offer these services safe in the knowledge that you can fulfil them if demand arises.

If enough customers require this service, you should keep a record of the work you undertake. This information will be key when determining what type of drain cleaning machine you should purchase — or whether you should purchase one at all.

2. What Diameter Pipes Do You Encounter Most Frequently?

The larger a pipe’s diameter, the more powerful a machine will need to be. Conversely, machines with less power will typically suffice for smaller diameter pipes. While more powerful models may fit into pipes with smaller diameters, they can also cause damage — particularly to pipes made from more fragile materials — and therefore aren’t a catch-all solution.

By carefully analysing data from previous jobs and customer requests, decision-makers can determine the pipe sizes their organisation most frequently works with and use this information to select a machine that meets their needs.

3. And What Are These Pipes Made Of?

As mentioned, some machines can damage pipes made from fragile materials such as PVC or clay. Smaller machines are generally better suited to such pipes but may lack the power to remove tougher blockages like concrete. In these cases, larger machines are needed — but they should only be used with attachments specifically designed for use in delicate pipes, such as the Cyclone PVC chain from Picote. This chain has no carbides, self-centres, and allows operatives greater control by enabling them to alter the cleaning diameter via machine output.

As with pipe diameters, organisations should review previous job data and enquiries to determine whether they’ll be working predominantly with fragile or robust pipes. This insight will help establish whether a low-powered or high-powered machine is the most suitable choice.

4. What Blockages Will You Be Clearing?

As discussed, tougher blockages require more powerful machines. It’s therefore crucial that decision-makers evaluate all available data to determine the types of material they’re likely to encounter.

This information will influence not only the machine you purchase, but also the attachments you’ll need. There’s a vast range of attachments available — designed for removing materials such as concrete, failed liners, congealed fats, accumulated wipes, plant matter, and more. Deciding which attachments are required is, in many ways, just as important as selecting the machine itself.

5. What’s Your Budget?

After conducting a thorough analysis, you’ll have a clear understanding of the type of machine you need and the timeframe in which it should deliver a return on investment. With this knowledge, determining your overall budget should be relatively straightforward.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that purchasing a machine outright isn’t in your organisation’s best interest, and that a long-term or occasional hire might be more suitable. Either way, you can rest assured that DCR will have everything you need.