Grease clogged pipes produce problems. But the right drain cleaning equipment, Chris Fantauzzo contends, turns those problems into profits.

“Health inspectors, for instance, want restaurants to clean grease traps regularly — often every six months,” the owner of Mercer Drain Cleaning Service says. Bar owners, municipal authorities and homeowners, he adds, also suffer grease, sediment, sand and ice.

And every problem, he says, is a business opportunity.

The right equipment

That’s why Fantauzzo’s company, located near Trenton, New Jersey, added the popular, reliable JM-2900 gas-powered water jet from General Pipe Cleaners to Mercer’s extensive mix of drain cleaning and inspection solutions.

“When a drain cleaning cable goes through grease, the grease closes behind the cable, still leaving the line clogged,” he explains. But the JM-2900 hits soft clogs with a wall-to-wall stream of high-pressure water and flushes them away. 

Performance like that boosts Fantauzzo’s business. One of his competitors recently tried clearing a cast iron residential line, but the blockage returned a few days later.

“The guy just snaked through a whole mess of toilet paper, which almost immediately re-clogged the pipe,” he recalls. “We blasted the blockage downstream with our JM-2900 and removed the wad from the house trap. Problem solved — permanently.” 

An economical alternative to larger gas-powered jets, the JM-2900 is lighter and more maneuverable yet maintains the same pressure and flow rate as competitive jets.

Power comes from a proven 13 hp Honda engine connected directly to a 3,000 psi, 4 gpm triplex pump. The 200-feet-capacity hose reel with reel brake is mounted on a rugged, heavy-duty frame with two flat-free foam core tires for maximum stability and easy handling.

General’s powerful gas- and electric-powered water jets — with on-demand Vibra-Pulse for greater nozzle thrust around tight bends and down long lines — offer indispensable weapons against soft blockages. With several Jet-Set models available, experts like Fantauzzo admire their reliability, technology, transportability and safety features.

“Until we get our General trailer-mounted jet,” Fantauzzo says, “our JM-2900 handles 4-inch and larger diameter lines.”

Reliability is vital

A General equipment user for over 15 years, he also owns a compact, portable JM-1450 electric water jet for smaller 1 1/2- to 4-inch lines.

The powerful JM-1450 generates 1,500 psi at 1.7 gpm yet only pulls 13 amps. Also equipped with Vibra-Pulse and General’s standard safety features, it’s powered by a 1 1/2 hp dual capacitor enclosed motor with an in-line ground fault circuit interrupter.

Fantauzzo says he “picked products I already trusted” when starting Mercer. Now his ample arsenal only sports General drain-cleaning and inspection solutions:

• A Gen-Eye video system with digital locator
• Two Speedrooter 91 root cutting machines for long, tough jobs
• A compact Sewerooter T-4 mid-range machine
• Two Power-Vee hand-held, auto-feed drain cleaners
• A Kinetic Water Ram, the lightweight innovative, hand-held device that quickly and cleanly clears clogs with powerful bursts of compressed air

Fantauzzo pairs up tools for optimal productivity. “We precisely spot and diagnose problems with our Gen-Eye, then use the right drain cleaner to complete the job.”

But water jets can’t clear heavy stoppages like tree roots, Fantauzzo cautions, and don't replace cable machines. “That’s why we have our Speedrooter 91s and Metro-Rooter. Each tool has specific advantages. And each complements the other.”

Fantauzzo offers a 30-day warranty on every drain cleaning job. He never advertises. All his business comes from his fast-growing roster of satisfied customers.

“But I can’t give a warranty if I don’t do the job right,” Fantauzzo says. “And I can’t do the job right if I don’t have the right tools."

That’s why he’s built his business around drain cleaning and inspection equipment from General Pipe Cleaners.

"I run my whole company with General products. They enhance our professional image.”

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