by Chris Schulz | Dec 7, 2016 | Drain Service, Pipe Cleaning, Sewer Cleaning, Sewer Jetting, Uncategorized
A plugged storm drain can cause major issues for businesses, residential and industrial areas. Most plugged storm drains aren’t noticed until your building is flooding and its too late. preventing a plugged storm drain is easy. Remove built up debris before a plugged storm drain occurs!
What Are Storm Drains?
A storm drain is a drain designed to carry rainwater that is gathered over an area water cannot penetrate. Rainwater is diverted to a catch basin or a curb and gutter system. Once in the catch basin the storm water will follow piping to different types watersheds (rivers, lakes and ponds).
What causes plugged storm drains?
Storm drains gather water from a large areas such as parking lots, streets or paved lots. While most of these areas are paved and cleaned periodically, they still collect debris. Debris can be anything from sand, leaves, trash etc. Parking lots and roadways are the largest contributors to plugged storm drains . Although these areas are cleaned periodically, they still gather debris. Overtime this debris is slowly washed into the storm sewer and begins to build up slowly reducing the overall volume in which the storm sewer can handle. Once enough build up has accumulated the storm sewer may become overwhelmed during a rainfall event thus causing a back up to occur.
When should I clean my plugged storm drain?
Visually inspect your storm sewer catch basins twice per year for any signs of accumulated sediment or debris (Spring and Fall). While you may not be able to see inside the sewer line itself, noticing trash or leaves in the catch basin may indicate that you are about to have a plugged storm drain. If you notice standing water in your parking lot during a rainfall event it may indicate a plugged storm drain. If you notice any of these things immediately call a professional and have your storm sewer inspected.
by Chris Schulz | Dec 6, 2016 | Drain Service, Grease Control, Sewer Cleaning, Sewer Jetting
A grease trap (also known as a grease interceptor or grease recovery device) is a tank designed to separate FOG (Fats, Oils and Grease). Fats, oils and grease originate from kitchen sinks and floor drains that are connected on the grease line. Dish washing, hood cleaning and floor scrubbing are all avenues for grease to enter the sewer line. While it may go unnoticed to most, grease trap cleaning is crucial to ensure sewer lines flow properly.
Grease trap lid
Locate Your Grease Trap
It is important to know where your grease trap is so you can manage it properly. The location of the grease trap is dependent on size and available space. Most internal grease traps are 50 gallons or less. Some traps are large external tanks that can hold up to 2000 gallons of liquid.
Cities Require Grease Trap Cleaning
Most cities require commercial kitchens to install grease traps to prohibit large amounts of grease from entering the sanitary sewer system. In some cases, restaurant’s without grease traps have caused major blockages in the city sanitary sewer. The backups can lead to large fines and clean up cost to the owners. Grease trap cleaning contracts are now required by some cities before plumbing inspection are completed. Grease haulers take the unwanted brown grease and dispose of it at proper liquid waste disposal facilities.
Traps can overflow and shut your restaurant down causing lost revenue and expensive clean-up costs. The cost of grease trap cleaning pales in comparison to the cost of these expensive clean-ups. Grease trap cleaning, on a preventative basis will prolong the life of your grease trap and keep it functioning properly. Overall, The cost of grease trap cleaning, in the long term, will save you thousands of dollars.
Our Services
by Chris Schulz | Dec 5, 2016 | Drain King, Drain Service, Lift Station, Pipe Cleaning, Sewer Cleaning
Parking Ramp Drain Cleaning
Winters in Minnesota can be downright brutal. Cold temps and heavy snowfall lead to slippery roads and treacherous driving conditions. To combat these conditions the Department of Transportation and other municipalities spread large amounts of salt and sand on Minnesota roadways. When driving in such conditions, vehicles accumulate large amounts of wet snow around wheel wells and tire rims. the snow contains large amounts of sand and salt. Where does all this sand and salt end up? In your parking lot drains and sand traps.
Parking ramp drain cleaning on annual basis, is crucial to the life of your parking lot drains and sand traps. If neglected, the salt can break down cast iron pipes causing the pipe to rot from within. Rotten pipes can lead to costly floods or repairs to vehicles within the ramp. The Sand trap can also deteriorate from salt deposits. Sand traps will start leaking if not pumped frequently enough. Not only will you need to replace the tank, you will be stuck with expensive clean-up costs. Pumping your sand trap at a minimum of once per year will prolong the life of the tank and prevent costly Hazmat clean ups.
high pressure water jetting
Drain King uses high pressure water jetting to remove sand and salt deposits from the parking ramp drains. All left over waste is pushed from the top of the ramp to the bottom. after jetting, all waste is pumped out of the tank. All liquid waste is disposed of at Met Council. The sand is disposed of at a local landfill. Low clearance ramps are no problem for Drain King Inc. Vac trailer. This trailer can access sand traps in almost every “low clearance ramp”. Parking Ramp Drain Cleaning keeps your pipes healthy for the long term.
by Chris Schulz | Nov 14, 2016 | Drain King, Drain Service, Frozen Pipes, Grease Control, Lift Station, Locate Pipes, Pipe Cleaning, Sewer Cleaning, Uncategorized
No; is the answer for the vast majority of home owners. There are several reasons not to water jet, but first I’d like to warn you about a trend in Drain Cleaning of Main Drains that is happening in the Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as surrounding communities like Fridley, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Anoka, Mounds View, Shoreview, Little Canada, Roseville, Robinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Inver Grove Heights, South Saint Paul, West St. Paul, North St. Paul, Woodbury, etc.
There are currently several Drain Cleaning Companies preying on unsuspecting homeowners. They sell water jetting as a means to make all your plumbing work better and make all your drains drain faster. Statements like this simply are not true. While a main drain line cleaned at the normal cost of approximately $300, the drain cleaning companies selling water jetting will charge more than $1,200, one thousand two hundred dollars for the service. The vast majority of home owners do not need this service. The cheaper service is just as good. Root regrown will occur at the same rate with mechanical snake cleaning as with water jetting. There is no difference.
What is Water jet used for? A water jet uses high pressure water (4,000psi) at a flow rate of around 18 gallons per minute. The Water jet impact of the water is actually what cuts the roots. The problem is that Water jets are designed to operate upstream. In nearly all residential plumbing water jet is a down stream proposition. Minneapolis plumbing around the turn of the century allowed for the installation of 6 six inch clay pipe running almost to the foundation of the house. A 6 inch pipe will hold many times more volume of roots compared to a 4 inch pipe. This means it will often take longer for roots to cause a backup.
by Ralph Peterson | Jan 23, 2016 | Drain King, Drain Service, Grease Control
We, as residents of Earth, all have a carbon footprint. There is always a byproduct, a sweet little something left behind from everything we do. Not so sweet is the lack of knowledge available to the general public about the impact every person has on what happens to our environment, the sizable prints left by our everyday actions, and the simple ways to reduce the negative impact of those actions.
According to timeforchange.org, a carbon footprint is ”the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).” This number per person grows to be pretty substantial when counting the energy used to provide food, create comfortable living spaces, provide gas to drive a vehicle, and countless other types of energy use.
Though we do indeed create a very large and mostly unsavory change to the planet and its climate, the good news is; there are many easy ways to change our daily habits that will positively impact each carbon footprint. The use of hybrid and electric cars greatly reduces carbon emissions, and it saves the user quite a bit of money on gas as well. Reducing emissions at home can be as simple as hanging clothes out to dry in the summertime and turning the thermostat down a few degrees overnight in the winter.
Other ways to be mindful around the home include washing clothes in cold water as opposed to hot, replacing old and inefficient appliances with Energy Star-compliant models, and installing a programmable thermostat. Being thrifty with energy use at home is always a great idea, as it saves money and the planet simultaneously.
Business owners can also play a large part in creating sustainable living practices and setting a good example in their communities. For restaurants in particular, proper handling and disposal of waste products such as fats, oils, and grease from deep fryers and sauté lines can greatly reduce pollution in sewers and local waterways. When kitchen waste is not disposed of correctly, it can clog sewer lines, which causes messy backups and damage. Installation of grease traps in commercial kitchens and arranging for regular cleaning by a professional are a great way for entrepreneurs to reduce their carbon footprints.
If you are an environmentally conscious business owner, contact Drain King for information on grease trap installation and maintenance. Let’s work together to reduce the negative impact left behind by living on our planet.
by Ralph Peterson | Oct 26, 2014 | Drain King, Drain Service
Have you ever walked into a public restroom or a restroom in an office building and been hit with a strong, unpleasant odor? This may be the result of a dirty or clogged floor drain. Floor drains are found in many places like commercial restrooms and industrial spaces, near and around water heaters, in basements, kitchens, or laundry rooms.
The floor drain captures overflow water from sinks, toilets, tubs, rain, and any other pipe in your home, and then directs it safely to a sewer or municipal storm drain, so floors stay dry and rooms do not flood.
If you have floor drains in your home or business and you smell something bad coming from them, it’s typically because the traps have dried out. Floor drains have a U-shaped or P-trap pipe, just like your bathroom sink drain. The U-shaped pipe is designed to hold water that stands in the pipe and prevents sewer gases from coming up through the drain. If you smell sewer gas, fill the drain with a five-gallon bucket of water. This will seal off sewer gases and also let you see if the drain is working properly.
Floor drains become clogged just like any other drain, even more often because they’re on the floor where dirt collects. If your floor drain is clogged or slow, take steps to remove the clog. Use a drain auger or snake to see if you can reach the clog. Floor drains are often connected to longer pipes, so if you are still having problems, please call our professionals at Drain King. We can unclog and, if needed, clean out the pipe.
