Tuberculation and limescale build up are difficult to remove with a jetter, or rooter machine. With a good quality Sewer & Drain Chain attached to the end of your flex shaft, you can clean pipework at the rate of 1 meter in 30 seconds (6,4 feet per minute).
This system is perfect for removing failed liner installations in the pipe line rehabilitation business. Some Sewer & Drain Cleaning Chains have drill heads mounted to the front specifically for this purpose.
Benefits of a flex shaft over other drain cleaning tools
We are not saying that you should replace your jetting machine, and only use a flex shaft. A jetting machine can clear roots, cement, tuberculation and limescale, but if you have a flex shaft available when you have stubborn blockages, you will save hours of time, and water.
The flex shaft can remove tuberculation, lime scale, urine scale, and even cement within seconds, as opposed to the time it would take to do the same task with a jetting machine or rooter.
In areas where water is a scarce resource, the flex shaft is the perfect tool for removing blockages, because it does not need water to perform.
Since the shaft is contained in a housing, you could use a drain inspection camera simultaneously to see your progress in real time.
The best part is that the shafts require very little maintenance, and unlike a rooter, the flex shaft is not affected by vibration.
Compared to a rooter, the fact that the flex shaft is housed in a protective sleeve, is of great benefit from a safety perspective, as you would not need thick uncomfortable gloves to protect your hands from the spring cable.
Another benefit of a flex shaft over a rooter tool is that most of the energy provided to the rooter spring shaft is stored within the coil, whilst the same torque put into the flex shaft on the drill end is passed through the flex shaft, so you need less power to achieve the same result.
Lastly, the flex shaft drain cleaning chains clear the entire inner circumference of the pipe, whereas the rooting cable does not have this capability. This will prevent callbacks when the line is not properly cleared.