Flex shaft and accessories
What is a plumbing flex shaft?
The flex shaft is a connecting device for radial power transmission. The shaft is designed to reach obstacles in tight working environments whilst spinning at speeds ranging from 500-3500 RPM.
The shaft spins in a self-contained housing called a sleeve, which makes it safer, and cleaner to use than a rooter cable.
With the correct drain cleaning chain attached, your shaft will outperform a jetting machine since it has the capacity to remove tuberculation, urine scale, lime scale build up and even cement within seconds.
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.
The equipment is compact, so it can easily be transported in a car boot, or be taken in an elevator to work on pipes in high-rise buildings.
In factories, where it is not possible to take a jetting machine, the flex shaft and drain cleaning chains will bring you the same result without the need for bulky equipment.
In areas where the noise level needs to be kept to a minimum, this tools is your only option.
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 call-backs when the line is not cleared properly.