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INDIANAPOLIS — The annual Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show here mostly attracts the muni crowd interested in big truck-mounted jetters, pumps and sewer relining. There is, however, a pretty good crowd of plumbers here along with the drain cleaning and pumping manufacturers that target residential and commercial plumbing contractors.
Spartan Tool LLC showed off its Explorer by Scanprobe line of modular cameras that are completely waterproof — even the keyboard — with sunlight-proof no-glare screens and tough pushrods from 130-390 feet. The brightly illuminated cameras are available from 16-50mm. The lithium ion battery gives up to nine hours of running time.
Spartan also showed the Urban Warrior jetter that fits inside a Chevy Express, Ford Transit or GMC Cargo van. The gas-powered jetter is powered by a 50-HP Kubota gas engine that pumps 19-GPM at 3,000 psi. Spartan also has a bigger Urban Warrior that is diesel-powered.
Zoeller Pump Co. told contractors about its series of ½-HP sump pumps, including the plumbers’ go-to Model 98 pump that discharges up to 72-GPM at heads to 23-feet.
Franklin Electric showed off its PowerSewer, a low-pressure residential and commercial sewer system that pumps wastewater to a collection or treatment area, making it an alternative to gravity sewer systems and septic tanks. The PVC inlet is built-in so the installer doesn’t have to drill through the fiberglass basic. The basin is rounded on the bottom so there are no corners for sludge to settle in. The basin also complies with OSHA confined space requirements by being impossible to get into. All of the working parts are on a rail, so to speak. The basin’s internal C-Channel assembly releases from the top of the unit, simplifying accessibility to and maintenance of its components. The float tree is spring loaded and easily removable, with a lift handle to simplify pump removal. All the internal components can be replaced. A molded-in anti-shear discharge connection minimizes the chance that the discharge pipe will break off if the basin settles.
The General Pipe Cleaners team brought a slew of their tools including the Gen-Eye inspection and location system, Mini-Jet compact drain clearing system, DRZ drain cleaners, Speedrooter XL and many others. One of the highlights, though, was the Quick-Fix, which will be of interest for anyone who’s broken a cable. The Quick-Fix lets you quickly repair broken drain snakes using a specially designed spring with a pre-welded female connecter that is easy to attach in the field. You prepare your broken snake by cutting off the damaged or kinked end of the cable with bolt cutters or a hacksaw, then threading the Quick-Fix over the broken snake. You just need to use locking pliers for the repair. Once it’s on, the Quick-Fix holds on so tightly that it can’t be removed.
Electric Eel displayed its line of cameras, including the Cam Ace 2 and the Cam Pro 2. The mid-range Cam Ace 2 comes with one-touch USB recording, an on-screen footage counter, and 200-feet of cabling. The top-of-the-line Cam Pro 2 features a stainless steel housed 1.68-inch self-leveling color camera with a sapphire lens, 20 LED light ring and high-resolution element. The monitor has a 10.4-inch daylight readable display. Voice-over recording is built in.
Zoeller Pump Co. told contractors about its series of ½-HP sump pumps, including the plumbers’ go-to Model 98 pump that discharges up to 72-GPM at heads to 23-feet. The epoxy-coated cast iron pump comes with a three-year warranty. An even better unit that homeowners won’t be buying themselves is the Premium Model 95 that comes with a five-year warranty, advanced switch technology for longer life, 80-GPM pumping up to 26-feet of head, green LED plug showing power to the pump, and a Viton switch arm boot and heavy-duty rubber power cord for longevity and durability.
(Click here to see a video of Zoeller's new grinder pump in operation.)
The Ridge Tool Co. was talking about Bluetooth and WiFi. The company introduced attendees to its RIDGID CS65x, an enhanced digital reporting monitor, featuring Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities to simplify footage viewing and transfer while improving workflow efficiency. Contractors can share video footage with their customers immediately on their smart phones or tablets. The CS65x has ample storage for multiple jobs. That ample storage was changed from a 1 TB disk drive to digital memory, so the device will boot up and be ready for use in 15-20 seconds even when it’s -20°F outside.
The CS65x docks to the SeeSnake Max rM200 Camera System for on-site reporting. It has a built-in, water-resistant keyboard for addition of on-screen titles and annotation of captured media, as well as a daylight viewable display. In addition, PhotoTalk pairs audio commentary with an image in an email-ready file and HQ Software allows for editing, archiving and delivering reports online, via DVD or in print.
Rothenberger showed a new RoDrum pipe cleaning tool that won’t be formally introduced until Frankfurt’s ISH Show in mid-March. The RoDrum snake comes in three sizes with cables that start at 10mm and 13mm, 13mm with an inner core, and 16 and 20mm cables both with inner cores for durability. Rothenberger also displayed its RoCam WiFi enabled video monitor that can send photos or video to the contractor’s mobile device.
Robert P. Mader
Bob Mader is the Editorial Director for Penton's mechanical systems brands, including CONTRACTOR magazine, Contracting Business and HPAC Engineering, all of which are part of Penton’s Energy and Buildings Group. He has been with CONTRACTOR since 1984 and with Penton since 2001. His passions are helping contractors improve their businesses, saving energy and the issue of safeguarding our drinking water. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with an A.B. in American Studies with a Communications Concentration.