The conventional understanding of Murphy's Law is that if something can go wrong, it will. It might be safe enough to add that if an incident happens, it will likely occur at the most inopportune time. For general tool rental market customers, this inconvenient moment will probably be when the local rental business is closed. Drains will always be clogging, allowing for plumbers and drain cleaner contractors to be busier than ever - making fora robust market for drain cleaning rentals.
If you are considering entering the general tool rental market by adding drain-cleaning equipment to your fleet, there are two big questions to ponder:
- Do you want to be open on Saturday?
- Do you want to rent to homeowners, small business owners, facility maintenance engineers, and contractors doing service work?
According to Dave Dunbar, Customer Success Specialist at General Pipe Cleaners (General Wire Spring Company), the number of major players in the rental marketplace opting out of this area has increased. This decision, he explains, "limits their involvement with drain cleaning and cedes this profitable segment to the box stores and specialty market. Any business that throws its hat into the ring and does minimal marketing can pay for a standard set of equipment in months."
With minimum preventative maintenance procedures, these machines can last for a decade. For Dunbar, the business decision to add drain cleaner equipment to your fleet is easy and that will fill an important need for the local community.
Another consideration surrounds liability. While many of today's drain cleaning machines are considered safer and more convenient, there remains a possibility of injury if the customer misuses the equipment. Training is suggested for the homeowner and inexperienced users. Upon return, it is recommended that the rental store inspect and clean the equipment to protect its return on investment. It's these reasons some rental companies have opted out of the category but working with a manufacturer with a good rep network and support can reduce a renter's exposure to liability.
General Pipe Cleaners
Advancements
While the concept of drain cleaning equipment can be deceptively straightforward, there have been developments that can be game-changers for the rental market. For the uninitiated, the "open-cage" drum-style cable drain cleaning machine - one of the more common options for the non-professional customer aside from lighter weight versions - features a motor that rotates a drum and cable (lengths can range up to 100 ft., at 1/2-, 5/8- or 3/4-in. wide). Various de-clogging attachments or bits can be mounted on the tip to clear obstructions. Depending on the width and length of the cable, these machines can reach up to 100 lbs. The width of the cable relates to the width of the drain line - the wider the cable, the wider the line. The cable spins inside to work at whatever is obstructing flow.
Feed & Guide - Recent advancements in drum-style cable drain cleaning machines include the power feed and guide tube assembly. While heavier, these are designed to make the machines easier to use. Dunbar explains, "[these] separate the customer from the cable, greatly reducing the chances of injury and cutting down on the rental store's liability."
Without a motor to provide the work, the greatest danger with non-power-feed machines happens when a kink in the cable forms as the user forces the cable into the line. The pressure built within the cable can spring back to the customer's hand or arm. When used properly, says Dunbar, the power feed and guide tube can help reduce the possibiltiy of injury and liability for the rental company, make the machine easier to use - not to mention increase the odds of actually removing the obstruction.
Rental companies can find additional benefits of having an "upgraded" fleet of these machines by being able to better market to trade professionals like plumbers, drain cleaning professionals, and facility maintenance negineers. For instance, should the contractor know that you - the local rental company - has a machine similar to the one they have been using, they are more likely to enlist their services when one of his machines is in need of repair. "The rental company reaps the additional benefit of renting to a more experienced user who is less likely to damage his machine", says Dunbar. Adding that there may be an opportunity to for an additional charge for such preimum equipment.
General Pipe Cleaners
Attachment - Drain-cleaning attachments have also seen some innovative ideas. The Clog Chopper, for one, acts as a starting tool to aid in negotiating the twists and turns of a pipe, yet designed to have the strength to bore through whatever is blocking the drain. The attachment's rounded shape helps move the tool along and avoid damaging the pipe. General Pipe Cleaners consider it "the only cutter you need" having it act as a starting tool, root cutter, de-scaler, and finishing tool. According to Dunbar, rental stores have gone as far as welding or using LocTite to pernamently attach the Clog Chopper on the end of the cable before renting. The round shape allows the tool to smootly follow the pip
Training - Pushing training even further, some manufacturers provide QR codes on every device directing to an instructional video on YouTube. General Pipe Cleaners, for example, includes a code to that links to their instructional video library. These videos include both instructional and repair videos, saving time and increasing safety. In short, customers have access to how-tos and rental companies have repair videos on demand.
As an insideer for the industry, Dunbar sees new technology entering the drain cleaning field though the pipe relining trend. Cured in place pipe (CIPP) relining, for the most part, began in Europe but gaining traction here. "Because the equipment used in this field is expensive and most of the machines are relatively durable, it may offer rental stores a window of opportunity to foster opportunities for mid-sized and small plumbing companies interested in renting flexible shaft milling devices and CIPP blowing and curing machines.
Just as the professionals need the support equipment for today's (and tomorrow's) jobs such as backhoes and excavators, investing in this equipment can create a synergy by providing the right tools ends users may need - boosting business and reinforcing a deeper relationships with customers.
