After four decades, Jack Elvig Sr. really values performance and reliability in drain cleaning tools. “I’ve been exclusively in commercial property maintenance since 1966,” he says. “And in that time, I’ve developed a pretty clear picture of what works and what doesn’t.”

That’s why the Seattle-Tacoma maintenance pro favors General Pipe Cleaners equipment, especially the Power-Vee automatic feed drain cleaner. “It’s a great one-man machine,” Elvig says. “You pull the trigger, and it does the work for you.” 

The hand-held Power-Vee easily unclogs drains from 1 1/4 to 3 inches in diameter in sinks, tubs and laundry drains. The automatic feed makes the job easier when working in awkward spots like under sinks. 

That’s especially crucial in maintaining town houses, apartments and condos. “I handle hundreds of units in complexes near Washington’s Sea-Tac airport,” Elvig says. “And Power-Vee does 95 percent of our jobs.” 

Just squeeze the feed lever, and the cable automatically feeds itself into the line. To retract, just reverse the motor and squeeze again. The cable feeds at up to 16 feet per minute. The Dyna-thrust bearing system helps ensure less bearing wear and longer tool life.

Rugged dependability

“I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that we don’t have plugged drains,” Elvig says, calling General’s drain cleaning tools a fast, efficient way of unclogging lines. 

He especially values the tool’s rugged dependability. “Our Power-Vee goes through lots of abuse,” Elvig admits. “And General tools always perform.” It also features quick-change cartridges for rapidly swapping or cleaning cables.

Power-Vee adjusts in seconds to any Flexicore cable from 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter, with no special tools or parts required. “In over 40 years of doing this, I’ve never broken a General cable,” Elvig says. “If you break a cable in the line, you cause a whole other set of problems.”

Heavy-duty wire tightly coiled around 49-strand aircraft-type wire rope, General’s strong Flexicore cable blends superior kinking resistance and unequalled strength with optimal flexibility. It’s so tough that it carries the best warranty in the business: one-year protection against breakage. With his premium on equipment reliability and quick, professional service, “Flexicore is the only cable that I really trust,” Elvig says. 

“If all my cutters and snakes aren’t General, I don’t want them. If you need them two or three times a day, they absolutely have to work — and they have to hold up.”

Considering the whole package, Elvig says he’s looked into other competitors, and “they simply don’t work as well as General.” 

One happy professional

Elvig loves the peace of mind that rugged, reliable equipment affords. 

“I have decades-old machines and they’re still in use,” he says. “General obviously cares about quality and workmanship.” 

In the end, Elvig pulls no punches when extolling his drain cleaning equipment. “With General, you’re not buying a name, you’re buying quality.”