Picote Solutions has recently launched its latest high-speed pipeline cleaning system for the drainage market, the Mini Cleaner. Aimed at the domestic drainage and plumbing sector in particular, the Picote Mini Cleaner is the company’s first machine specifically designed for cleaning operations in the DN32 to DN70 range. With typical waste pipes in the UK being as small as 32 mm diameter this machine is being positioned to offer an ideal solution for pipeline cleaning.
As with other Picote machine designs the Mini Cleaner has a flexible two-part shaft with a rotating inner core to which the cleaning heads are attached and a stationary outer casing that ensures the operator’s hands do not make contact with rotating parts during the cleaning operation which improves operator safety and flexibility compared with other typical cleaning machines currently on the market. The outer casing is also durable, flame, abrasion and chemically resistant with a high continuous service temperature. The whole unit weighs in at only 26.5 kg.
Designed for high speed descaling of pipes and blockage removal, the Mini Cleaner also has the flexibility to handle multiple 90º bends even in the smaller diameter pipes. The system comes with its own tool kit of cleaning adapters designed for works in ‘small diameter waste pipes’. The tool kit comprises a 32 mm chain, a 40 mm chain, 32 mm and 40 mm nylon brushes and a special Smart Cleaner with polishing pads for the removal of harder deposits in these smaller pipes.
Another advantage of the high flexibility of the Mini Cleaner shaft is that it can be used without the need to remove the toilet bowl to access down pipes for cleaning or blockage removal (although it cannot be used on Syphonic toilets). This minimises contractor time on site and inconvenience to the householder/client.
Safety has been a core aspect of the design and the unit has a Safety Clutch, 16m of 8mm rotating shaft housed inside the specialised outer casing mentioned previously and a shielded foot pedal control that allows the operator to start and stop the machine without the need to remove a hand from the shaft during operation.
According to Picote Solutions’ Richard Swan: “This Mini Cleaner machine replaces around two thirds of more traditional cleaning machine types including both hand-held and floor-mounted systems with just one machine. The use of the two-part shaft improves operator safety as does the mechanical clutch, emergency stop button and operator presence control (shielded foot pedal) for operation. The foot pedal means that the user can guide the shaft, through the pipe, with both hands on the non-rotating outer shaft whilst the rotating inner shaft does the work. Safety has always been our highest concern during development work.”
The Mini Cleaner can also access pipelines via ‘P’ traps and on 50 mm diameter pipes and above the system can work with the Picote Mini Smart Sweeper. The company has also produced a flexi version of the Mini Twister which is designed for use on DN50 to DN70 pipes to reinstate lined lateral connections, again when using the Mini Cleaner as the power source.
The Mini Smart Sweeper is more aggressive in its cleaning action than a standard Picote Chain and can remove hard scale and grease in small pipes, including bathroom lines and kitchen sinks.
