Drain technician

The job

You clear blocked drains and find out why they blocked. You run cable machines on sinks, tubs, and floor drains, and a trailer jetter on main lines. On every main-line call you push a camera through the line, record the run, and mark the depth and position of any break, root intrusion, or sag with the locator. The recording goes to the customer with your notes. When a line needs digging or relining, you pass the footage to our estimator for a written price.

A normal day

The day starts at 7:00 at the area base, where you hitch the jetter trailer and test the camera. Most days are four to six calls: a kitchen sink, a basement floor drain backing up, a main line full of roots. You wear protective gear on every sewage call and disinfect the area you worked in before you leave. Between calls you rinse and stow the cable and the camera head, and upload the recordings from the van. You finish by 15:30 unless it is your on-call week.

What you need

• One year of drain or plumbing work
• Comfort with sewage, tight spaces, and lifting 25 kg
• A driving licence (you tow the jetter trailer)
• A background check before the trial day
• A place on the on-call rota: one week in four, evenings and weekends

What we provide

• Pay every Friday, plus an on-call payment for your week and the hourly rate, minimum two hours, for every call-out
• A van, jetter trailer, inspection camera, locator, and cable machines
• Protective clothing, boots, gloves, and the vaccinations recommended for sewage work, paid
• Camera and jetter training on paid ride-alongs
• A paid trial day with our lead drain technician

The trial day is one paid day with one of our leads, on real jobs. At the end you both say whether it is a fit; if it is, you start the following week.