Interview with a drain cleaner... - Northeast Sewer & Drain

So I did an interview with Justin head drain cleaner/estimator at Northeast Sewer & Drain Service who happens to be my husband. I thought we could get a little bonding time together. Anyone who knows Justin knows he can’t sit for very long, so as I followed him around the house I finally cornered him in of all places the bathroom, I sat outside the door and fired away….

So what made you go into drain cleaning?

You already know the answer to this!…..(He was not liking this, but I persisted) There were lots of construction contractors and everyone had a backhoe…It was getting very hard to compete. When your bidding against contractors that are 20x your size and “Joe Smith” with his 1960’s backhoe under cutting you…It became ridiculous. I had been putting in sewer lines and maintaining them for a long time, drain cleaning was kind of a progression…And I liked the technology of it all, the cameras and line locators, trenchless technologies it’s always a surprise.

By this time he was out of the bathroom and I made him sit in the office until he answered all my questions.

Do you like drain cleaning?

*Shrug* yeah I guess…Sure.

What is the most exciting part of your job?

Meeting new customers, and new people. And being able to figure out complex problems..

“Your really good at that” I said

Yeah I guess I am…and he smiled.

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever found in a sewer line?

*long pause…..* A dead rat, and lots of kids toys, toothbrushes……*another long pause* Oh wait, a coat hanger in the toilet….That was a weird one….

“Why is that weird?” I asked

Why would a coat hanger be in the toilet?

He looked at me like I had 5 heads, so I let it go….

Coat hanger in toilet trap=weird, got it..

What is the hardest part of your job?

*Uhmmmmm* I don’t know?…(he repeted this several times)……You (Meaning Me)

“Try again” I say….He has no idea how good he’s got it.

I guess it would have to be to tell a homeowner that their sewer line needs to be replaced and you know they don’t have the money to do it, that’s really hard.

What is the next piece of drain cleaning equipment you’d like to purchase?

A larger hydro jetter 40 gpm (gallons per minute), and larger pipe bursting equipment to do larger industrial jobs, camera to do up to 120″ pipe….A new van…..

I stopped him at the van, I only had so much time.

Where would you like the company to be in 5 years?

I would still like to be a small business, maybe 2 more guys but be very efficient at what we do. And the best in the industry…Have the equipment to do huge industrial work.

I agreed

Who’s the best secretary in the drain cleaning field?

Who? He said

Me? I smiled

He laughed….really, really hard.

I didn’t think it was all that funny a question. Thank goodness I am aware of my awesomeness as a secretary…

He’s still laughing:(

And that concluded our interview.

Northeast Sewer & Drain Service

172 Flaggy Meadow Road
Gorham, ME 04038

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Office (207) 839-6839

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sales@northeastsewer.com

Thank you, 2 small kids and no toilet is very inconvenient..Thank you for coming right away and fixing it.

– Julie T.
Gorham

Justin was courteous and very knowledgeable he worked quickly to get my problem fixed. Making this single mother of three relieved that a clogged toilet wasn’t the end of the world.

– Angela C.
Portland

Thank you Justin for jetting the milk line at my farm in Gorham.

– Walter Young
Gorham

Thank you Northeast Sewer for fixing our drain problem with Aceto Construction, our closing went on as scheduled 🙂
Thanks again

– The Bachmans

I am a first time homeowner and needed a new sewer line installed, heart stopping when I had no knowledge of such things. I called northeast sewer everyday for a week with questions and concerns. They televised my line and showed me exactly where the break was (pretty amazing) I could see it on the screen!! Fixed it in one day!!

– Teran
Portland

Justin and Kelly are the owners, and they could not have been better to work with. I had a 120 year old BRICK (yes, brick) sewer line collapse and they diagnosed the problem, involved the city and fixed it for less than I was expecting to pay. I learned that they own and operate their own excavating equipment which means jobs are done more quickly and less expensively than others. I am a raving fan, and have already referred them out.

– Matt Tasker
Merchant Services

Thank you Ryan and Kelly for your help with my flooded basement. I am deaf and have a hard time communicating sometimes, but Kelly was able to communicate with me through text and e-mail Northeast Sewer figured out my problem and worked late into the night to corrected it, Thank you very much.

– Roseanne C.
Cape Elizabeth

hired Northeast Sewer to inspect my main line with their sewer camera because our basement kept getting water. We had roots in our line. Northeast removed the roots put us on a yearly maintenance plan and we haven’t had a problem since. Thank you.

– Jeff C.

I just wanted to compliment your plumber, Justin, who came to our home this evening. He was a professional and absolutely fantastic. He explained everything to us and fixed our problem efficiently and with accuracy. Thank you so much. We will look to you in the future for our sewer and drainage needs.

– Kelly and Beth Hoffman

I’m a widow living on a fixed income, Northeast Sewer & Drain not only charged a reasonable price, but gave me another 10% for being a Senior Citizen, I’ve told all my Senior friends.

– Helen W. (Age 70.)
Falmouth

Thank you Northeast! We needed help on a Saturday afternoon and you answered your phone, & came quickly. Ryan was courteous & very knowledgeable. He was able to fix our problem very quickly too. You have great service, thanks again! 🙂 We are happy customer! Thank you Northeast Sewer…

– Gail M.
Waterboro

I want to thank the 2 gentleman who came last Friday morning and fixed my downstairs’ toilet. They knew what they were doing, not like some so-called professionals. They let you know what was going on. Very pleasant people to have working at your house. If I have a similar problem next time, I’m going to call Northeast Sewer & Drain first!

– Ellen P.

A great big thank you to Justin and Kelly Dearborn from Northeast Sewer & Drain Service for fixing the plumbing issues we had at our house yesterday. Despite Allen Heplers best efforts we needed to call in the professionals! Thanks for getting there so quickly, Justin and fixing our mess! Hey friends call them if you need some plumbing work. They are great!

– Christine Iaconeta Hepler
Gorham

Northeast Sewer & Drain replaced my crushed sewer line in one day, I was not inconvenienced at all. Reliable service at a price I could afford. Thanks!

– Bill M.