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HISTORY OF ROTO-ROOTER®:

IN THE BEGINNING: When a clogged sewer at his son's home in Des Moines, Iowa, took hours to clear, Samuel Blanc set out to find a faster, easier solution. Six years later, in 1933 Blanc created a funny looking sewer-cleaning machine from a 1/6 HP Maytag washing machine motor. Roller skate wheels and a 3/8" cable to turn the blades. The devise used a combination of special blades or "knives" to cut tree roots out of sewer lines. No digging was required. A year later, Sam's wife, Littie, christened the prototype, the "Roto-Rooter®".

In the depression-scarred mid-30s, those desperate for jobs jumped at the chance to buy their own "Roto-Rooter®" machine from Blanc for $250. Under license agreements, they took the invention back to their hometowns and started Roto-Rooter® businesses. Soon the invention made its way to the upper Midwest, the Great Plains and the Northeast. Then it started moving out West. With ads in "Life" magazine, many GIs returning home from World War 2 purchased a machine and agreement from the new Roto-Rooter® Corporation and started their own businesses.

Roto-Rooter® was the only company to actually guarantee that sewer lines would get cleaned of all roots and obstructions without having to dig up the lawn. The motto, "Roto-Rooter®'s patented cutting blades slice through roots and cut them away...Razor- Kleen®!" was emblazoned on service vehicles across the nation.

The 1950s saw the creation of two milestones-still being used today; a new drain pipe trade mark that featured a circular drainpipe half-filled with water and a musical jingle with the words "Roto-Rooter®, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain®."

In the 60s many operators were the first in this industry to provide service around-the-clock and the first to offer a written guarantee for their service. Also, from the 50s forward, every home in America started to own a new invention, the TV. Roto-Rooter® went into an extensive national advertising plan with its owners. This, with the jingle, helped to make Roto-Rooter® the household name it is today.

In the 80s plumbing repair also became a major area of emphasis for most owners. This was just a natural extension of Roto-Rooter®'s core drain-cleaning business.

ROTO-ROOTER® TODAY:

Today, most Roto-Rooter® owners offer a variety and ever-expanding list of services to both homeowners and businesses. Roto-Rooter® today provides drain-cleaning service to 90% of our nation and plumbing to 80%.

WHERE IS ROTO-ROOTER® GOING TOMORROW?

Our goal is always to stay the nation's #1 provider of sewer, drain and plumbing services to both residential and commercial accounts. As always, we'll continue to listen to our customers and to extend our service offerings to meet and exceed their changing expectations.

Home Services H2O – Conserve It! Ask our Plumber

Helpful Hints History About Us Schedule Service Contact Us