While working the blockage, the cable and tool may
become clogged with debris and cuttings from the block-
age. This can prevent further progress. The cable and
tool need to be retrieved from the drain and the debris re-
moved. See section on "Retrieving the Cable".
Handling A Stuck Tool/Cable End
If the cable end stops turning and cannot be pulled back
from the blockage, release the ON/OFF switch while
firmly holding the drain cleaner. The motor will stop and
the cable and drum may turn backwards until energy
stored in the cable is relieved. Do not pull the drain
cleaner further than 12" (30cm) from the drain - the cable
may twist, kink or break. Keep your finger off of the
ON/OFF switch.
Freeing A Stuck Tool
If the cable end is stuck in the blockage, release the
ON/OFF switch, pull the handgrip toward the drum to grip
the cable and try pulling the cable loose from the block-
age. Be careful not to damage the cable or tool while
pulling on the cable. If the cable will not come free from
the blockage, place the FOR/REV switch in the REV po-
sition, and with the handgrip toward the drum to grip the
cable, press the ON/OFF switch for several seconds
and pull on the cable until it is free of the blockage. Do
not operate the machine in the REV position any longer
than required to free the cable end from the blockage or
cable damage can occur (with FOR/REV switch in REV
position the AUTOFEED Advance feed lever will re-
trieve cable). Place the FOR/REV switch in the FOR po-
sition and continue cleaning the drain.
Retrieving The Cable
Once the drain is open, start a flow of water down the
drain to flush the debris out of the line. This can be
done by running a hose down the drain opening, turning
on a faucet in the system or other methods. Pay attention
to the water level, as the drain could plug again.
With water flowing through the drain, retrieve the cable
from the line. The flow of water will help to clean the
cable as it is retrieved. The FOR/REV switch should be in
the FOR position – do not retrieve the cable with the
switch in the REV position, this can damage the cable.
• Manual Operation – Pull the handgrip forward to re-
lease the chuck from the cable. With your gloved
hand, grip the cable close to the drain opening and re-
trieve the cable back into the drum. This can be
done either with the cable rotating or not. Rotating the
cable while retrieving does a better job of cleaning the
drain and makes retrieving the cable easier. Do not
expose more than 12" (30cm) of cable.
The chuck can be used to better grip the cable during
1.800.561.8187
www.
.com
K-45 Drain Cleaning Machine
retrieval. Move the handgrip towards the drum to grip
the cable with the chuck. With the cable rotating
(ON/OFF switch ON) move the drain cleaner away
from the drain opening (but do not expose more than
12" (30cm) of cable). Release the ON/OFF switch.
Move the handgrip away from the drum to release
the chuck from the cable. Grip the cable with your
gloved hand close to the drain opening (to prevent it
from pushing back into the drain) and push the drain
cleaner over the cable back into the drum. Repeat
the above steps to continue retrieving the cable in
this manner.
• AUTOFEED Operation – Confirm that the cable out-
let of the drain cleaner is no more than 6" (15cm)
from the drain opening. Pull the handgrip away from
the drum to disengage the chuck from the cable. Do
not engage the chuck while using the AUTOFEED.
Press the ON/OFF switch to start the machine. To re-
trieve the cable, depress the retrieve feed lever. The ro-
tating cable will work its way out of the drain.
Pay attention to the cable during retrieval as the cable end
can still become stuck.
Release the ON/OFF switch before the cable end comes
out of the drain. Do not pull the end of the cable from the
drain while the cable is rotating. The cable can whip
around and cause serious injury. Pull the remaining cable
from the drain with gloved hands and feed back into the
drain cleaner. If needed, change the tool and continue
cleaning following the above process. Several passes
through a line are recommended for complete cleaning.
With dry hands unplug the machine.
Maintenance Instructions
WARNING
Maintain drain cleaning machine according to these
procedures to reduce risk of injury from electrical
shock, chemical burns and other causes.
Machine should be unplugged before performing
any maintenance.
Always wear safety glasses and RIDGID drain clean-
ing gloves when performing any maintenance.
Cleaning
The machine should be cleaned as needed with hot,
soapy water and/or disinfectants. Do not allow water to
enter motor or other electrical components. Make sure
unit is completely dry before plugging in and using. Use
a clean cloth to wipe off unit. Do not use any solvents to
clean.
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