Passing Through Traps Or Other Transitions; Cleaning The Drain; Working The Blockage - RIDGID PowerClear Manual De Isntrucciones

PowerClear™ Drain Cleaning Machine
opening (See Figure 7). The guide hose helps to protect
the fixture from damage and contain the liquid thrown off
the cable as it is retrieved from the drain. If the AUTO -
FEED unit is not kept within 6" (15cm) of the drain open-
ing, the cable will not be properly supported and may allow
the cable to twist, kink or break.
Pay attention to how the guide hose feels in your hand.
Because the guide hose is over the cable, there is less
sensitivity to the loading of the cable, and it can be hard to
tell if the cable end is rotating or not. If the cable end is not
rotating, the drain is not being cleaned.
Retrieve
Guide Hose
Figure 9 – Advance/Retrieve Feed Lever
Confirm at least one foot of cable is in drain and end of
AUTOFEED unit is less than 6" (15cm) from drain open-
ing. Press on the foot switch to start the machine. To
advance the cable into the drain, depress the ADVANCE
feed lever (Figure 9). The rotating cable will work its way
into the drain.
Passing Through Traps or other
Transitions
If it is hard to get the cable through a trap, the following
methods or combination of methods can be used.
• First, sharp downward thrusts on the cable/guide
hose, both with and without the cable rotating, can help
to get the cable through a trap.
• A second method is to run the drain cleaner in REV
(REVERSE) for several seconds while pushing down
on the cable/guide hose. Only do this long enough to
get the cable started through the trap. Running the
cable in reverse can damage the cable. With the
cable rotating in REV, the ADVANCE feed lever
retrieves the cable and the RETRIEVE feed lever
advances the cable.
If these options do not work, consider using a smaller
diameter or more flexible cable, or a different RIDGID
drain cleaner.

Cleaning the Drain

Always keep at least one hand on the guide hose/AUTO -
FEED unit. Pay attention how the guide hose feels in
your hand and watch the drum rotation.
10
As you feed the cable into the drain, you may feel and see
the cable/drum slow down and feel the guide hose start to
load or wind up (this will feel like the guide hose is starting
to twist or squirm). This may be a transition in the drain line
(trap, elbow, etc.) build up in the drain (grease, etc.), or the
actual blockage. Feed the cable slowly and carefully. Do
not let cable build up outside drain. This can cause the
cable to twist, kink or break. Keep end of AUTOFEED
unit within 6" (15cm) of drain opening.
Pay attention to the amount of cable that has been fed into
the drain. Feeding cable into a larger drain line or similar
transition may cause the cable to kink or knot and prevent
Advance
removal from the drain. Minimize the amount of cable fed
into the transition to prevent problems. The amount of
Advance
cable in the drum can be monitored through the clear
front housing (Figure 10).
"FOR"
Drum
Retrieve
Rotation
Figure 10 – Monitoring Cable in Drum

Working the Blockage

If the end of the cable stops turning, it is no longer cleaning
the drain. If the cable end becomes lodged in the blockage
and power is maintained to the drain cleaner, the cable will
start to wind up (this may feel like the guide hose is start-
ing to twist or squirm) or buildup outside the drain. Having
a hand on the guide hose can allow you to feel this wind up
and control the cable. As you feel the cable wind up or if the
cable end stops turning, immediately release the AD -
VANCE feed and depress the RETRIEVE feed lever to free
the cable end from the blockage. Do not keep the cable
rotating if the cable end is stuck in a blockage. If the cable
end stops turning and the drum keeps rotating, the cable
can twist, kink or break.
Once the cable end is free of the blockage and the cable
end is turning again, you can slowly feed the rotating
cable end back into the blockage. Let the spinning cable
end "dwell" in the blockage to completely break it up. Do not
try to force the cable end through the blockage. Work the
cable end in this manner until it has moved completely past
the blockage (or blockages), and the drain is flowing.
Drum Full
Partially
Drum Empty
Full