Handling A Stuck Tool; Freeing A Stuck Tool; Retrieving The Cable; Using Machine With A Front Guide Hose - RIDGID K-750 Manual

K-750 Drain Cleaning Machine

Handling A Stuck Tool

If the tool stops turning and the cable cannot be pulled
back from the blockage, immediately release the foot
switch while firmly holding the cable. Do not remove
hands from cable or cable may kink, twist and break. The
motor will stop and the cable and drum may turn back-
wards until the energy stored in the cable is relieved. Do
not remove hands from cable until the tension is re-
leased. Place FOR/OFF/REV switch in OFF position.

Freeing A Stuck Tool

If the tool is stuck in the blockage, with the FOR/OFF/-
REV switch in the OFF position and the foot switch re-
leased, try pulling the cable loose from the blockage. If
the tool will not come free from the blockage, place the
FOR/OFF/REV switch in the REV position. Grasp the
cable with both gloved hands, press the foot switch for
several seconds and pull on the cable until it is free of the
blockage. Do not operate the machine in the REV posi-
tion any longer than required to free the cutting tool
from the blockage or cable damage can occur. Place the
FOR/OFF/REV switch in the FOR position and con-
tinue 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/OFF/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. As
with feeding the cable into the drain, cables can be caught
while being retrieved.
• Manual Operation – With both gloved hands equally
spaced on the exposed cable for control, pull 6"-12"
lengths of cable from the drain at a time and feed it
into the drum .
• AUTOFEED Operation – With one hand near the
center of the exposed length of cable, move the feed
lever in the direction opposite the cable rotation to
retrieve the cable. The rotating cable will work its way
out of the drain and back into the drum.
Continue retrieving cable until the cable end is just inside
the drain opening. Release the foot switch and allow the
machine to come to a complete stop. 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.
14
Pay attention to the cable during retrieval as the cable end
can still become stuck.
Place the FOR/OFF/REV switch in the OFF position.
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 pro-
cess. Several passes through a line are recommended for
complete cleaning.

Using Machine With A Front Guide Hose

The front guide hose is an optional accessory to help
protect fixtures and contain the liquid and debris thrown
off of the cable. It can only be used with an AUTOFEED.
Using the Front Guide hose can decrease feedback
from the cable, making it harder to tell what conditions
the cable is encountering. This may increase the pos-
sibility of damage to the cable. Using the front guide
hose makes it more difficult to switch back a forth be-
tween manual and AUTOFEED operation.
Using a machine with the front guide hose is similar to
using a machine with just the AUTOFEED. Follow in-
structions for AUTOFEED operation with the following
exceptions:
• When setting up the machine, insert the guide hose
at least 6" into the drain.
• Instead of holding the cable, hold the guide hose.
See Figure 15. Always control the guide hose and
properly support the cable to prevent the cable from
twisting, kinking or breaking.
Figure 15 – Using Machine with Guide Hose