RIDGID K-40 Manual page 14

K-40 Drain Cleaning Machine
the end of the AUTOFEED is within 6 inches of the drain
opening. See Figure 11. 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
AUTOFEED is not kept within 6" of the drain opening, the
cable will not be properly supported and may allow the
cable to twist, kink or break.
When using a machine with a front guide hose, pay at-
tention to how the guide hose feels in your hand and
watch the drum rotation. Because the guide hose is over
the cable, there is less sensitivity to the loading of the
cable, and it can be harder to tell if the tool is rotating or not.
If the tool is not rotating, the drain is not being cleaned.
Retrieve Feed
Lever
Guide
Hose
Figure 12 – Advance/Retract Feed Lever
Starting the cable in the drain
Confirm at least one foot of cable is in drain and end of
AUTOFEED is less than 6" from Drain opening. Press on
the foot switch to start the machine. To advance the cable
into the drain, depress the ADVANCE feed lever (Figure 12
and 13). The rotating cable will work its way into the drain.
The person controlling the cable and the AUTOFEED
must also control the foot switch. Do not operate the
drain cleaner with one person controlling the cable and
AUTOFEED and another person controlling the foot
switch. This can lead to kinking, twisting and breaking
of the cable.
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, both with
and without the cable turning, can help to get the tool to
pass through the trap.
• A second method is to run the drain cleaner in REV
(REVERSE) for several seconds while pushing down on
the cable. Only do this long enough to get the cable
started through the trap. Running the drain cleaner in re-
verse can damage the cable.
• Finally, if none of these options work, consider using a
smaller diameter or more flexible cable, or a different
drain cleaner.
12
Advance Feed
Lever
Cable
Figure 13 – AUTOFEED in Advance and Retrieve Position
Cleaning the Drain
Always keep one hand on the guide hose. As you feed the
cable into the drain, you may feel and see the cable 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 within 6" of drain
opening.
Pay attention to the amount of cable that has been fed into
the drain. If using cable with the "speed bump" feature
(See Figure 10), the speed bump will not pass through the
depressed AUTOFEED. This indicates that it is time to re-
trieve the cable. Feeding cable into a larger drain line or
similar transition may cause the cable to kink or knot and
prevent removal from the drain. Minimize the amount of
cable fed into the transition to prevent problems.
Working the blockage
If the tool at the end of the cable stops turning, it is no
longer cleaning the drain. If the tool 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 starting to twist or squirm) and buildup outside the
drain. Having a hand on the guide hose can allow you to
Advance
Retrieve
278-104-281.10_REV. B