general pipe cleanersmini-rooter, the right machine for clearing washtubs, smallfloor drains, roof vents, and other medium-sized drains. this video gives you a generaloverview of the operating instructions and safetyprocedures for using the
plumbing snake broke in pipe, mini-rooter. it is not a complete list ofall the recommended safety procedures and will not providespecific instructions for every application.
ask your rental dealer fora complete list of safety procedures. he can also give you morespecific instructions to solve your particular cloggeddrain problem. disregarding any of the safetyprocedures while using the mini-rooter can result inserious personal injury or damage to the equipment. to determine whether you'reusing the proper drain-cleaning tool, youmust first locate the
source of the problem. if only one drain in the houseis backed up, the clog is likely to be in the smallerline leading directly from that drain. if the clog is in a washtub,small floor drain, or accessible through a roof vent,the mini-rooter is the appropriate tool to use. if several drains are affected,the blockage is probably in a larger linecommon to those drains.
if this is the case, themini-rooter is not the right tool for the job. consult your rental dealer fora model designed to clear larger drain lines. never use the mini-rooterto clear drains clogged by tree roots. the mini-rooter provides asafe, clean way to clear medium-sized drains. however, as with any powertool, certain safety
precautions are necessary. remember these safety rules asyou operate the machine. check the power cordto make sure there are no cuts or frays. make sure the grounding prongis attached to the plug. be sure the machine is pluggedinto a grounded outlet. verify that the groundis connected. if the mini-rooter's power cordis not long enough, use a three-wire, heavy-dutyextension cord.
make sure the groundprong is in place. using an ungrounded extensioncord is very dangerous. test the ground fault circuitinterrupter before each use. press the test button. then press the reset button. the light will indicate thatit is operating properly. do not operate the machinewhile standing in water. wear leather gloves to protectyour hands when you are handling the cable.
do not use cloth gloves. wear safety glasses or gogglesto protect your eyes from any debris thrown from the rotating cable or drain opening. operating the mini-rooteris a one-person job. never have someone else operatethe foot pedal. this can result inserious injury. never use the machine in adrain that has a chemical drain cleaner in it.
know how to shut off the machinein an emergency. choosing the right cuttersfor your clogged drain problem is important. your rental dealer willsupply the appropriate tools for your needs. the arrow-head andinch-and-a-half u cutters are good cutters to start with. they are ideal for cuttingand scraping. the boring gimlet is forremoving loose objects.
the two-inch side cutter bladeis a good finishing tool. it scrapes the walls of thepipe for a more thorough cleaning job. start with the smallercutters. then change to the largercutters after you've gotten the water flowing. to attach a cutter, first turnoff the power switch. then remove the screwon the connector at the end of the cable.
underneath the screwis a lock washer. make sure you don't lose it. put the cutter in the slot. replace the lock washerand connecting screw. then tighten the screw firmly. before you begin the job, checkout where the line goes. if possible, use an openingbeyond the trap. place the machine no fartherthan two feet from the drain opening to avoid cablewhipping and kinking.
if you can't place it that closeto the drain, run the cable through a metalpipe to prevent the cable from whipping. pull the cable out of the cageand push it into the drain until it won't goin any farther. then pull out a little extracable from the cage so that the cable is bowed. make sure the air foot pedalis placed so you can reach it easily.
turn the power switchon the machine to the forward position. with both hands on the cable,start the machine by depressing the foot pedal. stop and start the machinea few times to get the feel of the pedal. then work the cableinto the drain. guide the cable into the drainwith a firm, even pressure. when the cable slack is gone,stop the motor by releasing
the foot pedal. depress the foot pedaland run the mini-rooter in forward again. don't force the cableinto the drain. you won't clear theline any faster. and you could damage the cableor seriously injure yourself. the cable must turn freelyas the cage rotates. if it jams, the cable willbuild up torque, start to buckle, and then in the blink ofan eye, twist itself into a
series of loops. if your hands are caught in aloop, you risk severe injury. again, do not force the cable. if the cable begins to buckle ortwist, stop by taking your foot off the pedal. then rotate the cage inthe opposite direction to untwist the cable. push any excess cable backinto the cage before continuing.
go slow. again, don't force the cable. if the cage stops turning yetthe motor is still running, you're forcing the cable. the safety clutch will slipuntil you stop the machine and pull back on the cable. push any excess cableinto the cage. when you meet resistance in thedrain, move the cable back and forth until the resistancelessons and the cable moves
freely again. always keep the mini-rootermotor switch in the forward position. whether you're feedingcable into the drain or pulling it out. use reverse only to release thecable if it gets stuck. if the cable gets stuck, switchthe motor to reverse. put both hands on the cable. and run the machine for onlya few seconds at a time.
running the machine in reverselonger can damage the cable. when the cable pulls free, putthe switch back in forward. continue slowly working thecable into the drain a few inches at a time untilthe drain is clear. run water into the drain towash away any cuttings and clean off the cable. after the drain is clear, slowlypull the cable out of the drain and feed itback into the cage. make sure the motors switch isstill in the forward position.
when you get close to the end ofthe cable, stop the machine and pull the cable out ofthe drain carefully. if you leave the machineunattended, switch the machine off and pull out the plug.
if you have any questionsor difficulties, ask your rental dealer. he'll be glad to give youfurther assistance. general pipe cleaners, thetoughest tools down the line.
