Machine inspection
Warning: Before each use inspect your drain cleaning machine.
Correct any problems to reduce the risk of serious injury from electric shock,
twisted or broken cables, chemical burns, infections, and other causes
and to prevent damage to the drain cleaner.
Always wear safety glasses, RIDGID drain cleaning gloves,
and other appropriate protective equipment when inspecting your drain cleaner.
For extra protection from chemicals and bacteria on the equipment, wear latex, rubber
or other liquid barrier gloves under the RIDGID drain cleaning gloves.
Inspect the RIDGID drain cleaning gloves.
Make sure they are in good condition with no holes, tears,
or loose sections that may catch in the rotating cable.
It is important not to wear improper or damaged gloves.
The gloves protect your hands from the rotating cable.
If the gloves are not RIDGID drain cleaning gloves or are damaged or worn out,
do not use the machine until RIDGID drain cleaning gloves are available.
Make sure that the drain cleaning machine is unplugged.
Inspect the power cord, ground fault circuit interrupter, and plug for damage.
If the plug has been modified, is missing the grounding prong, or if the cord is damaged,
to avoid electrical shock, do not use the machine
until the cord has been replaced by a qualified repair person.
Clean any oil, grease, or dirt from all equipment handles and controls.
This helps prevent the machine or controls from slipping from your grip.
Make sure the foot switch is attached to the drain cleaning machine.
Do not operate the machine without the foot switch.
Inspect the drain cleaning machine for any broken, worn, missing, misaligned
or binding parts, or any other condition which may prevent safe and normal operation.
Make sure that the handle moves smoothly between positions and locks into place.
Also, ensure that the bumpers at the bottom of the handle are present and firmly attached.
Rotate the drum and make sure it turns freely without binding.
If any problems are found, do not use the machine until problems have been repaired.
Check that the warning label is present and firmly attached.
Do not operate the drain cleaning machine without the warning label!
Check the belt guard to ensure that it is securely fastened to the drain cleaner.
Do not operate without the guard in place.
Clean any debris from the cable and tools.
Inspect cables for wear and damage.
Inspect for wear.
Wear can be identified by looking for flats on the outside of the cable.
Cables are made from round wire.
The outside of the cable should be rounded like the wire profile.
If you see an obvious flat on the outside of the cable, it is worn and should be replaced.
Cable kinks.
If the cable is not perfectly straight but is slightly wavy, that is acceptable.
Kinked cables have a well-defined bend and may have gaps between the coils of the cable.
Slight kinks, up to 15 degrees can be straightened.
But all kinks weaken the cable and can cause cable failure during use.
Cables with multiple or excessively large kinks should be replaced.
Space between cable coils.
Space between the cable coils indicates that the cable has been deformed.
This could be caused by kinking, stretching
by mechanically pulling the cable, or running the cable in reverse.
Cables with space between the coils should be replaced.
Excessive corrosion.
This can be caused by storing the cable wet or using the cable
in corrosive chemicals used in chemical clog removers.
Corrosion weakens the cable and can make it brittle.
Excessively corroded cable should be replaced.
All of these forms of wear and damage weaken the cable and make cable twisting, kinking,
or breaking more likely during use.
Inspect the tools for wear and damage.
If necessary, replace tools prior to using the drain cleaning machine.
Dull or damaged cutting tools will slow the drain cleaning process
and can lead to binding or cable breakage.
Make sure that the forward-off-reverse switch is set to the off position.
With dry hands, plug cord into a properly grounded outlet.
Test the ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, provided in the electrical cord
to ensure it is operating correctly.
When the test button is pushed in, the indicator light should go off.
Reactivate the GFCI by pushing the reset button in.
If the indicator light goes on, the GFCI is functioning properly.
If GFCI is not functioning properly, unplug the cord.
Do not use the drain cleaning machine until the GFCI has been repaired.
Move the forward-off-reverse switch to the forward position.
Press the foot switch and note the direction of rotation of the drum.
If the foot switch does not control the machine operation, do not use the machine
until the foot switch has been repaired.
The drum should rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the drum
and will match the drum direction shown on the warning label
and the arrows molded into the drum.
Release the foot switch and let the drum come to a complete stop.
Place the forward-off-reverse switch in the reverse position and test to confirm
that the drain cleaner operates properly in reverse.
If the rotation is not correct, do not use the machine until it has been repaired.
With the inspection complete, move the forward-off-reverse switch to the off position
and with dry hands unplug the machine.