Machine and Work Area Set-Up
Warning: Set up the drain cleaning machine and work area according to these procedures
to reduce the risk of injury from electric shock, fire, machine tipping,
twisted or broken cables, chemical burns, infections, and other causes
and prevent drain cleaner damage.
Always wear safety glasses, RIDGID drain cleaning gloves
and other appropriate protective equipment when setting up your drain cleaner.
For extra protection from chemicals and bacteria on the machine and in the work area,
wear latex rubber or other liquid barrier gloves under the RIDGID drain cleaning gloves.
Rubber soled, non-slip shoes can help prevent slipping
and electric shock, especially on wet surfaces.
Check the work area for adequate lighting, flammable liquids,
vapors or dust that may ignite if present.
Do not work an area until sources have been identified and corrected.
The drain cleaner is not explosion proof and can cause sparks.
Clear, level, stable, dry place for machine and operator.
Do not use the machine while standing in water.
If needed, remove the water from the work area.
Properly grounded electrical outlet, a three-prong
or GFCI outlet may not be properly grounded.
If in doubt, have the outlet inspected by a licensed electrician.
Clear path to electrical outlet that does not contain any potential sources
of damage for the power cord.
Clear path to transport the drain cleaner to the work area.
Inspect the drain to be cleaned.
If possible, determine the access points to the drain, the sizes and lengths of the drain,
distance to tanks or main lines, the nature of the blockage,
the presence of drain cleaning chemicals or other chemicals.
If chemicals are present in the drain,
it is important to understand the specific safety measures required
to work around those chemicals.
Contact the chemical manufacturer for required information.
If needed, remove fixture, water closet, sink, et cetera, to allow access to the drain.
Do not feed the cable through a fixture.
This could damage the drain cleaner and the fixture.
Determine the correct drain cleaning equipment for the application.
The K-400 is made for 1 and 1/2-inch to 3-inch lines
up to 100 feet long when using 3/8-inch cable.
Two-inch to 4-inch lines up to 75 feet long when using 1/2 inch cable.
The K-400 is not designed to remove root blockages.
Drain cleaners for other applications can be found
by consulting the RIDGID tool catalog online at www.RIDGID.com
or by calling RIDGID tool technical services at 800-519-3456.
If needed, place protective covers in the work area.
The drain cleaning process can be messy.
Take the drain cleaning machine to the work area along the clear path.
Before moving the machine, make sure that the handle is locked
into the upright position for transport.
If the machine needs to be lifted, use proper lifting techniques.
Use care when moving equipment up and down stairs.
Beware of possible slip hazards.
Wear appropriate footwear to help prevent slips.
Position the drain cleaning machine so that the drum opening is
within two-feet of the drain access.
A greater distance from the drain access increases the risk
of the cable twisting or kinking.
If the machine cannot be placed with the drum opening within two-feet of the drain access,
extend the drain access back to within two-feet of the drum opening
by using similar sized pipe and fittings.
Warning: improper cable support can allow the cable to kink or twist and can cause damage
to the cable or injure the operator.
Pull the handle locking lever and lower the handle until it locks into the lowest position.
Check to make sure the rubber bumpers on the lower end
of the handle are firmly in contact with the floor.
This helps stabilize the machine and prevents tipping or walking during use.
Do not operate with the handle in any other position.
Evaluate the work area to determine if any barriers are needed to keep bystanders away
from the drain cleaner and work area.
The drain cleaning process can be messy, and bystanders may distract the operator.
Select proper tools for the conditions.
If the nature of the obstruction is unknown, it is good practice to start with a straight
or bulb auger to explore the obstruction and retrieve a piece
of the obstruction for inspection.
Once the nature of the obstruction is known,
and appropriate tool can be selected for the application.
A good rule of thumb is to start by running the smallest available tool through the blockage
to allow the backed up water to start flowing and carry away the debris
and cuttings as the drain is clean.
Once the drain is open and flowing, other tools appropriate for the blockage can be used.
Generally, the largest tool used should not exceed the inside diameter
of the drain minus one-inch.
The K-400 is supplied with these tools, cable pin key, the T-202 bulb auger for exploration
of the clog and pulling out stoppages such as hair, et cetera, the T-205 C cutter for use
in grease blockages and cleaning the walls of the pipe, the T-211 spade cutter for use
after an auger and to open up floor drains.
Proper tool selection depends upon the specific circumstances for each job
and is left to the users' judgement.
A variety of other cable attachments are available and are listed
in the accessories' section of the printed manual.
Other information on cable attachments can be found in the RIDGID catalog
and on the Internet at www.RIDGID.com.
Install the tool to the end of the cable.
The T-slot coupler allows the cutting tool to be snapped into the cable coupler.
As the cutting tool is installed, make sure that the spring-loaded plunger and the coupling
on the end of the cable moves freely to retain the tool.
If the pin sticks in the retracted position, the cutting tool may fall off in use.
To remove cutting tool, insert the pin key into the hole in the coupling
to depress the plunger and slide the coupling apart.
Position the foot switch for easy accessibility.
You must be able to hold and control the cable, control the foot switch,
and reach the forward-off-reverse switch.
Confirm that the forward-off-reverse switch is in the off position.
Run the cord along the clear path.
With dry hands, plug the drain cleaner into a properly grounded outlet.
Keep all connections dry and off the ground.
If the power cord is not long enough, use an extension cord that is in good condition,
has a three-prong plug similar to that supplied on the drain cleaner, is rated for outdoor use,
and contains a W or WA in the cord designation, such as SOW, has sufficient wire size 16AWG
for 50 feet or less, 14AWG for 50 to 100 feet long.
Undersized wires can overheat, melting the insulation or causing a fire or other damage.
When using an extension cord, a GFCI
on the drain cleaner does not protect the extension cord.
If the outlet is not GFCI protected, it is advisable to use a plug-in type GFCI
between the outlet and the extension cord to reduce the risk of shock
if there is a fault in the extension cord.