Passing Through Traps Or Other Transitions; Cleaning The Drain; Working The Blockage - RIDGID K-400 Operator's Manual

3. Depress the foot switch to start the ma-
chine. The person controlling the cable
must also control the foot switch. Do not
operate the drain cleaner with one person
controlling the cable and another person
controlling the foot switch. This can lead to
twisting, kinking and breaking of the cable.
4. With the cable rotating in the FOR (FOR-
WARD) direction, move the AUTOFEED
control handle toward the drain, to the
ADVANCE position (Figure 14 &15). This
will cause the cable to feed out of the
machine. The rotating cable will work into
the drain as you control the cable with
your gloved hand. Do not allow the cable
to build up outside the drain, bow or
curve. This can allow the cable to twist,
kink or break.
ADVANCE NEUTRAL
ADVANCE
RETRIEVE
Figure 14 – AUTOFEED Directions (with
Machine in FOR) When in Reverse,
Feed Direction Will Be Opposite.
Figure 15 – Operating K-400 with AUTOFEED
Passing Through Traps or
Other Transitions
If it is difficult to get the cable through a trap or
other fitting, the following methods or combina-
tions of methods can be used.
• Sharp thrusts of the cable, both with and
• In some cases with the switch in the OFF
• Run the drain cleaner in REV rotation for
• Attach a single section (only one section) of
If these options do not work, consider using a
smaller diameter or more flexible cable, or a
different drain cleaner.

Cleaning the Drain

RETRIEVE As you feed the cable into the drain, you may
see the cable slow down or build up outside
the drain. Always keep your hands on the
cable. You may feel the cable start to wind or
FOR
load up (this may feel like the cable is starting
to twist or squirm). This may be a transition in
the drain (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 the drain. This can
cause the cable to twist, kink or break.
Pay attention to the amount of cable that has
been fed into the drain. Feeding cable into a
larger drain, septic tank or similar transition
may cause the cable to kink or knot and pre-
vent removal from the drain. Minimize the
amount of cable fed into the transition to pre-
vent problems. Each wrap of the cable in the
drum is approximately 3.5' (1.1 m).

Working the Blockage

If the end of the cable stops turning, it is no
longer cleaning the drain. If the end of the
cable 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
cable is starting to twist or squirm). Having a
hand on the cable allows you to feel this wind
up and control the cable.
If the cable end stops turning or if the cable
starts to wind up, immediately pull the cable
back from the obstruction.
• Manual Operation – Pull back on the cable
K-400 Drain Cleaning Machine
without the cable rotating, can help the
cable through a trap.
position, rotating the drum by hand can
change the orientation of the cutter to allow
it to more easily negotiate the fitting.
se veral seconds while pushing on the ca -
ble. Only do this long enough to get the
cable started through the trap. Running
the cable in reverse can damage the cable.
C-9 cable as a flexible leader between the
end of the cable and the tool.
to free the cable end from the blockage.
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