If I move drain clear-out from floor to wall, I'm afraid augur will get stuck on seam of 90, as it did outside when using the round/spiral hole cutter

[lukewarm]

If the bend was 45 degrees it might be okay, but with a 90 degree bend the coil/snake on a 100' augur is under so much tension that no matter how you move it there is always tension pushing the cutter into the 2 mm ridge/seam where a straight drain meets the 90, so the augur can't be pulled back out the drain. Last time an augur went through a 90 it was stuck for 20 hours. It might be okay with a different cutter but the round/spiral cutter (looks almost like the tool for cutting holes for door locks / handles / for creating round holes in drywall) does not collapse when pulled back, and has teeth on both sides, so it catches).

A drain hole cover in the floor is more unsightly and unsettling than an access cover on a wall, so I want to move it to a wall stack, but I'm afraid I'll have the same problem I had outside, if not worse, since the coil would go thru multiple bends.

The flooring is good new vinyl plank. I need to leave access for a clear out.

Currently the flooring and drywall is all removed.

Would you move the clear-out to the wall?

 

[Geofd]

What size pipe are you working on, what size cable are you using

 

[lukewarm]

4" pipe, 5/8" cable.

The cutter looked similar to this:

 

[Bird Doo Head]

When I was young, I was the sewer cleaner guy at work. When there was a gap upon which to get hung up, I'd use half of a Side Cutter Blade. Depending on brand, some are made so you can leave one side off. On others, you have to break it off.

You can get them with or without teeth. With teeth are good for roots, without are good for grease.
Even with one side off, the end of the cable would spin with centrifugal force and the cutter would scrape the pipe walls while cleaning the center.

In the photo below, picture one side left off. They didn't get stuck, like the spiral ones did.
(Jump p-traps well, too)
Paul

 

[arctic bill]

4" pipe, 5/8" cable.

The cutter looked similar to this:
View attachment 41281

I would never use a head like that , you are asking for big trouble. It will get Jamed or caught

 

[Geofd]

Bird do head is on the right track ,I e used just one cutter head, that hole saw blade is good for roots but unless your experienced in drain cleaning stick tio the head shown above

 

[lukewarm]

When I was young, I was the sewer cleaner guy at work. When there was a gap upon which to get hung up, I'd use half of a Side Cutter Blade. Depending on brand, some are made so you can leave one side off. On others, you have to break it off.

You can get them with or without teeth. With teeth are good for roots, without are good for grease.
Even with one side off, the end of the cable would spin with centrifugal force and the cutter would scrape the pipe walls while cleaning the center.

In the photo below, picture one side left off. They didn't get stuck, like the spiral ones did.
(Jump p-traps well, too)
Paul

Thanks. How would it not just flop around - sort of like a fish out of water, but also sort of like a pinball as it hits the walls of the drain? I can see that being good for cutting, but also highly likely to smash clay pipes. Am I wrong?

 

[lukewarm]

I would never use a head like that , you are asking for big trouble. It will get Jamed or caught

If I move the clean-out to the wall, yes.
If I go thru the floor clean-out I don't think it will get caught - the only significant bend is within my hand's reach.

Would any other cutter effectively remove roots - without damaging clay pipe?
I fear using the single blade from the 2 blade tool used by Bird Doo Head would make the cable "bounce" around - smashing the clay.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I have roughly 37 yrs experience cleaning clay pipe with electric sewer machines with 1/2hp motors and 3/4” spring steel cables with aircraft innercore inside. I primarily use a spear and a finishing pear cutter.

The cables dont break clay, shifting ground and roots break clay.

If you want to clean drains, buy yourself a machine like this. Be careful though, these machines can literally kill you several ways.

https://www.dcddrain.com/product/GO62AHD

 

[lukewarm]

I have roughly 37 yrs experience cleaning clay pipe with electric sewer machines with 1/2hp motors and 3/4” spring steel cables with aircraft innercore inside. I primarily use a spear and a finishing pear cutter.

The cables dont break clay, shifting ground and roots break clay.

If you want to clean drains, buy yourself a machine like this. Be careful though, these machines can literally kill you several ways.

https://www.dcddrain.com/product/GO62AHD

Thanks. To avoid a cutter getting stuck in the pipe, would you remove one of the two arms of a side cutter blade, as was recommended above? (For roots no more than 1" in depth, yet occupying perhaps 80% of the drain area for that short section.)

 

[Twowaxhack]

I use a spear bit and a pear cutter.

That’s all I use in every situation to clean a sewer

 

[arctic bill]

I have roughly 37 yrs experience cleaning clay pipe with electric sewer machines with 1/2hp motors and 3/4” spring steel cables with aircraft innercore inside. I primarily use a spear and a finishing pear cutter.

The cables dont break clay, shifting ground and roots break clay.

If you want to clean drains, buy yourself a machine like this. Be careful though, these machines can literally kill you several ways.

https://www.dcddrain.com/product/GO62AHD

i usually go in with an arrow head , i like the ridgid 5/8

 

[Twowaxhack]

 

[Geofd]

View attachment 41426

We have Spartans and rigid at work all cables in covered drums, much heavier that the on your using, I don't know why we don't
Go with open reel probably the splash factor , I've seen the plastic canopy you can put over them also

 

[Twowaxhack]

Closed drums rust your cable up. Holds nasty water. Yes, I can put a cover over it, but I don’t unless I’m inside and that’s once every few years.

That machine has 3/4” innercore cable on it, 75’. I can add up to 150’ more.