PHPI chats with Paul Morrow, Country Manager UK & Ireland, RIDGID, to discover how plumbers can unblock and descale domestic and commercial drains.
Q. Blocked drains are one of the less glamorous jobs for some plumbers. What kind of applications has the K9-12 unit been designed for?
The new Flexshaft has been designed for unblocking and descaling of pipes 1 ¼” to 2” (32 – 50mm) diameter. It’s perfect for both commercial and domestic kitchens where the usual suspects of sinks, dishwashers and washing machines can cause pipes to become blocked with hair, fat, grease and food waste. Plumbers have also reported how great these are at clearing blocked downpipes from the roof gutter to the drain. Just insert it at ground level and it’ll clear the blockage of leaves and small plant growth with ease.
The spinning chain knockers of the new Flexshaft makes light work of soft blockages with only one-pass. There is even a built-in clutch which is great for protecting the cable if you do encounter a harder blockage.
If you find that a slightly more aggressive approach is needed, there are penetrating ball heads available to help break through the initial blockage before the chain knockers do their job. Even Nylon brushes are available also up to 2” diameter for that finishing touch.
Q. How do you power the unit?
All you need is a standard 1800-2500 RPM power drill to attach to the 3/8” (10mm) drive spindle in seconds. The spindle is angled conveniently for attachment to your drill to make operation comfortable and controlled. So, its fully portable with a cordless battery drill meaning no unnecessary trailing leads. This also keeps the overall expense of the unit down and reliability up.
Q. How far can the cable reach down a pipe?
The unit has 9m of Flexshaft cable, sheathed in nylon for less mess and easy clean-up. As the inner cable spins the chain knockers, they expand to fill the pipe and provides wall-to-wall cleaning. The outer sheath remains static to prevent any damage to fittings and fixtures. The cable can be pushed easily into the self-coiling housing. The handy outlet cable cap can be removed when you want to access the cable easily for cleaning, maintenance and for storing the chain knocker at the end of a job.
Q. Drain cleaning can be a messy job. Are there any features on this unit that help to minimise the mess?
The unit has been designed with a domestic plumber in mind. The fully enclosed housing ensures that any mess is contained, meaning no drips or mess inside your customer’s house. It’s always good practise to wipe the sheath with a clean cloth to remove any dirt or debris before you coil it back into the drum – this also helps prevent wear and keeps the job as clean and tidy as possible.
Q. How portable is the K9-12 drain cleaner?
The compact design is just 3.8kg (without drill or chain knocker) and has an integrated carrying handle. At just over 1’ x 1’ x 5” (33 x 38 x 12cm) it’s small enough to fit under sinks and standard cupboard units on confined jobs and can be stored on its side meaning it won’t take up much space in your van either. This is a handy and compact solution for every plumber.
