Once upon a time, I owned a house with old pipes and lots of trees in the yard. Over time, the roots of those trees twisted and grew around my main drain line that transported wastewater and, well, waste to the sewer line out front in the street.
Eventually, those tree roots cracked into that main drain line and clogged it up. I had to call a plumber out every so often to clean out the pipes with a drain cleaning machine. Also called an electric drain cleaner or sewer cleaning machine, these large auger tools feature a rotating bit on the end of a flexible metal shaft.
The bit is sharp and spins quickly like a drill however, the steel shaft can be fed dozens of feet down the pipe to clear blockages, tree roots, and the like. What I learned is that, with a little know-how, drain machines are easy to use and I could have saved a small fortune on service calls. Below, I’ve outlined the five best drain cleaning machines available on Amazon in 2022.
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1.
Ridgid K-400AF Drain Cleaning Machine
Pros:
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Professional-grade machine
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Pneumatic foot switch
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Patented Autofeed functionality
Cons:
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Autofeed may be a little slow for professionals
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Larger bits may be necessary and don't come with the machine
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Heavy but it's meant to be
For the toughest drain cleaning jobs, you’re going to need a machine expressly designed to handle them. The Ridgid K-400AF is that drain cleaning machine. The K-400AF features an integrated cart with a retractable handle along with solid rubber wheels to transport the unit around the jobsite.
The cable control system can easily handle blockages while the tough, kink-resistant solid core cable will stand up to regular rugged use. This machine is professional-grade, meant for drain cleaners, service plumbers, maintenance departments, and property management companies, but that doesn’t mean the average homeowner couldn’t own one if necessary.
A torque limiter prevents the drum from turning when the blade gets lodged in some blockage down the line. Ridgid’s patented Autofeed control pushes the cable into the drain; when reversed back into the drum, the cable travels at roughly 10 feet per minute. A pneumatic foot switch makes it so the operator doesn’t have to bend down so much on the job as well.
Find more Ridgid K-400AF Drain Cleaning Machine information and reviews here.
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5.
Steel Dragon Tools K1500A Drain Cleaning Machine
Pros:
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Professional-grade by a lot
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1-1/2-inch cable
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3/4 HP motor
Cons:
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Big, heavy, and expensive
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Meant only for main drain lines, not household clogs
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No folding handle for space-saving storage
With the Steel Dragon Tools K1500A Drain Cleaning Machine, you might as well hire yourself out as a local plumbing expert. This thing is about as professional-grade as you can get and the price definitely backs that up. The K1500A is designed for a one-person operation and will aggressively (emphasis on “aggressive”) cut through heavy blockages down your line.
The machine includes 120 feet of 1-1/4-inch all-purpose wound steel cable. Compare that to the other machines on our list that come with a 3/8-inch or, at the most, 1/2-inch line. You can then understand that this drain cleaning machine is miles away from anything else on our list. What that means is that this is a serious drain cleaning machine meant for your main line and not your kitchen sink.
The cable is housed in a wire rack, great for cleaning when you’re done. That rack sets up on its own when you’re ready to work. Although it’s powered by electricity, the motor is rated for 3/4 HP and 710 RPM and good to clean out pipe from two to eight inches in diameter. The set comes with six vicious cutting heads, a rubber guide hose, and a pair of gloves. Because with a machine like this, you will definitely need gloves.
Find more Steel Dragon Tools K1500A Drain Cleaning Machine information and reviews here.
What Do You Use a Drain Cleaning Machine?
If you've always called in a plumber to clear out the blockages from your home's plumbing system, you may not know all the different styles and uses for drain cleaning machines. Luckily for you, I'm here to guide you through the basics of how to get that wastewater flowing again.
Drain cleaning machines are typically large, electrically-powered tools oriented around a large drum of tightly wound steel cable. An electric motor spins the cable which is capped with a cutting bit. The type of blockage will determine which bit to use with the machine.
As you may know, any house or building features a main clean-out access point in which the cable is entered. The cable is fed in slowly until the clog is reached at which time the motor is turned on. The cutting bit rotates and eventually slices through the blockage.
Typically, a snake camera is deployed down the pipe first. This piece of equipment can provide an important visual for the operator as well as measure the length of cable needed to address the problem. Once it's pulled back and the problem understood, the drain cleaning machine can get to work.
Once the blockage is removed and flow is restored, a good plumber may check the length of the pipe again with the camera to make sure everything was addressed. The process is really very simple and any homeowner willing to take the time (and maybe get a little dirty) can take care of the job safely.
What are the Different Types of Drain Cleaning Machines?
Large electric drain cleaners come in two types: drum machines or sectional machines. Both types are effective in cleaning out wastewater pipes but how they do the job differs quite a bit.
Sectional machines are favored by plumbers along the East Coast and Midwest areas of the country. Everyone else seems to prefer drum machines. Location aside, both models have their strong points.
Here's the major difference: sectional machines use shorter lengths of wound steel cable while drum machines store a much longer cable onboard in a drum (hence the name).
Sectional machines are able to travel without the entire length of cable attached so they're lighter. And if you only need 50 feet of cable, an operator won't have to haul in a machine with 100 feet. A 100-foot long bundle of steel cable can weigh 120 pounds or more so this is a real positive for a technician making a service call.
The cable used with sectional machines is more flexible so the sides of the drain will get more of a cleaning. On top of that, the motor turns the cable faster. Sectional machines cut at faster speeds with lower torque. This has one major drawback: danger to the operator. Special work gloves must be used.
Drum machines feature higher torque to get clogs cleared up and they come in a wide variety of sizes, too. The drum used to house the cable keeps it contained which in turn keeps workspaces and vehicles a lot cleaner.
Drum machines also feature automatic feeding of the cable. While auto-feed amenities provide less physical work for the operator, that person will still need to maintain a grip on the cable to receive feedback on what's going on down the line.
What Safety Tips Should I Know Before Using a Drain Cleaning Machine?
Like any power tool with an electric motor, strict safety precautions must be followed. Let me type this out again for emphasis:
STRICT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED.
You're dealing with an electric motor, a rotating steel cable turning at 200 RPM at least, a sharp cutting blade, and water. What could go wrong? Plenty, that's what.
First: wear the proper gear. That means good work boots with rubber soles, safety goggles, maybe even a face shield, and work gloves that are made of thick, tough leather. Cloth or rubber gloves may get caught in the grooves of the cable and trust me, you don't want that.
Your drain cleaning machine should have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) as part of the power cord. If a GFCI isn't present, don't use that machine. Period. Also, make sure the outlet used for power is grounded.
Nothing electrical that may be attached to the machine should be touching water. NOTHING. Air-activated foot pedals used to stop and start the rotation of the steel cable are designed so that control may be close to the source of the job without electricity.
Drain cleaning machines do not operate quickly and there are very good reasons for that. For one, a steel cable rotating quickly is a good way to get injured if it kinks, buckles, or whips the cutting head around while coming out of the pipe. A buckling cable could ruin your machine and could seriously hurt you.
Allow the machine to do its job. It will get through the clog but it may take a while depending on if you're dealing with paper products or tree roots. Be patient.
Don't rely on voice commands to another person to start and stop the machine or the cable. The same operator feeding the cable should be the one controlling the power switch to the machine. Make sure to keep the drain cleaning machine as close as possible to the drain opening. Again, a whipping cable is not your friend.
At the end of the job, make sure the cable is put away properly after cleaning and lubricating the steel. An open-cage design helps with this process. However, most drain cleaning machines employ a drum housing to contain the cable. It's very easy to put away the steel cable while still wet. Rust isn't your friend, either.
Use your head and, like any serious power tool, you'll be okay. The reason guides like this one over-emphasize safety is because we all know that one person that didn't. And it didn't turn out well. Use common sense, maintain a safe working atmosphere, and live (seriously) to work another day.
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