# Kinked Cable Causes



## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

I had the worst experience cleaning a 4" main today. Using a 3/4 cable with bullet head end on it. I hit what looked like a root blockage. I worked slowly at the blockage, stopped then went to pull the cable back and  stuck. We end up getting the cable out and it was warped around itself and kinked in 2 different spots. 

It's like it hit a wall and flipped over or something. I used the camera on the drain ad it is underwater then stops at a black spot. Usually I would think its roots but I'm starting to wonder if the drains collapsed. 
What do you guys think. 

Never had flipped a cable in five years i have been cleaning drains until today.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Does it go from 4 to 6"?


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

The camera looked like 4" all the way to the blockage.


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

It's not easy to flip a 3/4" cable in a 4" line unless it's extremely worn out or you're really pushing the issue. Although running a small cutting end would be easier to flip. Are you sure it didn't go to 6" later in the line ?

How did you retrieve the cable ?

Pull back any earth or sand ?


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## antiCon (Jun 15, 2012)

bullet head.. you mean like a spade bit?
if so ive had the cable hit a offset in the line that was so bad it bore a hole in the dirt out of the line and flipped on its self had to dig it up to untangle it i had 10' of cable out of the line.. ground so saturated it bore easy... possible? of maybe 4-6" line had to tell...


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

antiCon said:


> bullet head.. you mean like a spade bit?
> if so ive had the cable hit a offset in the line that was so bad it bore a hole in the dirt out of the line and flipped on its self had to dig it up to untangle it i had 10' of cable out of the line.. ground so saturated it bore easy... possible? of maybe 4-6" line had to tell...


Yeah "bullethead" lol had a brain fart. General, Spearhead bit.


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## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

The only times I've kinked a cable without knowing I was doing something wrong is when the cutter went into a hole.

If you weren't "forcing and fighting", then most likely your head went into a hole and turned your cable back on itself while the head was outside the pipe.


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

AssTyme said:


> It's not easy to flip a 3/4" cable in a 4" line unless it's extremely worn out or you're really pushing the issue. Although running a small cutting end would be easier to flip. Are you sure it didn't go to 6" later in the line ?
> 
> How did you retrieve the cable ?
> 
> ...


I retrieved it by two guys going back and forth pulling. 

I ran another bit with a smaller cable and did pull up some roots. It started to kink real bad too so I just called off the dogs so I didn't end up flipping another cable.

I talked to the landlord latter today and found out the house had been sitting for two years. There is probably a ten foot root blockage in the damn drain at this point.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

If this is 3/4 innercore you got some serious issues with that drain. Non innercore....couple of possibilties....might've gone through the blockage hit the city main(which always has roots) and flipped in there. Could've been a test tee that roots grew into and the cable flipped around in the extra room. When I asked about the 4-6 transition....almost all neighborhoods have the same layout. If not a single house in the area goes to 6"...chances are it's 4 " on every house. I do the same thing when trying to find a cleanout...I go ask the neighbors where theres is.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Roots might be as thick as your leg if property sat for a couple of years vacant. Tell the landlord he has an unusual situation and you have to excavate the area due to extremly heavy root intrusion and possibly a crushed or collapsed line. 

Unless you went into a larger city main line and that's where your cable started flip-flopping around and got hung up on itself.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

How much cable did you have out ?
Could it be you ran it into a septic tank ?


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

No septic definitely it was city sewer.


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## plumberinlaw (Jan 13, 2010)

did you locate where it went black? from there how far to the trees? 4 in. all the way to city you might be in orangeburg how old is the house?


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Test Tee before city? If roots are coming from the tap it will flip you up the y.


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

plumberinlaw said:


> did you locate where it went black? from there how far to the trees? 4 in. all the way to city you might be in orangeburg how old is the house?


The house is a newer house however the line is old cast iron because the precious house burned down 5 years ago. 

It's a about 35 feet where it went black. There is a big tree about 30 feet left of the main


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

Ok so here an update: 
The landlord called me and said he had another guy to out and he got the drain clear. I did not believe him so I called the guy. The guy did get it clear and said he used a k1500 with a 1.25 cable. He said it was tougher than normal and took longer to clear than average. 

So since I'm a man who likes to admit when he made a mistake :laughing: I'm asking you guys what you think I did wrong. Is it equipment? Was it technique? Or did I go out to far and flip it in the city main? I'm not sure but would like to learn from it. 
Thanks.


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