# Flush Bags?



## deerslayer

I just can't seem to wrap my head around where these would be all that necessary and at the same time alot of folks swear by them! Can someone explain why or when they would save the day for me?

It just seems that unless you can slide it in past the vent it's just gonna push water up the vent and make one huge mess when removed. If you are in a c/o wouldn't an auger and a garden hose clean more effectively.

I do have a 3-4" rubber flush bag in the truck that we used one time to open an orangeburg storm pipe that we couldn't get a cable through. However it just barely drained it's not like it really opened it up?


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## eddiecalder

I used one the other day on a kitchen sink drain. I actually used it on the roof through the vent. Worked very well. Saved me from having to lug up the 3800 on a steep roof. I just used a cheap drainking bag...... 

Who make the highest quality drain bags?


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## Redwood

Blow Bags have their uses but it is by no means a correct way of cleaning a drain and they do have to be used carefully to avoid making a mess.

They may prove useful in a dry packed or, grease packed line where once you get some water moving through it the line can be cleaned.

I once had a 40' long 2" line from a commercial garbage disposer that they had dumped a 5 gallon pail of cooked rice into. I was running out of solutions other than the sawzall to get the line open when I decided to try the blow bag. There was no way a cable was going to clean out 40' of pipe packed with rice especially with a running trap in the line. The blow bag did the trick... :thumbup:

As for a quality Blow Bags...
Drain Jet Canvas Bow Bags are pretty good...


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## justin

Never used one. Always thought of them as the shamwow of plumbing. Ace hardware junk! I suppose they will get you out of a predicament if u are a rookie, but then you should resort to professional tools to actually do the job.


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## AssTyme

justin said:


> Always thought of them as the shamwow of plumbing. Ace hardware junk! I suppose they will get you out of a predicament if u are a rookie, but then you should resort to professional tools to actually do the job.




Not true, they have helped me out several times a year in certain situations.


You must not do much drain cleaning ???


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## justin

AssTyme said:


> Not true, they have helped me out several times a year in certain situations.
> 
> You must not do much drain cleaning ???


I do drain cleaning with an array of machines. If I need a blow bag then i can break out one of my jetters. I use professional tools not Walmart crap. 
They have there places and it is not on my truck. I would laugh at you if I seen you with a garden hose stuck down a cleanout . No harm man I'm just ranting.


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## Will

justin said:


> I do drain cleaning with an array of machines. If I need a blow bag then i can break out one of my jetters. I use professional tools not Walmart crap.
> They have there places and it is not on my truck. I would laugh at you if I seen you with a garden hose stuck down a cleanout . No harm man I'm just ranting.



I can see both your points, but take a skilled drain cleaner, and he will do circles over some one with fancey equipment, but lacks skill as a drain cleaner. Not saying that is you at all, but blow bags have there(canvas ones) place, as does the lowly hand spinner or the humble plunger. In the right hands, they can be quite effective. 

Of course if my cart jetter is on the truck, the blow bag may not get used much, but if it is 20 miles away in the garage, I wouldn't have any problem at all sticky that "garden hose" down the sewer. While your laughing at me, I'm laughing all the way to the bank.


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## justin

Will said:


> I can see both your points, but take a skilled drain cleaner, and he will do circles over some one with fancey equipment, but lacks skill as a drain cleaner. Not saying that is you at all, but blow bags have there(canvas ones) place, as does the lowly hand spinner or the humble plunger. In the right hands, they can be quite effective.
> 
> Of course if my cart jetter is on the truck, the blow bag may not get used much, but if it is 20 miles away in the garage, I wouldn't have any problem at all sticky that "garden hose" down the sewer. While your laughing at me, I'm laughing all the way to the bank.


How do you drain clean with a hand spinner? Dont own one. I use k50 with interchangeable spools. Have a 1/4" spool with that machine. I know a lot of people who use them, but I just think they are a joke. Nothing personal. You are right , a good seasoned drain cleaner can accomplish a lot with hand spinner, but can he really clean that pipe ? Can he tell you whats in it and email it to your computer so you can show insurance company the reason for the 5000.00 claim? Can he achieve a full bore clean on a kit sink line then back it up with the micro inspection camera that way customer knows facts and not assumptions? You have a point , but you still can't compare them.


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## Will

I don't clean drains with hand spinners, but I do pull plently of hair out of traps with them.

I don't clean alot of drains with plungers, but I sure can clear out a drum trap with one

I don't clean out of drains with blow bags, but I have cleaned plently of french drains, roof leaders, gutter downsouts, or flushed black muck out of drains with them so I can see what I'm doing with my camera with them

There is plenty of uses for them when you start to think about it.


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## Redwood

justin said:


> I do drain cleaning with an array of machines. If I need a blow bag then i can break out one of my jetters. I use professional tools not Walmart crap.
> They have there places and it is not on my truck. I would laugh at you if I seen you with a garden hose stuck down a cleanout . No harm man I'm just ranting.


Your jetter wouldn't have done much in that disposer line...

Other than close the kitchen for sanitizing.... :laughing:

I'd call that move similar to a fart in church.... 

Successful drain cleaning is having a wide array of tools and methods at your disposal to solve the customers drain problem...

And Having the wisdom to know the right time and place to apply a specific tool or method....

I seldom use a blow bag maybe but once every couple of years...
But when I pull it out it is the right tool for the job and I sure wouldn't take it off my truck.

I have all the tools I could dream of wanting at my disposal from a toilet auger and 1/4" electric powered snake up to a US Jetting 4018, along with See-Snakes and Navitrak locators, and we also excavate, pipe burst, reline, and use pipe patch for spot relining...

And yes I have a blow bag and will use it when the situation warrants its use...

Call me a hack but I don't think so.... :laughing:


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## justin

Redwood said:


> Your jetter wouldn't have done much in that disposer line...
> 
> Other than close the kitchen for sanitizing.... :laughing:
> 
> I'd call that move similar to a fart in church....
> 
> Successful drain cleaning is having a wide array of tools and methods at your disposal to solve the customers drain problem...
> 
> And Having the wisdom to know the right time and place to apply a specific tool or method....
> 
> I seldom use a blow bag maybe but once every couple of years...
> But when I pull it out it is the right tool for the job and I sure wouldn't take it off my truck.
> 
> I have all the tools I could dream of wanting at my disposal from a toilet auger and 1/4" electric powered snake up to a US Jetting 4018, along with See-Snakes and Navitrak locators, and we also excavate, pipe burst, reline, and use pipe patch for spot relining...
> 
> And yes I have a blow bag and will use it when the situation warrants its use...
> 
> Call me a hack but I don't think so.... :laughing:


Dude, I have a spinner and a blowbag on my truck. Most do! I'm just arguing. Are you ever gonna lighten up and be my bud? I'm actually pretty cool. I will buy your lunch anytime you are in area. You are the man, and I know you know what you are doing. Chill .....


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## easttexasplumb

Give me ten stopped up lav drains and one of them hardware store hand spinners and I can back at home a little after 5 o clock counting hundred dollar bills.


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## justin

easttexasplumb said:


> Give me ten stopped up lav drains and one of them hardware store hand spinners and I can back at home a little after 5 o clock counting hundred dollar bills.


Lol


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## SewerRatz

I have sludge bags on my truck that are older than most here. They have been around long before jetters where around, and even been around before the electric rods where. 

They have a time and place to be used. Imagine a backed up floor drain that for some reason you just can not get a rod through (bottom of trap busted out by handyman with breaker bar) Put the 4" canvas sludge bag in let it run for a while and y ou got the drain flowing again till the plant you are working at is ready for you to bust open the floor.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER

SewerRatz said:


> I have sludge bags on my truck that are older than most here. They have been around long before jetters where around, and even been around before the electric rods where.
> 
> They have a time and place to be used. Imagine a backed up floor drain that for some reason you just can not get a rod through (bottom of trap busted out by handyman with breaker bar) Put the 4" canvas sludge bag in let it run for a while and y ou got the drain flowing again till the plant you are working at is ready for you to bust open the floor.


There you have it. By the rat him self. When I did service I used them on floor drains that havnt drained in decades and couldn't get a cable down Not the best fix but it worked. Especially when you have 6 pool sand filters in the pump house and you can't jack up the floor. They have there place and seasoned plumber has used one many times


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## 504Plumber

We had a kitchen line that was moved by a moron, he ran 10ft of 1 1/2 galvanized with 5 or 6 90's in it, could not get it unstopped for the life of me. The bosses dad came over with one of those blow bags and had it unstopped in less than 10 minutes.


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## saysflushable

they work awesome to get big soft blockages flowing . I use one about 3 or 4 times a year. If you know the 4 inch cutter made it to the city sewer but the water won't flow give the blow bag a try.


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## deerslayer

saysflushable said:


> they work awesome to get big soft blockages flowing . I use one about 3 or 4 times a year. If you know the 4 inch cutter made it to the city sewer but the water won't flow give the blow bag a try.


I ran into one of those 2 months ago a 65' long soft clog. It went all the way up the stack to the 2nd floor and 50' outside. I dug outsideand put in a proper C/O and like you say the 3" cutter went the street. I must have augered it 5 times before it finally opened. I will try a flush bag next time for sure!


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## Epox

I rarely use mine, but when I do it's the last trick in my book short of surgery on the line and I've never been disapointed. I don't have a jetter and have managed quite well actually and of the lines I ultimately used the blow bag on I have yet to have a call back. That is because I have rodded the fool out of it already. And mine were the rubber blow bags and have to admit they work great but I ordered a cloth bag from drainclean today so hoping it might be easier to slip in around 3" c/o"s and such.
I'd be pressed to say I use it maybe 2 times a year, maybe. But always glad I had it when I shut it off and the water wooshes away.:thumbsup:


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## Tommy plumber

504Plumber said:


> We had a kitchen line that was moved by a moron, he ran 10ft of 1 1/2 galvanized with 5 or 6 90's in it, could not get it unstopped for the life of me. The bosses dad came over with one of those blow bags and had it unstopped in less than 10 minutes.


 






Interesting. Thanks for posting.

I have never used a flush bag. But I'll be buying one. So I guess it builds up pressure then lets go? Sounds like it.

Also Will I think it was, posted about using it in gutters, roof drain leaders, french drains, etc. Sounds like a good, simple tool to have.

From this thread I guess the canvas ones are better than the rubber ones. 

Once again, thank you Plumbing Zoners for the education......:thumbsup:


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## Epox

They are more costly bout 15 bucks or so. I bought the canvas today as my rubber bag which is 3 to 4 years old ripped out on my last use but still worked well enough to accomplish it's mission. I easily say it's a must for my truck tool inventory.
The thing I hated is I ordered my canvas bag from drainking and the friggin standard shipping alone was 15 bucks,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## Airgap

easttexasplumb said:


> Give me ten stopped up lav drains and one of them hardware store hand spinners and I can back at home a little after 5 o clock counting hundred dollar bills.


Maybe a hardware store hand spinner, but not a Wal mart hand spinner...:laughing:


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## rocksteady

Yes Tommy, the canvas ones are the ones to get. I've seen the rubber ones blow apart and launch the little metal "nozzle" into the drain. I have 3 different canvas ones on the truck and use them at least once a year. They're never my go to tool but they can be a life saver when the "profesional" tools don't work. :thumbsup:




Paul


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## TX MECH PLUMBER

Epox said:


> They are more costly bout 15 bucks or so. I bought the canvas today as my rubber bag which is 3 to 4 years old ripped out on my last use but still worked well enough to accomplish it's mission. I easily say it's a must for my truck tool inventory.
> The thing I hated is I ordered my canvas bag from drainking and the friggin standard shipping alone was 15 bucks,,,,,,,,,,,,


They dont carry them at your supply house???


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## Epox

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> They dont carry them at your supply house???


Nopes, just the rubber bags. I only heard of the canvas bags here on PZ so have a 4" unit on order and will most likely order a 2" unit next.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER

Iv used both. And have seen both ware out and break. Maybe canvas will last longer but for the money the rubber ones are just as good in my opinion


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## Epox

I will see how it goes, hopefully it will outlast the rubber units which honestly I don't have any complaints with except maybe making a turn around a tight c/o.


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## Will

The rubber ones will work in PVC piping. They will blow apart rubbing on cast iron or concrete. The canvas ones will last allmost forever(it's also what the pros use:laughing


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## Epox

Will said:


> The rubber ones will work in PVC piping. They will blow apart rubbing on cast iron or concrete. The canvas ones will last allmost forever(it's also what the pros use:laughing


The pro's that know about them,,,,, that is. Aw he** the end result is the same, I'm doubfull I'll grow a cape just because I have a canvas blow bag over a rubber one. One outlasts the other but they perform the same job. pfffft. I've never had a rubber unit just blow apart but whatever, LOL. My rubber units got brittle setting in my bins and only had that happen once so really I won't knock them either.


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