# removing scratches caused by augers



## Plantificus

When scratches happen on the inside of a toilet from my auger or anything else, I suck the water out and use a product called "bar keepers friend" to buff out the scratches with minimal effort. it even works when the customer scratches it up with a coat hanger! (if they caused the scratch, I charge to remove it:yes:

just wanted to let everyone know what I found to work.. what do you guys use in that situation?


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## Redwood

I don't make them to start with...

Toothpaste will work too....


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## Will

Just tell them you may scratch the toilet when you auger it and ask if it is something they still want you to auger. If they say go ahead knowing that you may scratch the toilet, there won't be a problem when you do.


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## PlumberDave

worn sand cloth works well but replacing the auger when or better before the rubber on the front gets worn works a lot better.


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## AssTyme

Just make sure that the rubber is correctly positioned, don't auger like a wild man and the bowl won't get damaged


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## ckoch407

Pumice stick. And of course, as stated by others, it's best not to leave a scratch. General makes a rubber pad that goes in the bowl to help prevent this for those who cannot figure out how to use the rubber at the end of the auger.


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## Plantificus

I use a general auger with a rubber sleeve that is in good condition, the only time that I leave a scratch is when I run into the toilets that need to be augered backwards... or if I use the closet attachment for the water ram, there is a steel nut on the wrong side of the rubber cone


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING

I've scratched a few up in my day. It's hard to not see the closet auger push back, allowing the cable to hit the visible part of the trap when the toilet is full of human waste.

Keeping that rubber clean is important as well, as dirt from the bed of your truck, grease can be visible but removable... then lead to a complaint.

I've scratched up older ones but newer ones... I can recall one that I felt bad about.

Quit putting everything you shouldn't down the toilet and there's no need for a closet auger. :yes:


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## sewerman

*w/c scratches*

greetings,
i have used the green scotch pads got that idea years ago at a supply house after opening more than one w/c box and finding scratches they pulled out with a few rubs, got to get the h2o out first.

marc
the sewerman
http://www.thesewerman.com


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## gitnerdun

Bar Keepers Friend has oxcalic acid in it. It works great on metal scratches and rust. It won't scratch like Comet. It's cheap. If you haven't used it, get some.:thumbup:


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## beachplumber

Whinks ( rust stain emover)
Great stuff. Saved me buying a champion when an employee decided to run the small machine through a toilet


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## Plumberman

beachplumber said:


> Whinks ( rust stain emover)
> Great stuff. Saved me buying a champion when an employee decided to run the small machine through a toilet


:blink: how did that turn out for him?

Besides the scracthes on the toilet


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## Redwood

beachplumber said:


> Saved me buying a champion when an employee decided to run the small machine through a toilet


I guess that's a lot better than him running a large machine through it...:laughing:


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## Mpls Jay

I use a product called Santeen.A mild acid that takes the scratches off and is great for cleaning out urinals.

http://www.santeen.com/bowl/bowl_cleaner.html


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## gusty60

Pumice stone. It works everytime. Like Colt .45!


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## Kevan

They aren't scratches; they're marks. That's why something like Scotch-Brite takes them off.

I use Zud, although it's been years since I've needed to. It has pretty much the same ingredients as Barkeeper's Friend.

And yes, a few times I've run a 3/8" cable through a toilet. Can't remember why. Seemed like the right thing to do at the time . . .


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## Redwood

Kevan said:


> And yes, a few times I've run a 3/8" cable through a toilet.  Can't remember why. Seemed like the right thing to do at the time . . .


Although it never really was... 

Considering that they make toilet augers for running through toilets....

And if the line underneath is clogged a 3/8" cable isn't big enough so you pull the toilet and run a big machine down the pipe...


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## Nayman's Drain

Redwood said:


> Although it never really was...
> 
> Considering that they make toilet augers for running through toilets....
> 
> And if the line underneath is clogged a 3/8" cable isn't big enough so you pull the toilet and run a big machine down the pipe...


Not always.
If I sent my 3/8 thru a WC, I run it thru a J-shaped piece of 1 inch sched-40, then insert like a closet auger, Works every time.
No pain, no pain


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## AssTyme

Nayman's Drain said:


> Not always.
> If I sent my 3/8 thru a WC, I run it thru a J-shaped piece of 1 inch sched-40, then insert like a closet auger, Works every time.
> No pain, no pain




Too much drama for me............


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## Redwood

Nayman's Drain said:


> Not always.
> If I sent my 3/8 thru a WC, I run it thru a J-shaped piece of 1 inch sched-40, then insert like a closet auger, Works every time.
> No pain, no pain


Then it goes 20-30' down the 3 or 4" pipe hits something and gets all knotted up...

I've made a lot of money off Handy Hacks that tried that in a main... :laughing:

Yea we can get that cable out that the guy got stuck in your line...
No Problem! :thumbup:

I would consider 1/2" Cable to be a bare minimum on above ground lines and dicey as heck on underground where roots might be found...


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## easttexasplumb

Big cables go in big pipe. Little cables go in little pipe.


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## Nayman's Drain

AssTyme said:


> Too much drama for me............


agreed


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## Kevan

Redwood said:


> Then it goes 20-30' down the 3 or 4" pipe hits something and gets all knotted up.


If you know what you're doing, you never allow the critical levels of torque and slack to occur together. I've probably run a 3/8" into a main a dozen times in twenty years; never flipped one.


> I would consider 1/2" Cable to be a bare minimum on above ground lines and dicey as heck on underground where roots might be found...


When trying to actually clean a line 3" or larger, no question.


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## Redwood

Kevan said:


> If you know what you're doing, you never allow the critical levels of torque and slack to occur together. I've probably run a 3/8" into a main a dozen times in twenty years; never flipped one. *When trying to actually clean a line 3" or larger, no question.*


Considering the size of the drain pipe used for toilets & mains.... :blink:


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## Tommy plumber

Plantificus said:


> I use a general auger with a rubber sleeve that is in good condition, the only time that I leave a scratch is when I run into the toilets that need to be augered backwards... or if I use the closet attachment for the water ram, there is a steel nut on the wrong side of the rubber cone


 



I have done that on my own toilet when my son was 2 years old and clogged a hair comb in the toilet trap. But for customer toilets, I prefer not to carry toilet outside and auger it backwards. I wouldn't want to break it.


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