# How to lose your head with a snake



## Noobassistant (Sep 23, 2017)

1 month in helping out a plumber and I almost lose my middle finger. Cable looped around and twisted it. I hate going through the roof as it always gets tangled. Is this even legal?? Lol on my way to do another one. If I don't comment back I'm probably dead


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## JGT (Jan 15, 2017)

This is a very stupid way to clear a main


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Looks good, that's the safest way to clear drains. Do you get to be the guy on the roof or the guy on the ground?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Find an employer with a brain.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Wow, just wow.

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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Used to that all the time in So. Cal. very popular way to snake drains with no outside clean out,
better then making a mess inside pulling a toilet and trying to go though
the closet bend,


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

you got to watch out for the power lines too... 
dont want to get that cable banging against a 440 line coming
in from the pole..... 

thats bad...


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## Noobassistant (Sep 23, 2017)

Debo22 said:


> Looks good, that's the safest way to clear drains. Do you get to be the guy on the roof or the guy on the ground?


I'm the guy on the bottom praying for my life


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Not the best way to clear, why not just pull a toilet or something? That being said I've had to cable like that a few times with a gorlitz but here is a much better way: Lay 2" pipe on roof and dry fit an elbow over roof and down to as close to machine as possible. Get other end as close to vent as possible. Now you have a conduit to run the cable through and drastically reduce the injury potential. 
Now to control machine- Run an extension cord from power outlet to the rooftop, plug in gorlitz foot pedal. Get a second extension cord and plug in to other side of foot pedal, then down to machine. This way you have full control from the rooftop and don't have to pray the guy below shuts off machine quick enough.

Or do what I do these days, use a ridged k-50&#55357;&#56397;


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Noobassistant said:


> I'm the guy on the bottom praying for my life


Hit this link and post an intro. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/

Safety advice for you. When we clear drains that way, I feed the cable through a 10' stick of 2" ABS. That way the guy on the ground doesn't have cable whipping around.


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

Debo22 said:


> Noobassistant said:
> 
> 
> > I'm the guy on the bottom praying for my life
> ...


Smart


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## Gargalaxy (Aug 14, 2013)

That's to much trouble, I just pour a whole Drano bottle in the toilet then after 15 minutes plunge the toilet and all done.


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Debo22 said:


> Hit this link and post an intro. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/
> 
> Safety advice for you. When we clear drains that way, I feed the cable through a 10' stick of 2" ABS. That way the guy on the ground doesn't have cable whipping around.


His username and post says it all! But yah that's no bueno. 

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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Tarp, wax, bolts, closed drum, rags and simple green. Sounds better to me than potential injuries.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

That is insane trying to use a drum machine on the ground with the snake up on the roof going down a vent! That is just crazy and really, really dangerous.

If you want to get up on the roof, you need a sectional machine. Like a K-60.

I also hate pulling up a toilet. And when there is no ground level c.o., the plumber would rather climb up on the roof as opposed to pull a toilet off the floor. But you cannot clear a stoppage from the roof with a drum machine.


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## Gargalaxy (Aug 14, 2013)

....


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Say noob, you're boss is doing this all wrong. I can't tell how old the house is but you need to be pulling toilets to clear that mess or using a sectional. Otherwise as the other pros on here have said, stick of pipe used as a pipe sleeve for the cable so it don't go whipping around.
Another tip, if the main is cast iron, you can usually find the building sewer by lining it up with the main stack vent on the roof. You dig it up, cut a hole, clear the line then charge homeowner to add a cleanout. 
When it comes to clearing a blockage thru a roof vent...









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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

rowanova said:


> Not the best way to clear, why not just pull a toilet or something? That being said I've had to cable like that a few times with a gorlitz but here is a much better way: Lay 2" pipe on roof and dry fit an elbow over roof and down to as close to machine as possible. Get other end as close to vent as possible. Now you have a conduit to run the cable through and drastically reduce the injury potential.
> Now to control machine- Run an extension cord from power outlet to the rooftop, plug in gorlitz foot pedal. Get a second extension cord and plug in to other side of foot pedal, then down to machine. This way you have full control from the rooftop and don't have to pray the guy below shuts off machine quick enough.
> 
> Or do what I do these days, use a ridged k-50��


That is the way I used to run from the roof with the foot pedal on the roof
ran a cable like that thousands of time and still alive to talk about it,

When I worked in north west Washing state for R.R. I used a piece of 1" pvc
pipe to run my 3/8" cable up ladder so I could snake a Kitchen sink drain
while standing on the ladder, fill sink with cold water and snake down roof vent when it is close to edge of roof,
No pulling p-trap and getting that dirty mess all over the kitchen plus done faster, when line opens can run water as pull cable back out


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

My neighborhood has these buried end of line clean outs.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

You have to know where there located, a lot of them have been concreted over because people don't know they're there.


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## Standard Drain (Feb 17, 2016)

People clear with a snake on the ground???

If we ever have to snake from the roof we remove the drum and carry the snake in separate (lighter) pieces. Fairly light light work for 2 people at that point.


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Central part of town has older homes which have CI and might require cabling thru roof. I just don't think it's worth it to risk a fall. Plus a lot of our roofs are 7/12 or worse pitch 

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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Standard Drain said:


> People clear with a snake on the ground???
> 
> If we ever have to snake from the roof we remove the drum and carry the snake in separate (lighter) pieces. Fairly light light work for 2 people at that point.


I've only done it a few times when solo and with a big gorlitz. I've never seen a plumbing company in this area with a sectional machine but I ended up getting one and makes things a breeze


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## TXPlumbBob (Dec 13, 2013)

We NEVER get on a roof to clear a stoppage. Insurance guy would **** a brick. OSHA would **** a brick. As an owner I would **** a brick. What do you do when the roof leaks and the home owner tells the insurance company "The plumber was up there stomping around, and I could hear something slapping all over the roof"?


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Usually finding a method from ground is best choice, however sometimes the roof is easier/quicker/more efficient. A perfect example would be mobile homes. For some reason the kitchen lines tend to go on for miles with multiple turns before tying into the main. Usually poor strapping as well, ends up being a roller coaster with all kinds of sludge in the bellies. Since they don't usually have cleanouts you have to dismantle all drains, cable thoroughly and put drains back together, hoping you got it. Usually doesn't work the first couple times since you can't flush water while you cable. Takes forever to clear sometimes. Dropping down the vent on these keeps the mess out of their home, clears the line quicker, and also cleans the pipe much better so I know I'm not getting a callback. Staying safe while cabling on a rooftop only really involves one step: don't be a dumb***


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Actually Debo, I think this is the link to show him how to do it.......

http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/why-post-intro-11368/

Both of you are out of your minds.


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## tanklessheater (Sep 25, 2017)

Good luck!! we still hope to see you around.


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

OSHA approved.


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

Years ago in Fl, we snaked 99% of our houses via rooftop. We had a small Kohler machine with 3 legs and it used sectional cables. Worked very well.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm a woosie. I don't do roof tops. Insurance is the reason I give unless they want to add a $1k fee for a one story, $3k for two story and waiver on roof damage. Most are fine with $65 to r&r a stool.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Reminds me of the time I took my 300 machine up on a two story roof at 
night, to clear a main blockage in stack between 1st and 2nd floor


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> Reminds me of the time I took my 300 machine up on a two story roof at
> night, to clear a main blockage in stack between 1st and 2nd floor


Hope you made it worth your while! Second story I will not go up on to cable, my body tends to make less of a ‘boing’ and more of a ‘splat’ from those heights. Last guy I know who took a 300 on a roof ended up falling off the ladder with the machine, I’m pretty sure the drum was removed, but still...

To me there is a time and a place- when it’s a single story with 8’ to the eaves, asphalt shingles and a 3” roof vent and a sectional machine in hand- way better from the rooftop. Especially when you’re up against back to back toilets as the alternative


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