50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

I've been in the plumbing trade for over 30 years and have run almost every type of drain machine out there.

This is a great machine but like all drain machines it requires a bit of finesse and a lot of operator care. Take your time, wear heavy rubber coated gloves and safety glasses.

I would put this machine in the same category as Ridgid, Milwaukee, Electric Eel. The auto feed also works just as well as the big name machines.

One tip, pull your cable all the way out and make paint marks every 10 feet, it helps keep track of how much cable you have fed out.

Don't let the nay Sayers sway you.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

Reading some of the reviews almost made me not purchase this product and at a discount store. DO NOT LISTEN TO THOSE REVIEWS. This unit does require some common sense to use and the ability to follow instructions. This unit comes with two sets of instructions, one for quick reference and another set that are regular, easy to read. I had a major blockage at a rental property, the tenant flushed his trash down the toilet, no kidding, anything that fit went down. The unit comes with four blades but I used just the snake with no attachments first, there was 25 feet of backed up blockage. First I ran the unit with very little tension and just a little water running. I used the feed forward and also pushed back and forth. When I was able to get the full 50 feet of cable in I just let the unit spin in the center position and spin with a small amount of water. Next step was to pull the cable back out and attach the bulb attachment. Note: if possible find another clean out that is clear but flows to the main line, set a hose with running water to carry / flush waste material. The bulb attachment did the job and cleared the line, use the on / off foot switch to control your feed, allow plenty of time to spin. I pulled the cable and attached the scraper blades to clean any sidewall waste, this last step was not needed but since I had the unit out and running it did not hurt to scrape out. Remember to keep flushing the line.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

Bought this in spring 2012. Cleaned out terra cotta pipe from my down spouts to the curb. They were so congested I had to open the pipes (dig up) about every 30'. (My garage roof downspouts to the street is about 100 feet) Flushed with hose & went back in. Also used it to clean from my cellar sewer to the street. (40 ') It did a Great job! Power feed is worth the extra money. Foot pedal works Great! -- CAUTION - Do NOT let the cable kink. As soon as you feel it, hear it kink, back off, go slow, reduce the size of your cutter & go back in. Kinks in the drum can be cured, but it's a job. Go slow. Use the knob on the power feed to adjust the tension / speed. ALWAYS keep the switch in Forward and just use the power feed to control forward & reverse. Now I can use the machine periodically for maintenance cleaning rather than waiting for a backup.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

this is a great product as long as you understand how to work it, most people are dumb and cant even watch a video on how to run a machine. they are all pretty much the same, understand how it works before you list it as bad and buy that 2 year replacement warrenty

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

I just purchased this at the store because my kitchen sink was overflowing in to my basement bathroom sink. The kitchen sink clogs a lot because we have older pipes and a disposal. After the last time we had a plumber come out and clear the drain for close to $300 I vowed that next time I would buy a snake and do it myself!

Obviously there was a clog just past the branch for the bathroom sink. I tried to clear it with a smaller snake I bought from locally with no luck at all, the small snake broke on it's housing. Then I got this one and tried to clear the clog through the basement sink drain... It is far too thick to send down the drain, so I disassembled the sink and put it right in to the pipe. also no luck because the cable is very thick. I wen upstairs to the kitchen sink, disassembled that, and sent this bad boy to work. It cleared the clog with no problem at all.

I bought this with a 20%off at the store, and as I figure it, this purchase has already paid for itself.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

I have only used it one time so far, cleaning out a 50 foot 4 inch drain, and it did a great job of getting rid of small "spider web" roots, dirt, and other debris. I used the boring bulb cutter first, and then the arrow cutter. Make sure you read the directions carefully, and follow the instructions for extending and retriving the cable. Follow the cleaning info. I bought the 2 year extened warranty for $79 just in case, but if it keeps working like it did, I probably won't need to use it. I don't think this drain cleaner or any other one in it's class will clear a lot of roots 3/8 inch and up in diameter. If you have a lot of roots that size, you would probably need a machine costing several thousand more, which has a lot more horse power, or just replace the drain. Remember, the bigger the clog, the slower you need to go.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

So far, I have just used it one time to unstop a 50 foot 4" drain, and it did an excellent job removing "spider web roots", along with dirt and other small stoppages. Drain was almost completely clogged. I did use the boring bulb cutter first, then the arrow cutter. Be sure to follow the directions EXACTLY, and it works fine. Be sure to read ALL the directions first, and pay special attention to how it says to feed & retrieve the cable, and also how you clean and maintain it. I don't think this one, or any other one in it's class was made to remove thick or large roots, like 3/8 inch and up size. To remove large roots, I would think you would need a VERY large, high Horse Power unit, costing several thousand, or you could just replace the sewer line. The larger the clog, the slower you need to go. It is heavy, around 90 pounds, I think. I did buy the 2 year extended warranty for $79, just in case, but if it keeps working like it does now, I probably won't need it. For me, it will pay for it's self in 3 or 4 uses, or less.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

I got this after renting several of the commercial ones. This worked as well as the ones I spent the day on the road etc. Never again! Since I own a grocery store this has paid for itself already, now to see how long it lasts. Purchased the one year ins., if its going to break on me it will by then.

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

Start with the smaller cutter and then go large

Comments about Pacific Hydrostar 50 ft. Commercial Power-Feed Drain Cleaner with GFCI:

I bought this unit because I was tired of paying a plumber 280.00 for 20 minutes work. Our main line going to the septic tank is old and full or roots so it clogs up every 3 months. Do the math I paid [$] for it and have used it 5 times a years for the last 4 years. Well worth the money, easy to use as long as you can read directions.