General Pipe Cleaners Easy Rooter User manual

Easy Rooter™
Operating Instructions
For 3” through 10” lines
(75mm—250mm)
Your Easy Rooter is designed to give
you years of trouble-free, profitable ser-
vice. However, no machine is better than
its operator.
Read, understand and follow all safety
warnings and instructions provided with
the product. Failure to follow the warnings
and instructions may result in electric
shock and/or serious injury. Save all warn-
ings and instructions for future reference.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
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These instructions are intended to
familiarize all personnel with the safe
operation and maintenance
procedures for the Easy Rooter.
DANGER indicates a hazard with a high level of risk
which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
WARNING indicates a hazard with a medium level of risk
which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
CAUTION indicates a hazard with a low level of risk which,
if not avoided, will result in minor or moderate injury.
WARNING! Read and understand all
instructions. Failure to follow all instructions
listed below may result in electric shock, fire
and/or serious personal injury. Replacement
manuals are available upon request at no
charge, or may be downloaded from our web-
site, www.drainbrain.com. Instructional videos
are available for download on our website, and
may be ordered. If you have any questions or
problems, please call General’s customer
service department at 412-771-6300.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
SAFETY SYMBOLS
Easy Rooter™
Electric shock resulting in
death can occur if you plug
this machine into an improp-
erly wired outlet. If the ground
wire is electrified, you can be
electrocuted by just touching
the machine, even when the
power switch is off. A ground
fault circuit interrupter will not pro-
tect you in this situation. Use a
UL approved tester to determine
if the outlet is safe.
Do not operate power tools in
explosive atmospheres, such
as in the presence of flamma-
ble liquids, gases, or dust.
Power tools create sparks which
may ignite the dust or fumes.
Only wear leather gloves.
Never use any other type of
glove, such as cloth, rubber, or
coated gloves. Never grasp a
rotating cable with a rag.
These items could become
wrapped around the cable and
cause serious injury.
Always wear safety glasses
and rubber soled, non-slip
shoes. Use of this safety equip-
ment may prevent serious injury.
Never operate machine with
belt guard removed. Fingers
can get caught between belt and
pulley.
Do not overstress cables.
Overstressing cables may cause
twisting, kinking, or breaking of
the cable and may result in seri-
ous injury.
This is the safety alert symbol. It is
used to alert you to potential personal
injury hazards. Obey all safety mes-
sages that follow this symbol to avoid
possible injury or death.
2

Easy Rooter™
3
GENERAL SAFETY RULES
Work Area
1. Keep work area clean and well lit. Cluttered benches and dark
areas invite accidents.
2. Do not operate power tools in explosive atmospheres, such
as in the presence of flammable liquids, gases, or dust.
Power tools create sparks which may ignite the dust or fumes.
3. Keep bystanders, children, and visitors away while operating
a power tool. Distractions can cause you to lose control.
Electrical Safety
1. Grounded tools must be plugged into an outlet, properly
installed and grounded in accordance with all codes and
ordinances. Never remove the grounding prong or modify
the plug in any way. Do not use any adapter plugs. Check
with a qualified electrician if you are in doubt as to whether
the outlet is properly grounded. If the tool should electrically
malfunction or break down, grounding provides a low resistance
path to carry electricity away from the user.
2. Avoid body contact with grounded surfaces such as pipes,
radiators, ranges and refrigerators. There is an increased risk
of electric shock if your body is grounded.
3. Do not expose power tools to rain or wet conditions.Water
entering a power tool will increase the risk of electric shock.
4. Do not abuse the cord. Never use the cord to carry the tools or
pull the plug from an outlet. Keep cord away from heat, oil, sharp
edges or moving parts. Replace damaged cords immediately.
Damaged cords increase the risk of electric shock.
5. When operating a power tool outside use an outdoor exten-
sion cord marked “W-A” or “W”. These cords are rated for
outdoor use and reduce the risk of electric shock.
6. Test the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) provided
with the power cord to insure it is operating correctly before
operating machine. Machine must have a properly functioning
ground fault circuit interrupter on the power cord. GFCI reduces
the risk of electric shock.
7. Extension cords are not recommended unless they are
plugged into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) found
in circuit boxes or outlet receptacles. The GFCI on the ma-
chine power cord will not prevent electric shock from the exten-
sion cords.
8. Only use proper three-wire extension cords in good condi-
tion which have three-prong grounding plugs and three-pole
receptacles which accept the tool’s plug. Use of damaged,
inferior, or other extension cords will not ground the tool. In-
creases the risk of electric shock and bodily injury or death.
9. Keep all electric connections dry and off the ground. Re-
duces the risk of electric shock.
10. DO NOT touch plugs or tools with wet hands. Reduces the
risk of electric shock.
WARNING
Read and understand all instructions. Failure to follow all in-
structions listed below may result in electric shock, fire, and/or
serious injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
Personal Safety
1. Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense
when operating a power tool. Do not use tool while tired or
under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication. A mo-
ment of inattention while operating power tools may result in
serious personal injury.
2. Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. Con-
tain long hair. Keep your hair, clothing, and gloves away
from moving parts. Loose clothes, jewelry, or long hair can be
caught in moving parts.
3. Avoid accidental starting. Be sure switch is off before plug-
ging in. Carrying tools with your finger on the switch or plugging
in tools that have the switch on invites accidents.
4. Remove adjusting keys or switches before turning the tool
on. A wrench or key that is left attached to a rotating part of the
tool may result in personal injury.
5. Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all
times. Proper footing and balance enables better control of the
tool in unexpected situations.
6. Use safety equipment. Always wear eye protection. Dust
mask, non-skid safety shoes, hard hat, or hearing protection
must be used for appropriate conditions.
Tool Use and Care
1. Use clamps or other practical way to secure and support the
workpiece to a stable platform. Holding the work by hand or
against your body is unstable and may lead to loss of control.
2. Do not force tool. Use the correct tool for your application.
The correct tool will do the job better and safer at the rate for
which it is designed.
3. Do not use tool if switch does not turn it on or off. Any tool
that cannot be controlled with the switch is dangerous and must
be repaired.
4. Disconnect the plug from the power source before making
any adjustments, changing accessories, or storing the tool.
Such preventative safety measures reduce the risk of starting the
tool accidentally.
5. Store idle tools out of reach of children and other untrained
persons. Tools are dangerous in the hands of untrained users.
6. Maintain tools with care. Keep cutting tools sharp and clean.
Properly maintained tools, with sharp cutting edges are less likely
to bind and are easier to control.
7. Check for misalignment or binding of moving parts, break-
age of parts, and any other condition that may affect the
tool’s operation. If damaged, have the tool serviced before
using. Many accidents are caused by poorly maintained tools.
8. Only use accessories that are recommended by the manu-
facturer for your model. Accessories that may be suitable for
one tool may become hazardous when used on another tool.
Service
1. Tool service must be performed only by qualified repair per-
sonnel. Service or maintenance performed by unqualified repair
personnel could result in a risk of injury.
2. When servicing a tool, use only identical replacement parts.
Follow instructions in the Maintenance section of this man-
ual. Use of unauthorized parts or failure to follow Maintenance
Instructions may create a risk of electric shock or injury.

Easy Rooter™
Cable Application Chart (Table 1)
Cable Size Pipe Size Typical Applications
3/4” 4” to 10” Large Drains, Long Runs, Roots
5/8” 3” to 6” Floor Drains, Clean Outs, Roots
4
1. Only wear leather gloves.Never use any other type of glove,
such as cloth, rubber, or coated gloves. Never grasp a rotating
cable with a rag. These items could become wrapped around the
cable and cause serious injury.
2. Never operate machine with belt guard removed.Fingers can
get caught between belt and pulley.
3. Do not overstress cables. Keep leather-gloved hand on the
cable for control when machine is running. Overstressing cables
because of an obstruction may cause twisting, kinking, or break-
ing of the cable and may result in serious injury.
4. Place the machine at a distance not greater than two feet
from the opening. Greater distances can result in cable twisting
or kinking.
5. Machine is designed for ONE-PERSON operation. Operator
must control foot switch and cable.
6. Do not operate machine in reverse (REV). Operating machine
in reverse can result in cable damage and is used only to back
cutting tool out of an obstruction.
7. Keep hands away from rotating drum. Do not reach into drum
unless machine is unplugged. Hand may be caught in the moving
parts resulting in serious injury.
8. Be careful when cleaning drains where cleaning chemicals
have been used. Avoid direct contact with skin and eyes. Drain
cleaning chemicals can cause serious burns as well as damage
the cable.
9. Do not operate machine if operator or machine is standing
in water. Will increase risk of electrical shock.
10. Wear safety glasses and rubber soled, non-slip shoes. Use
of this safety equipment may prevent serious injury.
11. Before starting each job, check that the cable in the drum is
not broken or kinked, by pulling the cable out and checking
for wear or breakage.Always replace worn out (kinked or bro-
ken) cables with genuine GENERAL replacement cables.
12. Only use this tool in the application for which it was de-
signed. Follow the instructions on the proper use of the ma-
chine. Other uses or modifying the drain cleaner for other appli-
cations may increase risk of injury.
13. The motor is equipped with a thermal overload protector to
guard against overheating. If the motor shuts off due to over-
heating, wait for the motor to cool sufficiently, then press the
reset button located in the back of the motor.
THE SECTION OF CORD BETWEEN THE WALL PLUG
AND THE GFCI IS NOT IN THE PROTECTED CIRCUIT.
FEATURES
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert
you to potential personal injury hazards. Obey all
safety messages that follow this symbol to avoid
possible injury or death.
Electric shock resulting in death can occur if you
plug this machine into an improperly wired outlet. If
the ground wire is electrified, you can be electrocuted
by just touching the machine, even when the power
switch is off. A ground fault circuit interrupter will not
protect you in this situation. Use a UL approved tester to
determine if the outlet is safe.
Do not overstress cables. Overstressing cables may
cause twisting, kinking, or breaking of the cable and may
result in serious injury.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
Your machine is equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter, which
protects you against shock if a short circuit should occur. Check that
receptacle is properly grounded. Test the GFCI before each use.
1. Plug into 120-volt receptacle.
2. Push test button. Indicator light will go out and power to machine
should cut off.
3. If light does not go out when test button is pushed, DO NOT USE
THE MACHINE until proper repairs can be made.
4. To restore power after test, push reset button. With the reset
button depressed, if the machine doesn't start, stops while run-
ning, or if the operator experiences a mild shock, DO NOT USE
THE MACHINE! Tag the machine out of service and take it to a
motor repair center or return it to the factory for repairs.
NOTE: Do not operate machine if warning labels on the switch box
and power cord are missing or illegible.
Cable
Open Drum
Passive
Brake
Cutter Holder
Cord Wrap
Motor Switch
Foot Pedal
Folding Handle
Belt Guard
Knob for Folding Handle
Thumb Screw
Cutter
Female
Connector
V-Belt

Easy Rooter™
1. Place machine at a distance not
greater than two feet (.6m) from
the drain opening. If you cannot
get the machine this close to the
opening, run the cable through a
hose or pipe to prevent cable
whipping. Always keep a gloved
hand on the cable.
2. Position the foot pedal for easy
accessibility. The machine is designed for one-person operation.
Be sure you can quickly remove your foot from the pedal in an
emergency.
3. Be sure the motor switch is in the off position.
4. Select the proper cutting tool (See Cutter Application Chart—Table
2). A good tool to start with is the Spear Head or 2” U-Cutter. After
the line is opened, follow with larger blades, which scrape the
inside edges of the pipe, assuring a real cleaning job.
5. Insert the cutter into the female connector at the end of the cable
and tighten the connecting screw and lock washer firmly in place.
DO NOT USE TOO MUCH FORCE –
LET THE CUTTER DO THE WORK.
4. When the slack cable has been fed into the drain, stop the ma-
chine by taking your foot off the pedal. Loosen the thumb screw
and pull another foot of cable from the cage. Tighten the thumb
screw and continue feeding. Repeat the procedure until the drain
line has been cleared.
5. If you are having trouble getting around bends, try putting the ma-
chine in reverse while applying steady pressure. Note: If your ma-
chine is equipped with a momentary contact reverse switch, you
must hold the switch in position when operating the machine in
reverse.
Do not run motor in reverse for more than a few seconds at a
time since this could cause tangling in the cage or kinking.
6. If you still cannot get around the bend, you are probably using too
large a cable. You may need to switch to a smaller machine (See
Cable Application Chart).
7. After the line is opened, return the cable to the cage with the motor
turning Forward. This is important to prevent tangling the cable in
the cage or in the line.
5
Operation
1. Loosen the thumb screw at the front of the cage and pull the cable
out of the cage, then put it into the drain until it will not go any
farther. Pull another foot of cable out of the cage so that an arc is
formed between the machine and drain. Tighten the thumb screw
on the front of the cage firmly against the cable.
2. Put the motor switch in the Forward position. Then, with both
leather-gloved hands on the cable, step on the foot pedal. Guide
the cable into the line with a firm, even pressure.
release pressure on the foot pedal and rotate the cage in the op-
posite direction to relieve the twist on the cable. Push any excess
cable back into the cage and then continue.
Hint: It's often helpful to have a small stream of water running in the
line to wash the cuttings away while the machine is in operation and
after.
DO NOT USE REVERSE TO PULL THE CABLE OUT OF
THE DRAIN. RUNNING MACHINE IN REVERSE CAN
CAUSE THE CABLE TO TANGLE IN THE CAGE.
DO NOT ALLOW TOO MUCH SLACK IN THE CABLE
BETWEEN MACHINE AND DRAIN OPENING SINCE
THIS CAN CAUSE CABLE WHIPPING.
Operating Instructions
Set-Up
Cutter Application Chart (Table 2)
Cutter Cat. # Typical Applications
Spearhead SHD Starting tool, ideal for cutting
and scraping.
2" U-Cutter 2UC Starting tool, to remove loose
objects.
3" Heavy Duty
Side Cutter 3HDSC Finishing tool, for scraping
inside edges of pipe.
3" Heavy Duty
Saw Blade 3HDB Cutting roots and heavy stop-
pages.
Retrieving
Tool RTR-2 To remove loose objects and broken cables.
Note: There are no fixed rules about which cutter to use. If one tool
doesn’t take care of a stoppage, simply try another.
Special Operations
IF CABLE GETS CAUGHT IN LINE
The motor can be reversed to free cable if it gets caught in the line.
Use the following procedure:
1. Tighten thumb screw at front of cage firmly against cable.
2. Move toggle switch on motor to reverse position. Note: If your
machine is equipped with a momentary contact reverse switch,
you must hold the switch in position when operating the machine
in reverse.
3. Wearing leather gloves, pull on cable while the cage is turning in
reverse.
4. When the cable is freed, loosen thumb screw and slide excess
cable back into cage.
8. When the cutter is near the drain opening, take your foot off the
pedal to stop drum rotation. Never retract the cutting tool from
drain while cable is rotating. The cable could whip and cause seri-
ous injury.
MAKE SURE THE MOTOR SWITCH IS IN THE ‘OFF’
POSITION!
3. Do not leave too much slack in the cable since this will cause
whipping. If the cable starts to bend or build up too much twist,

Easy Rooter™
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE (TABLE 3)
Problem Probable Cause Solution
Cable kinking, tangling or breaking. Cable is being forced. Do not force the cable! Let the cutter do the work.
Cable used in incorrect pipe
diameter. See Cable Application Chart.
Motor switched to reverse. Use reverse only if cable gets caught in pipe –only for a few seconds
at a time.
Cable exposed to acid. Clean and oil cables regularly.
Cable worn out. Cable can be repaired using "Quick Fix" of "Repair Sleeve." If cable
has broken several times, replace it.
Cage stops while foot pedal depressed.
Restarts when pedal is re-depressed. Hole in pedal or hose. Replace damaged component.
Hole in diaphragm switch. If no problem found with pedal or hose, replace diaphragm switch.
Cage turns in one direction but not
other. Faulty reverse switch or momentary contact switch. Replace switch. Note: Momentary contact switch must be held in position when using reverse.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter trips
when machine is plugged in or when
foot pedal is depressed.
Frayed power cord. Replace cord set.
Short circuit in motor. Take motor to authorized service center (Call General for Details).
Excess moisture in area. Remove excess moisture from area.
Faulty Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter. Replace Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.
Motor turns but cage does not. Slip clutch slipping because
cable is being forced. Do not force cable. Do not allow too much slack between cable and machine.
Slip clutch is worn. Replace slip clutch.
6
5. Move the toggle switch to the forward position again, and continue
at Step 3 of the Operating Instructions.
DO NOT RUN MOTOR IN REVERSE FOR MORE THAN A
FEW SECONDS AT A TIME SINCE THIS COULD CAUSE
THE CABLE TO KINK OR TANGLE IN THE CAGE.
HOW TO INSTALL CABLE IN CAGE
1. Connect male end of cable to the cage connecting cable already
attached to cage.
2. Remove V-Belt.
3. Turn cage clockwise with one hand while pushing cable into cage
with other hand.
4. Be sure cable goes into cage in clockwise direction as you look
at the front of the machine or cable will tangle in cage.
5. Replace V-Belt after cable is installed.
NOTE: The cable should lay in the cage in a
clockwise direction.
DISCONNECT MACHINE FROM POWER SOURCE
BEFORE INSTALLING CABLES OR CAGES!
To keep your machine operating smoothly, it is essential that all bear-
ings and distributor tube bushings be lubricated. Oiling moving parts is
particularly important where machine comes in contact with sand, grit
and other abrasive material.
CABLE MAINTENENCE
To get maximum service from your cables, be
sure that they are clean and well oiled. This not
only provides running lubrication but greatly
extends the life of the cables as well. Some
users periodically pour oil directly into the cage.
Then, as the cage turns, the cables get com-
plete lubrication. Our SNAKE OIL is ideally
suited for this purpose, since it not only lubri-
cates the cables, it deodorizes them as well.
TANGLED CABLE: If a cable loops over itself in the cage, it will
not feed properly. Remove and reload the cable to restore function. If
the cable kinks, it is evidence of abuse and results from the use of too
much pressure or use of the wrong size cable for the line. Do not
force the cable —let the cutter do the work.
DISCONNECT MACHINE FROM POWER SOURCE
BEFORE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE!
MAINTENANCE
HOW TO EXCHANGE CAGES
1. Unscrew ring bolt in center of cage.
2. Lift belt guard off motor.
3. Push motor down far enough to slip V-Belt off.
4. Tilt Easy Rooter on its back and lift cage off of shaft.
5. Reverse procedure to install cage.
IF CABLE TANGLES IN CAGE
This is almost always caused by using too much pressure when feed-
ing the cable or by feeding the cable while running the machine in
reverse. To untangle, rotate cage in opposite direction. If cable has
become badly tangled, which will not happen when machine is used
properly, it may be necessary to pull the entire cable out of the cage
and re-install it (See "How to Install Cable").
See pages 22 and 23 for parts list and schematic diagram.