General Wire PV-F User Manual
™
Power-Vee
Operating Instructions
For 1-1/4‖ through 3‖ lines
(30mm—100mm)
Your Power-Vee is designed to give
you years of trouble-free, profitable
service. 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 warnings and instructions for future reference.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
Pour français voir la page 7
Para ver el español vea la paginá 15
Power-Vee™
GENERAL SAFETY RULES
WARNING! Read and understand all
instructions. Failure to follow all instruc-
tions 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 website, 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.
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 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.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
These instructions are intended to
familiarize all personnel with the safe
operation and maintenance
procedures for the Power-Vee.
This is the safety alert symbol. It is
used to alert you to potential personal
DANGER indicates a hazard with a high level of risk
which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
WARINING indicates a hazard with a medium level of risk
which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
injury hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this symbol to avoid
possible injury or death.
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.
Do not overstress cables.
Overstressing cables may cause
twisting, kinking, or breaking of
the cable and may result in serious injury.
CAUTION indicates a hazard with a low level of risk which,
if not avoided, will result in minor or moderate injury.
2
Power-Vee™
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 atmos-
pheres, 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. Double insulated tools are equipped with a polar-
ized plug (one blade is wider than the other).
This plug will fit a polarized outlet only one way.
If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse
the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified
electrician to install a polarized outlet. Do not
change the plug in any way. Double insulation
eliminates the need for the three wire grounded
power cord and grounded power supply system.
3. 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.
4. Do not expose power tools to rain or wet condi-
tions. Water entering a power tool will increase the
risk of electric shock.
5. 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.
6. When operating a power tool outside use an out-
door extension cord marked ―W-A‖ or ―W‖. These
cords are rated for outdoor use and reduce the risk of
electric shock.
7. Keep all electric connections dry and off the
ground. Reduces the risk of electric shock.
8. Do not touch plugs or tools with wet hands. Re-
duces the risk of electric shock.
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 moment of inat-
tention while operating power tools may result in serious personal injury.
2. Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or
jewelry. Contain 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 plugging in. Plugging in tools that have the
switch on invites accidents.
4. Remove adjusting keys or switches before turn-
ing 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 bal-
ance at all times. Proper footing and balance enables better control of the tool in unexpected situations.
6. Always wear safety glasses and rubber soled,
non-slip shoes. 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. Hold-
ing 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 be-
fore 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. Inspect for misalignment or binding of moving
parts, breakage 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 manufacturer for your model. Accessories that
may be suitable for one tool may become hazardous
when used on another tool.
3
Power-Vee™
Service
1. Tool service must be performed only by qualified
repair personnel. Service or maintenance per-
formed by unqualified repair personnel could result in
injury.
2. When servicing a tool, use only identical replace-
ment parts. Follow instructions in the Maintenance section of this manual. Use of unauthorized
parts or failure to follow Maintenance Instructions
may create a risk of electric shock or injury.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
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. Be sure that the unit is plugged into a properly
grounded receptacle. If in doubt, check receptacle
before plugging in machine. Check the power cord to
see that there are no cuts or frays, and that the
grounding prong on the plug is still in place.
3. The drive unit used in the Power-Vee is double
insulated, and therefore has no grounding wire.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, this equipment has a polarized plug (one blade is wider
than the other). The plug will fit in a polarized outlet
only one way. If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If the plug still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician to install the proper outlet.
Do not change the plug in any way.
4. If the power cord supplied with the machine is
not long enough, be sure to use a 16 gauge
heavy duty extension cord no more than 50 feet
long and in good condition. Using lighter cords can
result in severe power loss and motor overheating.
5. Place the machine at a distance not greater than
six inches from drain opening. Greater distances
can result in cable twisting or kinking.
6. Machine is designed for ONE-PERSON operation.
Operator must control trigger switch and cable.
7. Never take hold of a rotating cable. Pull the cable
out, or push it back into the container by hand
only when the motor is stopped. When the motor
is turning, always have one hand controlling the
trigger switch and the other hand around the grip
shield. Operator’s 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 corrosive drain cleaners. Drain cleaning chemicals can cause serious burns, as well as damage the
cable. Neutralize or remove corrosive drain cleaners
in the drain before starting the job.
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. Al-
ways replace worn out (kinked or broken) cables with
genuine GENERAL replacement cables.
12. Only use this tool in the application for which it
was designed. Follow the instructions on the
proper use of the machine. Other uses or modifying
the drain cleaner for other applications may increase
risk of injury.
FEATURES
Power Cable Feed Lever
Female Connector
Cable
Grip Shield
Forward/Off/
Reverse Switch
Variable Speed
Trigger Switch
Container Back
VARIABLE SPEED SWITCH
A variable speed control is built into the trigger mechanism. You can control and increase the machine's speed
by applying more trigger pressure until you get the speed
that you want.
You can also control the machine's direction of rotation
by switching the forward and reverse lever, which is located just above the trigger switch. Move the lever toward the Forward arrow for forward rotation and toward
the Back arrow for reverse rotation. Switch to OFF position when the tool is not in use.
Cable Application Chart (Table 1)
Cable Size Pipe Size Typical Applications
1/4” 1-1/4" to 2" Small lines, tubs, and shower drains.
5/16" 1-1/2" to 2" Sinks, basins, and small drains.
3/8" 2" to 3" Stacks, toilets, small drains (No Roots).
The 1/4" and 5/16" diameter cables with EL Basin plug heads
can be spun through most strainer crossbars and work well in
lines blocked by soft stoppages such as hair, soap, fats, etc.
4
Container Front
Cable Cartridge - inside container
Cutter
Power-Vee™
Cutter Application Chart (Table 2)
Cutter Catalog # Typical Applications
Arrow
Head
Flexible Arrow
Head
Boring
Gimlet
Down Head
Boring
Gimlet
1-1/4"
Side
Cutter
Other Available Accessories:
Down Head
Fitting
Toilet
Attachment
DHBG
1-1/4SCB
AH
FAH
BG
DHF
CAA
Ideal for heavy cutting and
scraping.
More flexibility than Arrow
Head; can take sharp turns in
small lines.
To remove or retrieve loose
objects.
Leads cable down drain line
rather than up vent or across
tee.
Works well in grease stoppages, scrapes walls of pipe.
Converts various cutters to
the down-head style
For cleaning stoppages in
toilet bowl
8. Use the variable speed trigger to adjust the feed rate
to the resistance met. Do not force the cable or feed
faster than the cable can go into the drain.
9. 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, release the trigger. Push any
excess cable back into the drum and then continue.
DO NOT ALLOW TOO MUCH SLACK IN
THE CABLE BETWEEN MACHINE AND
DRAIN OPENING SINCE THIS CAN
CAUSE CABLE WHIPPING.
10. When the cable reaches the stoppage, put feed in
neutral by releasing feed lever. Move the machine
back and forth as the cable is rotating until the stoppage has been cleared. Slight feed lever pressure
may be applied as required to maintain contact with
the stoppage.
11. To retract the cable, put Forward/Off/Reverse switch
in the Reverse position and press the feed lever and
motor trigger.
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.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
1. The cable may have a drop-head spring on the end
to help the cable around tight bends, or it may have a
connector for attaching cutters to the end.
2. To attach a cutter, first unplug the machine. Then,
remove the screw and lock washer from the connector at the end of the cable. Slide the cutter into the
slot, then replace the lock washer and connecting
screw. Tighten the screw firmly.
3. The Boring Gimlet and Arrow Head are good cutters
to start with. Then change to the larger cutters after
you've gotten the water flowing.
4. Place machine at a distance
not greater than six inches
from the drain opening. If you
can’t place the machine this
close to the drain opening, run
the cable through a hose or
pipe to prevent cable whipping.
5. Insert the cable into the drain
opening as far as it will go.
6. Be sure the Forward/Off/
Reverse switch is in the FOR-
WARD position.
7. Gently squeeze the motor trigger. Then, squeeze the
power cable feed lever to feed cable into the line.
DO NOT FORCE THE CABLE. The job won’t go
any faster and you could kink the cable.
DO NOT USE TOO MUCH FORCE –
LET THE CUTTER DO THE WORK.
Note: An optional Handy
Stand™ (shown at right)
holds the Power-Vee for
greater control of the machine
and cable.
TO CHANGE CABLE CARTRIDGES
DISCONNECT MACHINE FROM POWER
SOURCE BEFORE INSTALLING CABLES OR
DRUMS!
1. Remove the cutter and connecting screw from the
cable, if one is attached.
2. Squeeze the feed lever and pull back on the retaining
latch. Swing the feed lever open. Remove the top
roller assembly.
3. Loosen three screws that hold front and back of container together. Pull the container front off of the machine, revealing the cable cartridge within.
4. Remove the cable cartridge.
5. Press replacement cartridge firmly into back of container. Make sure to line up the grooves in the cartridge with the slots in the container back.
6. Slide the cable through the container front.
7. Position the container front so that the three screws
aligned with the slots in the container back. Press
the container front into the container back.
5
Power-Vee™
8. Tighten screws firmly, making sure the screw heads
are centered in the slots and flush with the container
surface.
9. Insert top roller assembly into the feed housing.
Make sure that the guide pin in the carrier is aligned
with the slot in the housing.
10. Swing the feed lever
closed. Squeeze the
lever and push the
retaining latch forward to
secure the feed lever in
place.
MAINTENANCE
DISCONNECT MACHINE FROM POWER
SOURCE BEFORE PERFORMING
MAINTENANCE ON MACHINE!
To keep your machine operating smoothly, it is essential
that all bearings and 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
drum. Then, as the drum turns,
the cables get complete lubrication. Our SNAKE OIL is ideally
suited for this purpose, since it
not only lubricates the cables, it
deodorizes them as well.
FEED MAINTENANCE
Keep feed free of excessive soil and grit. It is recommended that the feed be flushed with fresh water followed by a light oiling of the moving parts. No disassembly is normally required. Failure to feed can usually be
traced to dirt accumulation.
Over time, dirt can harden enough to stop roller rotation.
Flushing with water followed by liberal oiling can usually
restore function. If disassembly is required, proceed as
follows,
TO CLEAN OR REPLACE FEED ROLLERS
1. Squeeze the feed lever and pull back on the lever
retaining latch.
2. Swing the feed lever open. Remove the top roller
assembly.
3. Remove the three Cover Plate retaining screws to
expose the two lower rollers.
4. Loosen and remove the screws holding the lower two
rollers in place.
5. Re-assembly is done in reverse order.
TO REMOVE MOTOR
1. Loosen the three screws that hold the container front
and back together.
2. Pull the container front off of the machine.
3. Loosen the two set screws in the beveled collar and
remove both the collar and the felt washer.
4. Slide a flat head screw driver into the Hub Spindle
and unscrew the Left Hand locking screw from the
drive shaft by turning it clockwise.
5. Unscrew the Hub Spindle from the Right Hand Drive
Shaft by rotating the container back counterclockwise. Note: The Hub Spindle, Hub, and Con-
tainer Back remain as one unit. The thrust bearing
will spin freely.
6. Reverse these instructions to re-assemble.
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE (TABLE 3)
Problem Probable Cause Solution
Cable kinks or breaks. Operator forcing the cable. Do not force the cable. Let the cutter do the work.
Too much slack between machine and drain. Do not allow more than six inches between machine and drain.
Cable used in wrong size drain line. A cable that is too large or too small in diameter for a line is more
likely to kink. (Consult Table 1—Cable Applications.)
Cable exposed to acid Clean and oil cables regularly.
Cable tangles in container. Operator forcing the cable. Do not force the cable. Let the cutter do the work.
Failure to feed. Feed Rollers frozen. Clean and lubricate feed rollers regularly. Replace worn rollers.
Cable tangled in drum. Use proper cable size. (Consult Cable Application Chart—Table 1).
Motor does not run. Trigger in neutral (off) position. Switch Trigger to either Forward or Reverse.
Motor turns in one direction
but not other.
Reverse switch failure. Replace reverse switch.
See pages 22 and 23 for Parts List and Schematic Diagram.
6
™
Power-Vee
Manuel d'instructions
Pour canalisations de 1-1/4 à 3 pouces
(30–100 mm)
Votre débouchoir Power-Vee est conçu
pour vous procurer de nombreuses années
de service fiable et rentable. Toutefois aucun
appareil ne peut donner son plein rendement
si l'opérateur ne le connaît pas à fond.
Lisez, comprenez et respectez toutes
les consignes de sécurité et instructions four-
nies avec ce produit. Le fait de ne pas suivre
ces consignes et instructions risquerait de
provoquer une électrocution et/ou des blessu-
res graves. Conservez ces documents pour
future référence.
CONSERVEZ CES INSTRUCTIONS !
Power-Vee™
CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ
GÉNÉRALES
AVERTISSEMENT! Lisez attentivement toutes les instructions. Le fait de ne pas suivre
toutes les instructions risque de provoquer une
électrocution, un incendie et/ou des blessures
graves. Des manuels de rechange peuvent
être obtenus gratuitement sur demande, ou
téléchargées à partir de notre site Internet,
www.drainbrain.com. Des films d'instruction
peuvent également être téléchargés de notre
site Internet ou nous être commandés. En cas
de question ou de problème, veuillez contacter
le service clientèle de General au 412-771-
6300.
CONSERVEZ CES INSTRUCTIONS !
L'appareil doit être branché
dans une prise correctement
mise à la terre. À défaut de sui-
vre ces instructions, il peut
s'ensuivre un choc électrique
et la mort. Si le fil de mise à la
terre est électrifié, vous pouvez
être électrocuté par un simple
contact avec l'appareil et ce,
même si l’interrupteur est à Arrêt (Off). Dans ce cas, le disjonc-
teur de fuite à la terre ne peut pas
vous protéger. Utilisez un testeur
certifié UL pour vérifier si la prise
de courant est sécuritaire.
N'utilisez jamais des outils mo-
torisés dans une atmosphère
explosive générée par des li-
quides inflammables, des gaz
ou de la poussière. Les outils
électriques provoquent des étincelles qui risquent d’enflammer la
poussière ou les vapeurs.
Ces instructions ont pour objet de fa-
miliariser tous les employés avec l’u-
tilisation et l’entretien sans danger
du Power-Vee.
Ce symbole de sécurité vous avertit
de l’existence d'un danger pour votre
DANGER signale un danger de haut risque qui, s’il n’est
pas évité, entraînera des blessures graves ou mortelles.
AVERTISSEMENT signale un danger de risque moyen qui,
s’il n’est pas évité, peut entraîner des blessures graves ou
mortelles.
MISE EN GARDE signale un danger de faible risque qui,
s’il n’est pas évité, peut entraîner des blessures de faible
ou moyenne gravité.
sécurité personnelle. Respectez toutes les consignes de sécurité suivant
ce symbole afin d’éviter des blessu-
res graves ou mortelles.
Ne portez que des gants en
cuir. N’utilisez aucun autre ty-
pe de gants, en tissu, caoutchouc ou enduit. Ne saisissez
jamais un câble en mouvement
avec des gants en tissu ou un
chiffon; ces matériaux peuvent
s’enrouler autour du câble et cau-
ser des blessures graves.
Portez toujours des lunettes de
sécurité et des chaussures à
semelles de caoutchouc anti-
dérapantes. L'emploi de ces
équipements de sécurité peut
empêcher des blessures graves.
Ne forcez jamais les câbles
exagérément. Une tension ex-
cessive peut causer la torsion, le
vrillage ou la rupture du câble et
pourrait provoquer des blessures
graves.
8
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