How to unblock a drain using a Karcher pressure washer

How to unblock a sewage drain using a Karcher K4 pressure washer and the Karcher PC20 pipe cleaning kit. Unblocking a blocked drain is not a pleasant experience but using the 20m high pressure hose from the PC20 kit makes the job relatively quick, clean and simple.
You can find the equipment used in this video on amazon here:
Karcher PC20 pipe and guttering cleaning kit
UK: amzn.to/3L9Zs6F
USA: amzn.to/3lrhYzh
Deutschland: amzn.to/40c06Hg
France: amzn.to/3yKP2Fx
España: amzn.to/3LGg5t0
Italia: amzn.to/3loQkms
Australia: amzn.to/3fy9hjq
Karcher K4 pressure washer
UK: amzn.to/3lmlTxc
USA: not currently available
Deutschland: amzn.to/4040AzO
France: amzn.to/3n0jpVU
España: amzn.to/3TrWNcW
Italia: amzn.to/3n46KBn
Australia: amzn.to/3ULq9mZ
If you want to try out amazon prime for free, this link will give you a free amazon prime 30 day trial: www.amazon.co.uk/tryprimefree...
As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases but the price you pay remains the same.
#karcher
#drainunblocking
#karcherpc20
#kaercher
#karcherk4
#pipecleaning

[@bigtedshome]

You can find amazon links to the equipment used in this video here: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/bigtedshomegarden?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfbigtedshomegarden_XYWG189ZT5TFRMHM85CB International amazon links are in the video description. Clicking on the UK product link should take you directly to the product listing on your local amazon site.

[@alwysrite]

nice idea using the pvc pipe to straighten the coiled hose!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Bruce 👍

[@quikie1984]

Extra points for this simple idea. 👌

[@mickclayson6896]

Great video and talk through Ted. Like a couple of the comments below, I was impressed by the use of the 40mm PVC drain pipe. Thanks🙂

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Mick 👍

[@karlnotyourbusiness4429]

Watched this yesterday as I have a blocked drain and the outflow into the main is halfway up but too far for my arms. The pipe trick worked a treat and saved a ton of aggro. Tried it without briefly but it really didnt work well so a length of pipe I had handy really worked well. Brilliant tip. Cheers mate

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Karl. I'm glad you found it useful 🙂

[@jeffrichardson5361]

Thanks Big Ted. I also liked the pipe trick. And drilling an extra hole in the brass tip of the house.😃

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Jeff 👍

[@markbon5146]

Fantastic. Exactly what I needed to hear . On my way to buy the hose

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. Good luck with the drain 🤞

[@tipple58]

Top marks, sir. A very helpful and good-humoured video. Peace out!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

[@terencefox4251]

Brilliant advice thanks

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Terence. I'm glad you found it useful 🙂

[@Hawks922]

Great presentation, and use of your common sense. Keep it up :)

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback 👍

[@rsachoc]

Nice video, smart to use that drain pipe!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback James 👍

[@standrewpics]

Have seen other people use this method , but with your vid the idea of using the plastic pipe I had not seen brilliant idea.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks. I had to think of something, there was no way I was putting my arm into that inspection chamber 😁

[@johnmcdonnell5519]

Fantastic. Great video. Thanks

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks John 👍

[@ljoshp91]

Fantastic video! Thank you so much. Can't wait to sort my drain out and dance around like an idiot 😂

[@bigtedshome]

😂 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

[@grahammalkinson1439]

Great idea using PVC pipe 👍

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Graham 👍

[@d.vsinghbali7550]

Very helpful

[@bigtedshome]

Thank you. I'm glad you found it useful 🙂

[@osh2023]

Thank you.

[@bigtedshome]

I'm glad you found the video useful 🙂

[@spierrotdu1397]

Thanks. Great Ted..........I m going to try tomorrow :)

[@bigtedshome]

Good luck 🤞

[@unclebob8419]

Very useful video

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Bob. I'm glad you found it helpful 🙂

[@Rajjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj]

i have seen people using soft easy bend hose on few youtube videos. i struggled with this one when i attempted cleaning the toilet with aggressive bends. happy to report i managed to get the hose through with lots if fiddling, but i am sure a soft easy bend hose would have made my life hell lot easier. these would not have aggressive coiling issues either.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the idea Raj 👍

[@lukeaaron6946]

Very informative (and funny 😁)

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Luke 👍

[@carlodangelo8348]

excellent

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Carlo 👍

[@dave1966uk]

Thank you for this. The head on its own did nothing (pipe blocked solid with soil from moss from roof). Drilled the hole in the end/front and went through like a knife through butter. Still no idea where the pipe goes (!) as came to end of Karcher pipe and still going and no sign of water in inspection cover - suspect an unknown soakaway.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Dave. I'm glad it worked for you 👍

[@michaeldorgan5189]

In the words of actor Sean Connery..."Extraordinary"

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback 🙂

[@GdaySport]

Drainage pipe was a genius idea! I've got a partially blocked drain (sink & shower water) but it has a U bend so getting round it might be an issue.... What sort of radius can the pipe bend to roughly?

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback 👍 The end of this pipe cleaner is far too stiff to go round a bathroom U bend. If you can't access the U bend to remove it, I would try one of the chemical drain unblockers as the cause of your blockage is probably hair.

[@GdaySport]

@@bigtedshome Hi, the U bend is part of the drain (so below ground level outdoors) it is much bigger diameter than the ones under the sink (I would guess 4" diam). I've tried two loads of quite a strong mix of caustic soda (four bottles to one bucket) so am thinking the blockage is maybe not biological matter? Will probably have to get a drain contractor to have a look...

[@bigtedshome]

@@GdaySport If it is that big it might be possible. I'm not at home at the moment but will have a look when I get back tomorrow and let you know.

[@GdaySport]

@@bigtedshome Belting, thank you!

[@bigtedshome]

@@GdaySport Just had a look at the hose. The tip is solid and about 65mm long but the hose doesn't start to bend until approx 80 mm. After that it is quite flexible and will bend into a circle of 4" diameter easily. The biggest pipe I had in my garage was some 2 1/2 inch guttering downpipe and the hose was easy to push round a 90 degree angle. Unfortunately, I don't have a second 90 deg angle to make a U but your drainage pipe sounds much bigger anyway. Hope this helps.

[@user-he1ki6cj5l]

Very informative, thank you. Does the Karcher pressure washer generate enough force to unblock all blockages with this pipe in your experience? Are there some scenarios where a more powerful pressure washer will be needed? Thanks

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. A domestic pressure washer is not as powerful as the equipment used by commercial drains specialists so I would expect that there will be situations where this equipment won't break through a blockage. Fortunately, I've not had that problem so far 🙂

[@IRunDaily]

This is so helpful. I've been trying to use mine too break through some fat and grease blocking our pipe running from our sink to our outside drain, but I can't break through it because it's solid. Would drilling a hole in the top like you've done work do you think? I only have a small karcher, so I'm not sure if I have enough power to get through it.

[@bigtedshome]

Solidified fat can be a nightmare to break through. Do you know where the blockage is? If it's above ground, you should be able to unscrew the plastic pipework and clean it out mechanically or chemically. Put a big bucket/washing up bowl underneath first though!

[@IRunDaily]

@@bigtedshome no, it's below ground. I've cleared it from both ends, but probably have a section about 50cm long to break through. I'm using rods to chip away at it. I'm not sure about using some caustic soda to help it along.

[@bigtedshome]

@I Run Daily If you have cleared the backed up water out of the pipe and can get the caustic soda to the blockage without overly diluting it, it is very effective at breaking down fat. Be very careful with it though it can cause horrific chemical burns.

[@sabrinanicholl-flood9262]

Great video thanks! I’m battling an AJ at the min. It seems the pressure remains on soft, is that accurate? Is there anyway of upping the pressure? 😅

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Sabrina. Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware, the pressure washer selects the correct pressure when attachments like this are connected and there's no way of increasing the pressure. I found that by pushing the hose in and out, it eventually forced its way into and through the blockage. Good luck 🤞

[@antonygiddings1]

Hey Ted. Great explainer vid. I purchased a karcher and drain cleaning add-on and it worked! Thank you (plumbers in Perth WA are sooo expensive!). The problem that I had/have is that my blockages are caused by tree roots and so I think I might need to modify my head in the same way you did by drilling a hole so the jet cuts through the roots as apposed to just pushing them out of the way as I feel like although what I did worked, it didn't really clear them fully. Unfortunately I'm not very skilled at DIY and had a couple of questions. Firstly, what drill bit did you use? Was it HSS, Cobalt or Titanium? Secondly, can I just use a normal drill to do the job? Thirdly, I can only find a 2mm cobalt or titanium drill bit and was wondering if you think this might be too big and will prevent the head moving forward? Apologies for all the questions I'm just nervous of ruining the head. Thanks again for the vid, it was super-clear and helpful!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Antony. I used a 1.5 mm HSS drill bit in a cordless drill to adapt the head. The key thing was to clamp the head in a vice before drilling. Good luck 👍

[@SaxJockey]

Very useful video, thank you. Good advice re gloves, face visor and overalls. Might invest in that Karcher PC20 kit. So this is what Sean Bean gets up to in his spare time 😁. That's a proper accent, are you from that area (Sheffield)?

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. You know your accents well 😁

[@ChristianDThompson]

What an excellent review and instructional video! Do you think that this kit has enough tension to be forced UP a downspout? We live in a four-story and the downspout is 10 m high with a bend at the top holding the blockage.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. I'm afraid that I really don't know if the pipe cleaner would be suitable for your problem. I think that it is probably stiff enough to push up the drainpipe but I have not tried it. Karcher technical support might be able to help.

[@SaxJockey]

When you say downspout, do you mean from a gutter (rainwater), not foul water from toilets/sinks?

[@ChristianDThompson]

@@SaxJockey Yes, that's it. Storm drain, rain water

[@SaxJockey]

@@ChristianDThompson OK. I had a similar blockage at the top bend ('swan neck' from gutter to down pipe). It's about 15ft up, but in a silly location, on a corner but no access for ladders due to subsequent building extension). When the gutter had dried out, I gave the open end at the bottom of the pipe a blast with an electric leaf blower! All the leaves and moss shot out the top of the pipe, the fallout was a bit messy (wear a hat and don't look up), but it worked. I have repeated it on other downpipes, worked fine. Exercise caution: don't let water/debris fall into the leaf blower, don't do it with standing water at the top (water and debris could spray out/fall down the pipe), apply only moderate air pressure in short bursts (don't damage pipe joints, felt, tiles or let debris fall into the blower). I used a mains powered blower to test the method, now also have a lightweight cordless blower, that should be more appropriate. Don't use a petrol one, far too powerful, heavy and risk of dangerous fuel spills!

[@ChristianDThompson]

@@SaxJockey Thank you so very much for taking the time to advise us of your experience and the time for explaining your solution. We will definitely give that a try! Thanks again.

[@seanswall1967]

Traditionally people would use sewer rods, push them in till you get the blockage. Using a power washer is interesting, but don't like adding water to an already blocked sewer, the shit might overflow, hit the fan...

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for commenting Sean. The amount of extra water you are adding is minimal compared to the size of the drain/inspection chamber. I believe most commercial companies use high pressure water jetting now.

[@amjadhani8929]

Thanks Big Ted. Do you need a drill press and a vise to hold the nozzle during drilling the center hole?

[@bigtedshome]

Good question Amjad 👍 I did use a vice as you will need something to hold the nozzle steady. I don't have a drill press so just used my handheld drill.

[@amjadhani8929]

@@bigtedshome Thanks !

[@bigtedshome]

@Matt Pascoe Thanks for the tip Matt 👍

[@dhansel4835]

Where can I get a hose with a quick connector that will fit the end of my Ryobi 1900 psi pressure washer wand and have a quick connect on the other end to put jetter attachments?

[@bigtedshome]

I'm sorry but I'm not familiar with Ryobi pressure washers. You could try asking on the Ryobi subreddit: www.reddit.com/r/ryobi?

[@arifsoeprijono8128]

can the hose be paired with a jet pump other than the Karcher brand?

[@bigtedshome]

Yes, but you would need an adapter to allow the Karcher bayonet fitting on the end of the hose to connect to your machine. Alternatively, you could look for a similar hose which already has the correct fitting for your pressure washer.

[@6271CT]

Hi it me Cuda how can you get the KARCHER pipe cleaner kit out of the pipe please 😢cuss I can’t get it out of my pipe at my house.

[@bigtedshome]

I've not had that problem so can't comment from experience but I would try moving the hose in and out with the water turned on to try and dislodge it from whatever it is catching on. Good luck!

[@Benni1214]

My hose got a hole in it. I can't find a way to detach the "connector" to reattach it to the hose after cutting it... Any tips? :| Trying to contact the Amazon seller about it...

[@bigtedshome]

If it's new, send it back to amazon as faulty. Amazon are normally very good with returns

[@findingjoy08]

Can k3 unclog pipes?

[@bigtedshome]

Yes, this should work with a K3.

[@wendydee3007]

Could a karcher be used to clear a blocked shower drain?

[@bigtedshome]

If you have enough room to get into the drain then I don't see why not. There are easier methods described here that you might want to try first www.coastaldrains.co.uk/blog/unblock-shower-drain/ Good luck 🤞

[@wendydee3007]

@@bigtedshome Thanks. The trap won't come out of the shower drain hole so it's difficult to know what's going on. I already tried the baking powder/vinegar with no effect. I'm going to buy a hand plunger pump today! Fingers crossed :o)

[@azoirwazo3627]

Could a k4 karcher cut roots inside the blocked drain..?

[@kacgchannel4554]

Bought this to stick up my drain pipe cause I ain't got any ladders

[@bigtedshome]

Did it work?

[@kacgchannel4554]

It sure did, took a while but in end I got drenched due to it coming out of the gutter

[@bigtedshome]

@@kacgchannel4554 😂

[@Benito_Cognito]

You're doing it wrong! The guy from flusher's plumbing says ya just need to clean the grate 🤣

[@bigtedshome]

👍🤣

[@patmat.]

You have to uncoil that damn hose first, if you're alone it's a bit of a pain. Took me a good 20mn

[@precinct1baltimorecountyre588]

Man that drain gotta be at least 100 yr old. A man hole for a home? Wow only time I see that state side would be in a large complex

[@bigtedshome]

Not quite 100 yrs, it would have been built at the same time as the house so about 70 yrs ago. Most homes in the UK have inspection chambers like this.

[@peterrudy9207]

Gasoline pressure washers have the most power .

[@bigtedshome]

I agree, they are more powerful but for most domestic users, a good electric pressure washer will do everything they need and require a lot less maintenance.

[@peterrudy9207]

@@bigtedshome Ok , as long as it worked . If not then maybe rent a dedicated gasoline powered drain cleaning machine . I knew someone that had a convenience store / gas station . And he had a drive thru car wash and two self serve bays . He mistakenly I think had bought a electric drain cleaning machine fpr the drains . It was NOT powerful enoigh for this situation . It would take HOURS to clean out one drain . I suggested he buy a gasoline one , but not surprised fell on deaf ears .

[@phuckewe5876]

Do not buy this, its absolutely rubbish literally 75 quid down the drain.

[@TheAndywooller]

I see what you did there 😂

[@damon235]

No one wants sewage spraying over their back door 🤢 , I drilled a hole in the front of mine as well definitively helps with leaf debris etc.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Damon 👍