Roto-Rootering LG Coil.....Bad Idea?

So I'm thinking of running my drain cleaning snake, the type that is powered/spun with a drill motor threw the coil.
After months of the filter and jet clogging issues, I'm getting desperate for a way to break up the large rock hard clumps, so I can hopefully flush them out.

I'm thinking this could possibly punch a hole threw the coil, but also think the chances are slim, with it being pretty think wall copper to withstand the heat and pressure it's made for?

But that's why I want to get your opinions, what do you think, I'm I likely to screw it up?

What could possibility go wrong?

Point out what you think of that I haven't and please post it.

I'm not sure it would be flexible enough for what you want to accomplish.

If you do I would soak it and try to soften things up a little before hand.

Good point Rob, and I thought about that, but I think the lil homeowner snake I have is flexible enough to make the bend, but may also get to much resistance on it once it makes it in a coil or two..........I'd just have to try I guess.

Scott, I've yet to have any luck in finding anything that even begins to soften the crap in there.

BTW, does anyone know if Little Giant will repair blown coils?

I still have my old one, with a big hole in it. If I could get that repaired it would solve this prob.
I know, I know radiator shop, but the prob with this hole is it's way inside the inter coil, and down a couple from the top. Only way I see it being possible is to disassemble the thing at the joints, so the blown hole area could be reached.

Yeah they fix them Dave. Not sure how big the whole is but the good thing is that it isn't at the neck (Top) the coil that's where the most stress is.

What attachment are you using with the snake? I would use the smallest one first to make sure it doesn't get stuck in there.

Yea Mo, it actually might not be the best plan at this point, since I have no back up, but I'm getting desperate. If it were to get stuck, I would be out of luck, no heat, so maybe I should see if I can get the blown one fixed first.

The hole in my blown coil is big, like a ripped open spot you could easily stick your finger in..........so I'm thinking it's going to need a section "replaced" rather than actually repaired.

The head on the snake I have is just coiled steal, and not interchangeable. But I'd guess it's 1/2 to 3/4 the size of the inside dia. of the coil.

Thanks for the responses so far, it's appreciated!!

I had a crack in my El diablo heating coil on the inside. I took it to a good welder. He cut the coils apart where the break was, spread them, welded the crack and re welded the coils together. Charged me $300. Well worth it.

Being the pessimist, I would be afraid to send a snake up there for fear of it either damaging a coil wall or just as bad, the tip of the tool breaks off and gets wedged in the bend.....how would you ever get that out?

Little Giant does repair coils, but it would probably cost about as much as a new one and you would probably still have that cement in the lines.

I'm curious, how often do you flush your lines? I started flushing my lines after every 12 hours of cleaning last year and it is really amazing how much crap comes out of those lines with the QC removed.

I wonder if that cement is just encap left in the lines, dried up, and then baked as the flame was applied the next time. I've had an old inline sprayer full of encap dry up in the back of the shop this summer and even with just the 100 degree summer days, that jug looked like portland cement.

I had to throw the thing away.....could that be what you are fighting? Maybe a post job flushing would be the key to prevent any further problems.

With all the heat and coil issues being mentioned in here all the time I would certainly have two....a back up! while working on one use the other.

Dave...dont you run acid through it on a regular basis? Do you use soft water?

Dave said that he is still getting 240 ATM that would lead me to believe the the gunk is mostly at the entry and exit points of the water. No way those coils would be that effective at conducting heat with it caked with calcium  etc.

I would fill the coils with hydrochloric acid and let it sit in there for a couple of days and pressure wash the gunk out of there.

Not to mention breaking a small piece of stainless steel of the tip of the snake ?
I would fix the old one first before snaking this one just in case something goes south.

You said that you knew guy at a radiator shop. Take it to him have him clean it out just like a radiator he's got the tools and equipment just pay him

eldiabloz wrote:I had a crack in my El diablo heating coil on the inside. I took it to a good welder. He cut the coils apart where the break was, spread them, welded the crack and re welded the coils together. Charged me $300. Well worth it.

Maybe there is help after all.........I'll look into that. Thanks!

That HX coil is probably stain less steel.

Just buy a coil already. Its only 900 you don't have to buy an entire new unit. Says the guy that bought a used LG and HX

milspec6 wrote:.............
I wonder if that cement is just encap left in the lines, dried up, and then baked as the flame was applied the next time.  I've had an old inline sprayer full of encap dry up in the back of the shop this summer and even with just the 100 degree summer days, that jug looked like portland cement.

I had to throw the thing away.....could that be what you are fighting?  Maybe a post job flushing would be the key to prevent any further problems.

I wonder and really want to know also, I assumed it was from mixing encap with other chems in the rinse, before I knew better, but don't know for sure. And now wonder if the straight encap rinse I've been running the last couple months is it?

I know it's ultimately the heat from the LG heater that causes it to turn as hard as a rock, because the problem is only from the heater on out.......nothing clogs before the heater. And the problem really started when I fixed the heater by replacing the thermostat, when I went from 160 to 240+ deg., that's when all hell broke loose, literary. And it's also the higher heat that seems to cause the little pieces to break off that then clog filters and jets, so I've just been running the heater at about 200 deg., rather than max, 240-260 and it helps slow the clogging down a bit.

Mo wrote:That HX coil is probably stain less steel.

Just buy a coil already. Its only 900 you don't have to buy an entire new unit. Says the guy that bought a used LG and HX

If I didn't have so many damn bills and could have, trust me I would have already.

Toss some encap in a sauce pan and see what the stove will do to it at the same temperature.

Devon07 wrote:With all the heat and coil issues being mentioned in here all the time I would certainly have two....a back up! while working on one use the other.

Dave...dont you run acid through it on a regular basis? Do you use soft water?

Yes, I've always done an acid/descale on a regular basis. But like I said there's nothing I've found yet that has even begun to loosen this stuff up. I've tested really low acids, 1 PH to real high Alks and nothing seems to soften it. I have a couple QD's that are so clogged they flow 0 water, and use them for testing.

Yes, I run a softener, and the prob is not calcium deposits as Mo mentioned. It's hardened chem residue. It's so bad I'm not really how the coil still has water flowing threw it.

So I'll ask again, does anyone admit to still running an encap rinse, like several guys did a year or so ago?...and if you do, do you have any clogging probs like this?

milspec6 wrote:Toss some encap in a sauce pan and see what the stove will do to it at the same temperature.

Good idea

Worse case, I might need to buy a new pan.

I might try it myself....kind of curious what this crap is that you are fighting.

I did run an encap rinse for a short time years ago, but my injection pump sucks...wait, didn't suck so I gave up on injection systems after that.

how much is a new coil? its cant be that bad a whole new LG is like 1800 I thought

U charge a shit load of money for carpet cleaning why not just buy a new one and be done with it

Well, honestly my personal finances aren't something I want to discuss with the world, but I can't swing a new one right now lets just say, again. So why don't we just leave it at that, regardless of what you think "charging a shit load" is.

Just looking for some advice here, to try to make the best of what I have now.....Thanks.

Hey! is that coil in good shape other than the clog? I would rooter that baby out!