I’m looking for some help researching how to clean long tubes, such as maybe 1/4 inch pickup tubes for a water pump that may be 20 feet long. I’ve been able to find hydration bladder cleaning kits that allow for cleaning the first 2 or 3 feet of these tubes, but beyond some sort of high pressure/high flow system with high caustic cleaning solutions, I haven’t found a good way to swab out a long tube.
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If you put a couple of scrunchies or a tiny sweater on the snake, it works better. Also, snakes aren’t particularly food motivated unless they’re really hungry, so if you’re intending to use a mouse or something to lure the snake to the other end of the tube, it would be best to prepare by not feeding the snake for a prolonged period before attempting the cleaning. Also, plain water or a non-irritating mild detergent are all you should need to use - remember, if it stings your eyes, it will sting theirs!
Still looking for a snake that’s small enough. My normal goto, copper wire, is a challenge to use in small tubes as well.
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Depending on what you’re cleaning and the nature of the pipe (is it smooth or does it contain sharp bends?) you could consider pigging.
That is what we use on big hydraulic systems where the lines can be hundreds of metres long.
- Flushing
- Pigging
- Flushing again
All this while bypassing all aggregates like motors, pumps and pistons.
I used to work in a brewery and we used hot caustic followed by acid for cleaning most things but some pneumatic (spent) grain systems got pigged in freezing weather to avoid the wet grain freezing into a plug.
If you can angle the tube and open both ends, would a weighted string attached to a brush work? If you’re worried about it getting stuck inside due to blockage, attach two weighted strings to it but only send one through and let the other hang out from the end you stick the brush through.
If you have access to both ends, maybe cotton balls and a shop-vac?