Motorized Pipe-Mounted Drain Cleanout

A drain cleanout apparatus comprising:

• an elongated flexible drain auger;
• a rotatable drum configured to store a substantial length of the flexible drain auger in a coiled storage condition within the drum between uses of the drain cleanout apparatus;
• a feeding mechanism mounted proximate an outlet of the rotatable drum for causing extension and retraction of the drain auger out of and back into the rotatable drum under rotation of the drum;
• wherein the feed mechanism comprises a thin disc supported at a fixed longitudinal position in a travel direction in which the drain auger exits and re-enters the drum at the outlet thereof, the thin disc engaging with an auger cable of the drain auger at a helical slot in said auger cable, whereby rotation of the auger cable by driven rotation of the rotatable drum causes displacement of the auger cable in the travel direction due to engagement of the thin disc in the helical slot of the auger cable.

A drain cleanout apparatus comprising:

• an elongated flexible drain auger;
• a rotatable drum arranged to store a substantial length of the flexible drain auger in a coiled storage condition within the drum between uses of the drain cleanout apparatus, and to deploy the drain auger into a drain pipe under rotation of the drum in a first direction;
• a liquid detection sensor mounted or mountable in a position that is fluidly communicating or communicable with an interior of the drain pipe but is outside a normal flow path through said drain pipe such that liquid is only expected at said position in the event of a blockage causing a backup of liquid in said drain pipe;
• a rotational drive unit operable in at least a first operational mode in which said rotational drive unit rotates the drum in first direction;
• and
• a controller connected to the water sensor and the rotational drive unit and configured to automatically activate the first operational mode of the rotational drive unit in response to detection of backed up liquid by said liquid detection sensor, whereby said detection of backed up liquid automatically deploys the drain auger into the drain pipe for clearing of said blockage.