drain pipe cleaner / go-devil / ...?

[takiakos76]

Hi!

What do you call this tool:
http://www.google.com/url?url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/350762654699&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=EeKWVIyfO4WHygPYx4LQDA&ved=0CJoBENkpMAQ&usg=AFQjCNFGY-R-PgDep8CtuEAjHSvTaP87Mg

There it says "drain pipe cleaner", and in the dictionary I have found this: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/go-devil?s=t

Neither of these expressions give any result on Walmart's site, which is always a warning sign for me that natives might not use these expressions at all.

What do you call it in your home country?


Thanks!

 

[sdgraham]

I (and those around me) call it a "snake."

I have never encountered "go-devil" and from the dictionary entry you cite, it might not apply to anything as mundane as something to clean out the drain in your home.

 

[Egmont]

I call that a snake. I cannot think of any context in which someone might think I was referring to this sort of creature.

I've never heard of a "go-devil."

Cross-posted.

 

[Andygc]

It's just called a 'drain cleaner' or a 'drain cleaning coil' in BE. I've never heard it called a 'snake', but it's possible some BE speakers call it that.

 

[takiakos76]

OK, thank you!

 

[Gr8guytoo]

I know I'm 3.5 years late on this discussion, but I was searching for the same thing (go-devil) and ran across this thread. I worked at a papermill for 43 years and we had a device we called a "go-devil" to unplug pipes that may have had wood chips, wood pulp, or just trash that was plugging the line. It came in various sizes from 1/2 inch to 4 inch. You would put this device on the end of a water hose and feed it through the pipe. The device had a single hole at the end (to wash out what was in front) and several around the side that were angled back toward the water hose (to pull the hose forward) and wash the debris back toward you. You would work the water hose back and forth until the plug broke free. I never knew the proper name for it, it was called a Go-devil when I was hired in and that's what it was called when I retired.

 

[Packard]

I was not familiar with the "Go Devil". I found the instruction manual on line: http://www.godevil.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Go-Devil-2016-Service-Manual.pdf

GO-DEVIL Since 1977 · U.S. Patent Des. 259488 ― INSTRUCTIONS ― Operation and Service Manual

It seems to be a far more industrial version of a "snake" probably for clearing out main pipes. In any case it is a brand name, and not a product name.

Addendum:

What is Go Devil? - Definition from Petropedia


Definition - What does Go Devil mean?


A Go Devil is a device that is used to inspect the internal surface of a pipeline and clean slurry or paraffin wax which gets accumulated in the pipeline. It is mainly used in the maintenance of pipelines. These are loaded into a launching station known as a pig launcher. They are then launched inside the pig launcher, where high pressure forces them to reach to the other end of the pipe, which is known as a pig catcher, receiving trap or receiving station. The other name for Go Devils is Scrappers.