I am pretty proud of this, thought I'd share it. It's a story of bringnig horsepower to bear on a job.. and the splendid results. It's a truly Amercian story, making up for a lack of knowlege, craftsmanship or ability with plain old Muscle!
Problem: Some time ago I installed an empty plastic 4" sewer pipe under my walkway to my front door so I could run an extension cord under the walk to get power out to my tree for Christmas lights. I put it in a few years ago, so it has filled up with rocks, debris, and water. I needed it cleaned out so I could use it this season.
The pipe runs about 4 feet underground, with a 90 degree elbow on each side, taking it up to ground level. I had it covered when I installed it, but the kids had long since run off with the caps, allowing it to fill with debris and water. I pulled out what I could by hand, then got the shop vac, and vacumed what water I could. But there was still much water left which I couldn't get with shopvac.
I then hatched a plan. I got my gas powered Craftsman Leaf blower, started it up and jammed it down one end, sealing around it with a wet rag. It blew everything out, rocks, and even dislodged a waterlogged softball, which I didn't know was even in there. (The softball was just about the same diameter as the pipe, so on it's way out, it lodged in pretty tight and would not come out all the way, so I screwed a drywall screw into it, and pulled it out with a pair of vicegrips.) So now the path was now clear.
Now I needed to run a cord through. When I installed it, of course I left a cord in to facilitate easy threading through of the extension cord when needed. of course the kids had long since made off with that bit of clothesline. Anyway, I don't own a fishtape, and this was a pretty difficult thread job, going down about 18 inches, and 90 degree turn, traveling the 4 feet under the sidewalk, then another 90 degree turn and coming straight up 18 inches to the surface.
Then it hit me, I grabbed a wadded up paper towel, and tied it on the end of a bit of twine. I dropped it down the pipe, gave it plenty of slack, then put the leafblower on the pipe. It shot the twine through the pipe like magic, almost instantly blowing out the other end (the wadded up paper towel giving the rush of air through the pipe something to push against, yet light enought to travel well in the windstorm) When it popped out, the windstorm blew it up in the air, tethered by the twine, just dancing away about 12 inches off the ground. it looked like a snake standing straight up dancing to a snake charmer's flute. It was a thing of beauty.
My next job, install 2 3-way switched in the front room, replacing one single switch. I didn't have as much luck there, but have not given up.