Drain Snake
Who amongst us hasn’t been frustrated with a clogged drain? While many homeowners are quick to call a plumber to deal with the situation, in many cases a simple drain snake will take care of the problem. Those that don’t use one can be faced with significant costs when a plumber has to make the trip to your home to either clear the clog, or replace pipes ruined by caustic chemicals that may be in the closet.
How A Drain Snake Operates
A drain snake – or plumbing snake – is a flexible auger unit that’s used to unclog pipes that are too clogged to be cleared with a standard plunger. The most common type of drain snake is one that is a simple coiled strip of metal wire with a space in between the coils at the end. On the other end, there is a crank device that rotates the wire as it moves down and into the pipe. With this set up, the auger end of the wire operates much like a corkscrew does, screwing into the clog. This action allows for the recovery of the item that caused the clog in the first place. If you’ve got a situation where it’s just hair clogging the drain, the drain snake will break up the clog, permitting it to move on down the drain. In order to use the drain snake properly, you really should have a handle on how it works.
Using A Drain Snake For The First Time
1. Prepare before use: Before putting your snake to use, be certain you have an empty container / bucket and perhaps a mop handy so that you can take care of any water that may end up on the floor. Be sure to wear gloves when using a drain snake because this process can be very messy.
2. In order to access the drain, you’ll need to pull off the drain cover. You may need a flatb lade screwdriver for this.
3. Begin to feed the Drain Snake into the drain. If you’ve got multiple units, start with the smallest one first and move up to a larger one, should the first one not get the job done. You’ll want to rotate the snake in a clockwise direction while you are sliding the snake through the pipe. Use caution with this process so that you don’t damage your sink, toilet or pipes.
4. Continue to feed the snake into the pipe as you continue to rotate it until you find the clog. Continue to reposition your grip to within an inch or two of the beginning of the pipe as you feed the snake down the drain. If you find that you can’t locate the obstruction in the pipe, try running it through the branch pipe. If you can’t locate a clog in that pipe, the blockage is likely in either the main sewer line or in the main waste and vent stack. If this is the case, you’ll need to call in a plumber.
5. Assuming you’ve located the obstruction, continue to rotate the head of the snake until you get to the point where you can feel it hook onto the clog. After you’ve got a good grip on the clog, pull the drain snake out of the drain. Alternatively, you can always push at the snake so that it eats at can eventually breaks the clog up. You’ll know when you get to that point because you’ll feel the snake push through it. Some clogs may be more stubborn than others, but your snake will be able to handle either pulling it out or ramming through it. If you pull the blockage back through the pipe, it’s likely you’ll have a lot of water ending up on the floor.
6. After you get through with this job, run hot water down the drain for several minutes to ensure that any remaining debris are flushed completely away.
Drain snakes are a terrific tool to keep on hand in your home or business because they can save you a bundle in a service call from a plumber.