Top 5 Ways To Use A Drain Snake: Procedures Explained In Detail

April 16, 2021
 | By 
Queen Plumbing Charlotte

If you have a slow or clogged drain, using a drain snake is the best way to clear the clogs. A drain auger is referred to as a drain snake. Definitely, you have to call a plumber for stubborn or tough clogs. A drain snake can be used for removing or clearing small clogs, solid clogs, or stubborn clogs due to soft debris.

When To Use A Drain Snake

It would be best to remember that using a plumbing snake is necessary when your kitchen sink drain, toilet, shower drain, or tub drain is not draining correctly. These spots dampen slowly when the difficult clogs are up to 15-25 feet down the line.

Go for snake encounters or auger your drain to clear the clog and solve the problems with drainage pipes. When you see most of the clog is tough to clear out, always choose a drain snake because you can't clear the clog using chemicals, plastic hair snake, or plumbing.

How Does A Drain Snake Work

Flexible spring drain cleaner rod unblocker

It is essential to know first what an auger is? It is a tool that is designed for boring into something. What do we understand by the plumbing auger is a heavy-duty drain snake, a long and flexible cable having a small spring on end and a handle on the other side. The cable length can be different meters. A longer cable length helps to clean out long lines.

There are different types of plumbing snakes for your toilet, sink, bathtub, or kitchen, which are sold separately in the market. They are designed in different ways that help the toilet, kitchen, or sink drain well.

The drain snakehead or the drain auger head design looks like a corkscrew end. The home plumber's snakes are mostly 50 feet in length. When you don't use the cable, it gets coiled up.

It is an easy hand-operated tool with a flexible handle. This works by entering into the drains directly and clearing away the material which causes the clog. You need to insert the auger head manually into the drain. Then, coil it by rotating the handle, which will help to go further through the pipe. Do it until the auger head breaks through the obstruction.

How Can You Snake A Drain

You should know every detail about using plumbing snakes. A plumber's snake or drain auger can be your perfect go-to tool that goes down into the pipes to remove the clog. Get some knowledge on how the snake works and how to use it in an ideal way.

Gather The Tools & Materials

Drain snakes are the go-to solutions for plumbing issues like clogs due to excessive toilet paper and hair clogs. It would be best to collect the necessary plumbing tools or equipment to clear the clog. The tools you need include-

  • Drain snakes
  • Rags
  • Old towels
  • Bowl or shallow bucket
  • Plug wrench for the tub and shower
  • Paper towels (optional)

Follow The Instructions

Use old towels beneath the pipes: Put some old clothes beneath the pipe. Your snaking process might be complicated in some cases based on the clog type. The process would be easy for minor clogs or soft clogs, but for difficult and solid blockages, the procedures could get messy a bit.

Consider removing the p-trap and access drain: You need to follow different steps to remove the p-trap from the other spots. Like for sink drains, you need to reach into the sink cabinet, search for a curved pipe that looks like the letter P, and remove it entirely with your hand or an adjustable wrench.

This trap supports the standing water to seal the auger so that the sewer gas enters your home. It would be best to place a bowl under the trap, unscrew the plastic nuts, and release the trap. Try to help drain the collected water in the container.

Next to the tub, you should not use manual drain snakes because they might be challenging to use. So, you better choose an electric snake to get around the trap and down the pipes. And lastly, remove the drains for showers. You can use a plug wrench to turn the drain anti-clockwise and remove it successfully.

Thread the auger head of the snake into the pipe manually:

  1. Insert the drain snakehead into the drain or the access spot of the wall.
  2. Push the drain augers into the drain gently and save them from damaging the drain pipe.
  3. Never use extra muscle to do this work. The head and the metal cable shouldn't be too broad.

Coil the snake with the handle: The snake's grip should be kept closer to the pipe's entrance. It is easier to direct into the pipe when the hand crank of the auger is less. Start rotating the handle. Understand you reach the obstruction when you give more force to do it at one point.

Rotate the head: Once you reach the obstruction, break it as thoroughly as possible. Move or rotate the head back and forth. Don't create a jam for the auger. Stop snaking when it gives you scraping noises. Pull the drain snake out of the pipe if the auger gets stuck in the obstruction. But keep snaking until it doesn't give you any resistance. You should better use an auger that has a vinyl guard.

Reassemble the sink components: You should check the auger head in this stage and clean it off. Reassemble the sink component. If you removed them earlier, you have to re-install the p-trap and the trap arm.

Check whether the sink works appropriately: Remove the obstruction with the snake and run the draining smoothly. Make sure you solve the problems with the clogged drains. Check if the clog is gone wholly. If still, some are there, continue snaking your drain. But remember one thing, snaking too much can damage the pipe or drain.

Clean the drain snake: Make sure the drain system is working well. It is good to shower drains off after snaking the drain. There might be hair or bacteria-laden debris contained in the spring. It would help if you washed them away. Check the cable too. Don't let the cable rust. If the cable is still left wet, let it try. Another tip needs to be remembered. You should lock the thumbscrew and turn the cable in reverse when you pull the cable out of the drain.

Save Money & Time With Drain Snaking

Snaking a drain is an easy and accessible process. When you understand the process clearly, it will be easier to remove the clog from your toilet drain, kitchen sink, or bathtub. Take help from the DIY videos from online sources, see the way a drain snake works, and try to do it yourself. Use the best drain snakes if possible.

Many households use small drain snakes with toothed heads or cutting heads, flexible wire, and sharp blades to remove the clog. These snakes effectively clear debris, hair clogs and slid blockages. There are many rechargeable battery-powered snakes available in the shops.

Using the drain snakes on your own can save your time and money both because this is the easiest way to clear your clogged drains without calling a plumber. You can store this low-cost device in a storage bag in a sink cabinet. Keeping this simple drain cleaner and using it on your own can save you from wasting money on plumbing work.

Improper Use Of Drain Can Tear Up The Pipes

Drain snakes work as potent drain cleaners. They work better than plungers. Using drain snakes is not that easy to deal with. Improper use of drain snakes can tear up the pipes and create leaks. Many other problems can occur if you fail to use the drain snakes correctly. So, please choose the best kit for snaking and learn how to work with it to avoid issues.

Call A Pro When You're Uncertain About Using A Drain Snake

There is no easy alternative to drain snakes for removing the toilet clogs, sink, or bathroom sink clogs. Repeated snaking can get rid of your drain from the clog. But when you see your thorough snaking can't help you out much, it may be best to call a professional plumber for the best drain cleaning service. Sometimes you can't get rid of the most clogs in your drains.

Choose The Plumbers Of Queen Charlotte Plumbing Company

Professional plumber using an auger to clear a kitchen sink drain

Don't worry when we provide the heavy-duty drain snakes with high-quality abs plastic which is very durable and flexible to use. We also have a manual crank, electric motor drain snake, or power drill operated drain cleaner services to clear clogs. We have all the necessary simple tools and the effective drain snake for removing clogs available for you.

For any plumbing issues, you can hire the experts of Queen Charlotte, NC. The location of our company is 8424 Old Statesville Road, Charlotte, NC 28269. Contact us at 704-707-3339 for any emergency repair needed.

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