How To Snake A Clogged Drain
Snaking Your Home’s Clogged Drains
Of all of the common problems that homeowners have with their plumbing, a clogged drain is one of the easiest to take care of on your own. Though some clogs can be removed with a drain cleaner, the best way for you to handle the situation is to learn how to use a snake, or an auger, to destroy the blockage and get the drain working again. Learning to use a snake is not hard, and it is one of those skills that can save you thousands of dollars in potential plumbing repairs. If however you don’t feel that you can do this, it’s obvious that you should hire a plumber to do this for you. Don’t try it if you feel you are going to cause more damage. If you are located in Virginia we can help you with this, because we are a plumber in Virginia if not you are on your own .
Insertion
The first step is to get the snake inserted into the drain. The snake is meant to be flexible,
and it will bend as you insert it into the pipe, but you should try to be as firm as you can with the snake as it goes down. Be sure to use the handle on the snake’s drum to keep the auger turning and breaking up the smaller clogs on the way down. Be prepared to push hard when you start to meet resistance, otherwise the snake will not be able to get through the clog to where it needs to go to be effective.
The Clog
Once the snake reaches the clog, your real work begins. The end of the auger is designed with a tip or a claw so that it can grab onto solid blockages, and it is vital that you get auger to grasp it. Careful rotation of the snake is necessary, as this will let the tip grind into soft clogs, or bite into more solid clogs. In both cases, you should feel the auger either moving forward, meaning that you have broken through the clog, or feel it stop, meaning that you have grabbed the blockage and you should start pulling the auger back into the drum.
Finishing
When you have pulled the auger out, it is time to make sure the drain is clear. If the clog became attached to the tip of the auger it should have come out of the drain when you started recoiling the auger back into the drum. If you did not pull the clog out of the drain, you need to run some warm water through the pipe to push the remains of the clog through the pipes. Run the water as fast as it will go for about five minutes, and that will ensure all of the pieces of the clog are not a threat to cause another clog. We also have sewer camera services that we can help you with. If you aren’t sure where the clog is, or if it’s a break, we can help.
The proper use of a snake will give you the ability to take care of one of the most common plumbing problems on your own. Over time you will save a lot of time and money on your home repairs, freeing you to spend money on the things that you really care about.
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