Bogged drains are the worst nightmare of every home owner, and while there are tons of products available that can help you keep them in check, one of the best things to carry in your tool box is a drain snake. Whether you have a shower, a bog, or a sink, a drain snake will have you un-blocked in seconds without having to phone in the exorbitant plumber. What we’re going to do here is walk you through the operation snaking a drain with the hope that you will be able to repair your pipes.\

What is a Drain Snake?

Drain snake, or plumber snake, is a coiled tubular piece of machinery to push and insert deep into the pipes to shave or scrape away at the clog. The machinery will be some form of metal cable hand-twisted or powered by a drill to push through the pipe to shave at the clog with.

When to Use a Drain Snake

Before the era of drain snake utilization, it is helpful to know when. A drain snake works best for removing:
Bathroom drain hair clog (tubs, showers, sinks)
Kitchen sink food or grease clog
Soap scum and mineral clog in drains
Root invasion in outside pipes

If it was a large burst in one of the large pipes or if there was a lot of damage, one will need a professional. But for all the small clogs, a drain snake is a cheap and easy solution.

Steps for Using a Drain Snake

Below are the steps that must be adhered to in order to properly use a drain snake to unclog a clogged drain.

Prepare Your Work Area

Have everything ready ahead of time before beginning to use the drain snake. Items that you will need include:

A drain snake (found at any hardware store)
Towel or bucket (in case of a spill)
Rubber gloves (optional, but handy)
Flashlight (in case you need to peer into the drain)
Plunger (optional, if clog is not so severe, and you prefer to try and use it first)
If the clog is in a sink, start by unscrewing the drain stopper or the pop-up plug so you’ll have access to the pipe. If the clog is in a tub or shower, take off the drain cover.

Feed the Drain Snake

After preparing the area, begin to feed the end of the drain snake into the drain. For the manual drain snake, grip the handle and push the snake into the pipe. For the power drill and the snake attachment, feed the snake and begin to turn the drill slowly.

Force the snake through the pipe and into the drain until you feel it hit resistance. This is most likely to be the clog that blocked the pipe. The snake can at times move over the obstruction smoothly, but it will tend to hit something hard.

Turn the Handle or Use the Drill

When you’re ramming the clog, meaning when you’re using a drain snake. On a hand snake, rotate the handle clockwise while you push the snake in slowly into the pipe. The rotation will drive the snake into the clog and trap any particulate matter stuck in the pipe. Don’t push so hard; you’re bursting your pipes.

If you have a power snake, slowly bring the drill up to speed so that the snake has a chance to feed through the clog. You are taking advantage of the motor’s effort weight, so all you really need to avoid is not having your hand get caught and it snapping.

Break the Clog

The clog will begin to come loose while you continue to turn and push the snake into the pipe. The snake will catch on the debris occasionally and back out, and you will know. Do not worry! Simply continue turning the snake in expectation of removing the clog from the pipe.

If the clog is highly stubborn, you’ll be forced to remove the snake and put it back in a last bid at reaching all parts of the clog. Put the snake in and out a few times in the hopes of sucking out the clog entirely.

Drain the Pipe and Remove the Snake

After removing the clog away, slowly pull the snake out of the drain. The snaking a drain will be clogged or full of material as you pull it out. Pull the material slowly without letting it fall down the drain. In this way, you will not have another clog.

After evacuating the snake, check to see if water is flowing through. If the water begins flowing freely, job well done! If resistance continues, try again until the clog has been completely removed.

Clean Up

After you have unclogged your drain, sanitize your drain snake. Flush it out using water and rub off dirt with a cloth. You might even disinfect it using disinfectant so you can reuse it in the future.

Finally, reinstall any drain plugs or covers that you removed.

Tips for Using a Drain Snake

Be Gentle: Don’t force the drain snake that much. If it won’t go through without forcing, take it out and try again. Forcing the snake will destroy your pipes.
Try as a Last Resort to Other Means: When you are making no progress on the clog, try plunging first before you attempt. The pressure of the plunger will loosen the clog so the snake can go through it.
Take Your Time: Don’t. Removing stubborn clogs will only take a few minutes, but don’t hurry. Just turn and push and just keep grinding the clog up.
Safety First: Always wear glovesso your hands will not be cut by the pipe or loose material stuck in the pipes. For an electric snake, safety glasses as a secondary precaution must be worn.

Conclusion

Drain snaking is an easy way to unclog drains without the expense of calling a plumber. By simply going through these easy steps below, you can unclog most clogs yourself and save time and money. A drain snake is a durable tool, so be careful and patient with it. You’ll be sipping coffee from freshly flowing pipes in no time!

By regularly, properly maintaining your drains clean, and repeating drain snake use numerous times for normal clogs, you can have your plumbing functioning for hundreds, hundreds of years.