subject: How To Use A Snake For Plumbing Woes [print this page] Drain snakes can be used for clog repair on virtually any drain in the home or business. The snakes can be an electric auger or a coiled length of flexible steel. Most snakes are on a reel and are unwound as needed. To store a snake simply wind it back onto its reel. Electric snakes do all the work. The electric powered snake will auger into the drain and will retract back onto the reel when done. The premise behind a drain snake is it will twist itself through any blockage in the drain. The ideal situation is to break up the blockage, so it will continue into the sewage system. Many times the snake will bring the blockage back as it is retracted.
The plumbing contractor will use different type snakes depending on the drain. Clean outs for sewage lines will require an electric snake in most cases. The drainpipes for sewage lines are typical too large for the smaller snakes to handle. The plumber might use a smaller snake if the obstruction is in the kitchen sink. A typical clog repair under the sink is an obstruction at the elbow joint. Pipes are elbow shaped to prevent gases from coming back up the pipe. The elbow or the trap allows water to remain in the pipe to block the sewer gas. The plumber may have to separate the joints to get the snake past the elbow.
Many homes may have floor drains in the garage or workshop. Because, the garage is usually a poured slab of concrete, the drainpipes will not be as accessible as under the sink. The power snake works best for these types of clog repairs. Unscrew the drain cover and use the tip of the snake to probe for any obvious obstruction. Feed the snake tip in until the blockage can be felt. Breaking up the clog is ideal instead of trying to pull it back out of the drain. The drain will come to an intersection where it connects to the main drain. Home plumbing systems have clean out plugs to clean obstructions from the house to the septic tank or sewer line.
Drain snakes can be used to unclog toilets. Toilet plumbing also uses elbows or traps to prevent sewer gases from escaping. Electric or hand cranked snakes work well for toilets because of the sized pipe and the series of elbows. The obstructions are not typically hardened grease or hair clogs. The drain snake usually does not have any problem clearing a toilet obstruction.
