Can i snake my own drains

Crank a few more times so that your snake has a good hold on the clog, give the wire a wiggle to help loosen it, and get ready to remove. Chances are the clog will come out with it, either in pieces or as a solid chunk. Detach the debris from your snake and test to see if your pipes are clog-free by running the water or flushing the toilet. If necessary, start from the top and repeat the process. Disclosure: BobVila. You agree that BobVila.

All rights reserved. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. This just isn't true. Following a specific procedure will actually yield the best results. First, if you have a tub screen or a hair trap covering your drain, move it out of the way. Next, slowly push the snake cable into the drain, and turn the handle in a clockwise motion as you push. If you have difficulty pushing perhaps because the drain is so clogged , trying holding the handle with both hands.

While lowering the "snake" mechanism, alter your grip until it's about two or three inches from the mouth of the drain - this will allow you to control your motion and get a better sense of the nature of the clog. On your way down to the obstruction, you might hear a decent amount of scratching, or it might seem as if the cable has hit a wall.

At this point, you're just coming upon a curve in the pipe - just keep pushing past it. When you feel a significant amount of resistance, you know you've reached the particular barrier that has been giving you problems in your pipe. The clog ought to give way just the slightest bit though when compared to the resistance of the pipe itself, which shouldn't give way at all.

Next, you should try to hook the clog. While continuing to turn the cable in a clockwise manner, ever so slightly pull up to see if you've gotten a hold of any of the debris. You should feel a bit more weight on the auger, if done correctly. Next, continue to prod the material in order to begin to break it up.

After doing this for some time, you should eventually poke through the other end. If the clog just won't allow you to puncture through it, it very well might be a solid object that you've initially hooked. Pull the snake out of the drain very carefully so you don't lose the clog hooked on the drain snake. After that, clean the debris off the snake with a towel as it comes out of the drain.

Dump this excess debris into the bucket. Continue pulling up as much of the clog as you can until the snake is free! If the drain still happens to be clogged, it's a good idea to run hot water through it. Fill a standard sized tea kettle up with water, and put it on the stove until it reaches a point of almost boiling.

You will want to make sure you get the right size auger for snaking your drain. Using the incorrect one could cause the snake to loop back on itself and scrape the insides of the drain. This could lead to coercion, leaks, and could end up causing damage to an extent that requires replacement of the piping. Top snakes are small, handheld plumbing augers used for cleaning minor clogs. They are often plastic and compact—usually no more than 25 feet in length. When attempting to unclog a toilet drain, it is imperative to use the right device.

A toilet auger is specifically made for this purpose. They are designed to slip down the porcelain surface and protective coating of the toilet drain. Since toilet pipes are larger, these augers are usually metal and must be large enough to push through a significant clog. They also have a specialized mechanism to keep from damaging the porcelain surface of the toilet drain. Mini-rooters are medium-sized drain augers that are slightly larger than top snakes.

They are typically made of metal and may use motors to propel the snaking mechanism into the drain. But they are the most expensive. Even some plumbers do not carry them, or at least reserve them for industrial uses. The length of the snake is one feature to think about when determining if you can handle the clog on your own. Twenty-five feet is a standard length for most basic snakes. Although you can find consumer models that reach 50 feet.

If you cannot reach the clog with a foot snake, you may want to hold off and call a plumber. The reason is that greater distance requires special machinery to provide the torque necessary to dislodge the clog. That brings us to power source. Many hand-powered augers are sufficient for minor impactions.

And battery-powered snakes can provide extra torque beyond what you can produce by hand. Most heavy-duty augers that rely on electrical power are much more likely to damage your pipes if not used properly.

You should be aware that drain snakes could cause injury, especially with users who are unfamiliar with their functions. The more powerful the electric drain snake, the greater expertise they demand.