Tips To Help You Use Your Drain Snake Effectively
If you have a sink in your home that constantly becomes clogged with debris, then you may want to use some more advanced residential drain cleaning tools to remove the clog once and for all. A drain snake is one such device that consumers can utilize on their own without much trouble. However, if you are using the device incorrectly, then you may not be seeing the effects that you want. Keep reading to learn about some tips so you can use the tool properly.
Remove The Trap
While some clogs may be close to the drain opening and reside right in the trap, many are actually situated quite a bit deeper in the pipes. To reach these clogs, you will need to access them and one way to do this is to remove the trap completely before starting. Use a plumbing wrench to do this, and dump the contents into a bucket. Once the trap is released, you will need to move the snake through the bottom part of the plumbing. This may be a not awkward and does require you to sit on the floor and to maneuver the tool from underneath the sink.
If you are successful in removing your clog, just make sure that you are cleaning out the trap as well. Debris does tend to stick to the insides of the small pipe section so rinse it with hot water and think about using a scrub brush with some soap to get rid of the grime.
When you are finished, replace the trap, but make sure the fittings are as tight as possible or you may experience a leak.
Use Gentle Pressure
Some people are able to use the snake but fail to actually break up the clog. In this situation, drainage will continue to be slow. To make sure that you are actually removing the clog, you will need to advance the snake through the pipe with gentle pressure. Turn the handle of the snake slowly or push the snake into the drain with your hands using a slow pace. With your hands, feel when the snake stops. This is likely where your clog resides.
To break up the clog, move the snake end back and forth. You should feel the clog slowly starting to give way. If you have a corkscrew end on the snake, then advance the snake back up through the drain and remove any debris that has stuck to the end. Use the snake again until the device can move through the drain freely. Rinse the drain with hot water when you are done.