Get Everything You Need
One of the saddest things that can happen to someone is getting a clog in their drains. To make this worse is if you do not know how to snake a drain. That can all end today, however, with this helpful guide. The initial step to unclogging your drain is to make sure that you have all of the right materials and equipment. You are going to need:
- Drain Auger, otherwise known as a snake
- A bucket
- Water
- Rubber gloves
Unscrew The Trap
Unscrew the nuts for the trap to take the trap off and remove from the main drain collect falling water.
It is simpler to attack the drain from the main line, to make this process as easy for you as possible unless you can identify exactly where in your pipe the clog is located. To get to the main line, all you have to do is remove the trap. It can be done by unscrewing the nuts holding the trap in place, and then slowly moving the piping off of the main line. It will require some wriggling of the piping, but it should not be forced off. It should be easy.
The next few steps can be performed in the main line directly, or through the top of the piping. But of course, it depends on where the clog is located.
Push The Snake Through The Drain
The first real step towards snaking a drain is to take the drain auger, or the snake, and press the snake cable through the pipe. This can be difficult for some people, depending on the location of the clog, and how big the clog is. The farther down the pipe that your clog is, the more patient you are going to have to be. Some force may be needed to push the cable through bends in the pipes, but you should always be careful not to break the wire, or to get it stuck on something that you cannot get out.
Hook Onto The Clog
Once you have reached the clog, you are going to want to try and hook the cable onto the clog. This is going to be tricky for those who have never done this before, but it is not impossible, nor is it hard. It only requires patience and a good sense of the clog. By turning the cable clockwise, you can see both if you have the clog hooked onto the wire, as well as if you can break the clog up from there, and do not need to bring it out of the drain.
Pull Snake Out Carefully
The most important step of snaking a drain is, of course, pulling the clog out using the snake. This action is dependent on the fact that you have been able to get a good grasp on the clog, and that you have the force to pull it out. As you pull the snake out, you may see that some of the clogs have come up with early sections of the cable. If this is the case, clean the clog and any debris off of the snake, so it will then be easy for you to remove the totality of the clog.
Test Clog
Once you believe that you have pulled out all of the clog, or at least as much of the clog as you can find, it is now time to test your work! This is a straightforward process, as all you have to do is pour water into the sink and test to see how fast the water drains. If it flows generally, you have completed your task well! If not, you may need to repeat these steps once or twice more.
And that’s all there is to it! Now you know how to snake a drain!