Tubs that don't drain and kitchen sinks plugged with grease are easy with this. To make matters worse, if you’ve got a shower flooding, or your stubborn bathtub won’t drain, the situation can start to become an emergency. The smaller snake made the turn with no problems at all. How to Make a Snake for Unclogging a Shower Drain. Either way, debris will gather in those areas. Firstly, and most importantly, we need to clear the air on a few things: 1) This is more a report on how I made my snake tube as opposed to how to make the best one - This means that some parts are optional and won't have much influence on the finished project if you decide to leave them out - use your own discretion. When you hit the trap you should have about six inches of snake between the drain and the drum. } Joined Jun 2011; Posts 2014; EE Offline; SC, USA. Once you see how big of a corner the P trap is, you'll understand how gunk and debris can gather there. If it has hit a clog, now is the time to crank it. And how severe is the problem? Be patient and work slowly. The whole difference between snaking the bathtub and the shower drain is that in case of a bathtub you should never snake through the drain. We have installed a pressure fitting, but want to get rid of the clog. The auger begins its journey down the drain. The first thing you need to do is figure out how long the cable should be. Not so fast. As with most blocked drains, the first method to try on a clogged tub is a toilet plunger. This way it won't find its way into your drains and P trap. So I went out and bought a 50' 1/2" snake. This winding motion with your drain auger helps it to make its way through corners in your pipes. Just as plumbing pipes come in various lengths and diameters, drain augers come in various sizes to match them. You grab your snake out of the garage and try to unclog whatever it is that is causing the blockage and nothing happens. How to Snake a Tub Drain Do not snake through the drain! When you encounter resistance, pull back on the auger while continuing to crank the handle clockwise. You can read about other homemade solutions that may work to unclog your sink here in our article on Homemade Drain Cleaners That Work The only thing you should be using on your toilet is a. . Maybe, but a local plumber tried to snake a friend's sink drain and got his snake stuck just like this one. Tip. This can happen during the peak of summer when the sun is too harsh for the plant. This tries to get stuck in exactly the same place but, with enough spinning around, it eventually makes it through. They can be harsh elbows like a. bend (such as your P trap) or a smaller elbow (less than 90 degrees). Just be super careful to not scratch your toilet bowl and then go and buy a toilet auger for the next time it clogs up. Snake stuck in drain pipe [ 4 Answers ] I used a power snake with 1/2 in cable, went in 10 - 15 feet and it wouldn't go an further. If you have a garbage disposal on the other side of the sink you may have noticed that your clogged sink will drain when you turn on the disposal but not on its own. Pressure on the wire will help push the corkscrew end into the clog. Most clogs happen at the P trap or other bends in the pipes. Push one end of the snake into the drain and turn the handle. Having a good flashlight to see what you are doing is also helpful! How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop Still in it. The top plumbing problem homeowners face is clogged drains. It has a snake cable length from 50 to 100 inches. You should feel your snake get through after a few cranks of your cable. This rotates the cable down inside the drain to break up the clog or work through the bend. Since your P trap is just another elbow or corner in your drain, you would use the same procedure to get your snake past the P trap that you use to get it through any other corner. i have an issue with my bathtub drain. Then you can push and turn the snake at the same times. The proper way to use a snake is to insert the head into the drain and push very slowly without cranking. It is the rotation of the cable that will loosen the clog. Step 1 – Assess the Situation. Cast iron tub, drains into cast iron pipes in a slab, 1963 construction. How to get a drain snake through an elbow or corner. If your clog is in the P trap, or just past it, follow our instructions below to get your plumbing snake to turn the corner or elbow through your P trap. The last thing you want to do when using a snake to unclog a drain is to do further damage to your home. Then loosen the screw and pull a few more inches of snake out and repeat. Cass, Jun 6, 2007 #7. hj Moderator & Master Plumber Staff Member. You may be wondering: how do I snake a drain? Snake the drain again at least once, using the same techniques, to make sure the clog is cleared out. Well, hot water and chemical reactions probably aren’t going to be able to clear that out. Make sure the spray this with WD-40 after you are done so that it doesn't rust when you put it away. The water in the P trap blocks any gases from coming up from the main drains and getting inside your house. When you do this, material will collect on the head, so you have to pull the snake out periodically to clean it. Chris Deziel is a contractor, builder and general fix-it pro who has been active in the construction trades for 40 years. You should feel your snake get through after a few cranks of your cable. Remove the P-trap (this is the curved pipe under the drain of your sink). After you feel the clog break up and disappear down the drain, pull the snake out of the drain. However, the depth will depend on the location of the clog. How to get a drain snake around a corner is easier than you think when you have tough, deep clogs to tackle. We recently wrote a reminder about why chemical drain cleaners are an absolute no-no when it comes to actually cleaning drains. Pour the mixture down the drain and leave it overnight. They are specially designed to work in the larger drain size and come with a protective plastic tube to keep your bowl from getting all scratched up. While you have the trap off, it's a good idea to insert the auger directly in the waste line, just in case the clogs happen to be there. How can I get it out. When you can't push the snake any farther, that usually means that it has hit the obstruction and it's time to crank slowly to work the head through the gunk. Hannah Madans. Shorter, 1/4-inch types will work for most clogs, too. If it has hit a … The 1/2" won't go through no matter what I do. (function() { Hold the drum about 6 inches above the drain and turn the handle clockwise while pushing down gently. 333 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, Indiana (317) 854 0002. augerauthority.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, .ca, .uk, and all associate sites. Return bends on a trap can be difficult to get around but push hard wile the snake's turning should get you past it. How to Make a Plumbing Snake Turn Corners, A corner in a pipe is called an elbow. Being self-sufficient. What’s next? Snaking a Drain. Debris like hair, grease, food, or anything else tends to catch and then gather more goo in those areas. If it is not, the cable will not rotate at all when you twist the handle. 5 Reasons to Avoid a Plumbing Snake. An avid craftsman and musician, Deziel began writing on home improvement topics in 2010. Continue to turn the handle of the drain auger clockwise to get it around the corner. } Sometimes they are wound into a coil in a plastic drum with a handle. })(); The only thing you should be using on your toilet is a toilet auger. We also participate in various affiliate programs like HomeDepot, Clickbank etc, etc, and we receive a commission from qualifying purchases when you click links. If you’re dealing with a clog too stubborn for your plunger, then a snake is your best chance to clear it out yourself. Shorter, 1/4-inch types will work for most clogs, too. Alternatively, you can make your own mini-snake or use a wire coat hanger with a small bend at the end to snake your drain. This tool is flexible enough to travel through the pipes and dislodge the material causing the drain clog. speedball1. If you suspect the snake is getting stuck in a corner, try operating the crank in reverse. Two or three times helps to clear that out more powerful drain-clearers than plungers but. 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