Why You Must Have a Plumber's Snake
Everyone has dealt with slow-draining sinks or tubs, stopped up sinks, or clogged toilets. We grab the plunger for the toilet, and dump a bottle of Drano down the sink or tub line. Most of the time this works effectively. But if you find yourself doing it often, then you have a bigger clog somewhere in the drain line that will have to be physically removed. Enter the Plumber’s Snake.
Plungers move waste around to open a path for the water to flow, and Drano works by making the clog gooey, enough to create a flow. Unfortunately, a plunger can setback the seal at the bottom of your toilet and cause a leak, and Drano, being a strong caustic material, will damage just about any type of drain line over time. The snake, essentially a long, small diameter spring with a corkscrew on the end, allows you to work down to the clog and physically remove it. It will be nasty, but it will also be gone.
The snake comes in several different styles. Many professional plumbers use a powered drive or drum drive snake. For the homeowner who only has to use one rarely, the cheaper, hand-twist version is fine. Start by inserting the snake into the clogged drain, and twist it back and forth slowly while pushing on it. It’s flexible enough to get around turns in the piping, so if you hit a snag, just pull it back a little then go back in. When you find the clog, it will feel like a spongy mess. At this point, drive the snake hard into the clog, and twist the snake while turning. This will wrap the clogged material around the corkscrew on the end. Retract the snake, and your clog should come with it. You may have to do it multiple times to get the entire clog.
Once you’re done, clean off the snake thoroughly and soak it in bleach and detergent for at least 8 hours to kill any bacteria left on it. Remove it, and wash it thoroughly, as the bleach chemicals will degrade the snake’s material quickly if left alone.
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