After The Plunger Using a Plumbers Auger
You’ll become familiar with using a plumbers auger when your problem clog is in the wall. It is very easy to use a drain auger. This type of tool is used on the pipes in the wall to remove clogs. So if you have not been able to clear a clogged or slow running drain with a plunger this is the tool for you. This tool has a long body made of a flexible metal cable. It is also known as a drain snake or plumbing snake.
You’ll need
- a drain auger
- a bucket
- eye protection
- rubber cleaning gloves
- a few old throw away towels
Prepare the Area
Layout the towels to absorb any spills or water that the auger will drag out of the drain pipes. Be prepared to discard them after this job is complete and the drain is cleared.
Steps to using the plumbing auger(snaking the drain)
- Push the end of the snake into the drain pipe
- Push until you feel resistance(Rotate the handle clockwise as you push)
- Rotate the snake against the blockage(you sense the clump giving way)
- Work the clog(push and punch thru the clog to break it into smaller pieces)
- Slowly pull the clog out(don’t lose the clog if you hooked it)
- Clean the mess off the snake with a towel(dump the clog in the bucket)
- Run water for a few minutes(it should flow quickly)
Fallback after snaking the drain(fail)
If you only have one sink or drain that is slow or clogged and the rest of the house is clear a second try is needed. If water still won’t run through the drain after you snaked it, the clog may have been pushed further along your smaller pipes. You can try to snake the drain again if your first try did not use much of the snake’s length. All sink drains will eventually merge into larger drain lines called the main drain/stack. The larger pipes in the main drain/stack should take care of the clog problem. A second try at snaking the drain with the intent of getting the clog into the main stack is worth the effort. But if all of your sinks and toilets are clogged it may be time to call the plumber.
Related Articles: More articles on plumbing
(Pgdp123 [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)
(Pgdp123 [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)
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