Plumbing: How to Snake a Trap
A plumbing snake or auger can unclog drains and drain traps by removing the items creating a clog. Kitchen sinks often clog with grease that hardens in the trap forming a barrier that water cannot penetrate. The same is true with bathroom shower and sink drains that are slow running from a buildup of hair. A plumbing snake catches the items that form clogs and removes them from the trap so that it drains properly. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Put rubber gloves on and hold onto the manual plumbing snake firmly with one hand. Use the other hand to pull the end out of the snake while pushing it down into the drain. Turn the handle on the snake clockwise as you pull out the excess metal length of the snake. You will feel resistance as the end of the snake reaches the trap because of its P or S shape.
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Push the plumbing snake past the trap. You may need to wiggle the snake back and forth to get through the trap. When you reach the item that is clogging the drain trap you will feel that the snake does not want to move forward and the part of the snake that is not in the drain will bend.
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Withdraw the snake by turning the handle counterclockwise. This will provide a spinning action of the auger on the end of the snake and capture the clog. The clogging items will catch on the end of the snake and pull out of the drain while the snake is retracting and winding back up into its casing. Dispose of the foreign matter in a garbage can.
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Run water in the drain to see if it drains freely as normal. If the water drains slowly, then the clog is not fully removed. Repeat the snake process until the drain runs freely.
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Tips & Warnings
A drain snake may meet much resistance in the case of a solid kitchen grease clog or a large lump of hair in a bathroom drain. In this case, remove the snake and dispose of the foreign matter and then reapply the snake until there is not any resistance that signifies a clog.
There are plumbing snakes that attach to a drill for drain clean-out. These operate in the same manner as a manual plumbing snake, except the drill drives the snake into the drain when you pull the drill trigger. A multi-directional drill will also remove the snake by switching it to the reverse position.
Snaking a trap can splash water and other items in the drain out of the sink or shower. Keep your face as far away from the sink when you are using a plumbing snake as possible to avoid splashing in your face, especially if you put drain cleaner in the drain to try to dissolve the clog before snaking.
References
- Photo Credit down the drain image by pix29 from Fotolia.com
