How to Power Snake Drains

Powered sewer snakes remove blockages from sewer pipelines.

Sewer snakes -- also known as augers -- are devices used to break up and clear blockages in a sewer line. The snake consists of a flexible pipe that's inserted into the sewer line through the toilet bowl, sink pipe or in access points -- called clean-out plugs -- installed at intervals along the sewer line. Powered sewer snakes have small motors attached that rotate the flexible pipe when in the sewer line, removing stubborn blockages and even tree roots. They're available for rent at most DIY rental houses.

Things You'll Need

• Work gloves
• Pipe wrench
• Powered sewer snake
• Rag

Instructions

1. Put on work gloves. Pull the flexible pipe from its casing and feed it down into the toilet bowl. If working on a sink sewer line, loosen the nuts on each side of the P-trap's bend -- located under the sink -- and remove it by hand. Insert the end of the sewer snake into the sewer pipe coming out of the wall that the trap was attached to. Or, remove the clean-out plug from the sewer line's access point by turning it counterclockwise with a pipe wrench, and insert the sewer snake through the access point into the sewer line. In all cases, push roughly four feet of hose into the sewer line.

2. Plug the powered sewer snake's cable into an outlet. Turn the motor's dial or switch to the clockwise rotation and press the "Start" switch to rotate the flexible pipe. Push the flexible pipe farther into the sewer line by hand until you feel resistance from the end of the pipe meeting the blockage.

3. Switch the motor to its counterclockwise rotation and pull the flexible pipe slightly out of the sewer pipe. Turn it back to the clockwise rotation and feed in a few more feet of cable. Repeat this two-fold procedure until the flexible pipe is fully in the sewer pipeline and the blockage is removed.

4. Pull out the sewer pipe and clean it with a rag before inserting it into the sewer snake casing. Replace the P-trap bend by tightening the nuts by hand, or replace the clean-out plug by screwing it into place.

5. Flush the toilet or run water down the sewer line to remove any debris left from the blockage.

References

• This Old House: Clear Any Clogged Drain