How Does Snaking Pipes Clear Clogs?
If you have a clogged pipe and are looking for information about snaking pipes, you’ve come to the right place. You may be familiar with how to clear simple clogs in your home, but when it comes to stubborn clogs it may require a slender and flexible plumber’s snake to get the job done. Clogs can happen to pipes in several areas of your home, such as the toilet, bathtub, sink, or sewer line, but luckily there’s a snake fit for the job.
Removing Visible Obstructions Is A Good Place To Start
Depending on where in your home the clog is, you should begin by removing visible obstructions. This could be your child’s GI Joe in the toilet, a drain filter or stopper that’s been clogged with soap scum, or a giant visible hairball in your shower or bathtub.
Anything that could possibly be preventing water from going down the pipe should be completely removed before determining if there is a more serious clog happening if it is indeed very serious a professional must decide between snaking or hydrojetting.
The Difference Between Drain Cleaning and Snaking
Some clogs are caused by debris that can be broken up or removed, and some issues are caused by scum buildup on the interior of your pipes. Snaking pipes is not a replacement for a professional drain cleaning.During a drain cleaning, a plumber inserts a hose in your pipe, which blasts a high-power stream of water that removes any oil or mineral buildup from the interior walls of the pipe. This type of professional drain cleaning should be performed at least every 2-3 years for regular household pipes to ensure proper drainage.
Sewer lines and basement drains require more frequent cleanings, and old pipework or drains located near large tree root systems should be monitored more often as well. If you’re dealing with a clog that needs to be broken up or removed, then a plumber’s snake is in order.
The flexible metal coil is inserted into the pipe using a crank on the handle. The snake enters the pipe like a corkscrew, which allows for both the middle and edges of the pipe to be treated. Depending on what type of clog you’re dealing with, it will either be broken up or get caught in the coil and be removed when the snake is removed. As the coil moves through the pipe, it bounces off the interior walls and removes extra buildup along the way as well.
The Benefits of Working with Pros
Without proper training, damaging your pipes while trying to snake them yourself is a big risk. There are many details that go into snaking a drain, and without prior knowledge of the different types of snakes and what they’re used for you may end up doing more harm than good. For example, did you know there are 4 different types of plumbers snakes?
These snakes are also called augers. There are hand augers that are great for sinks and tubs, but if you use it on your porcelain clogged toilet you might be in the market for a new thrown. There’s a special snake for that. Use a motorized snake called a drum auger incorrectly, and you may end up damaging PVC or copper pipes. Hiring a professional plumber will ensure the job gets done without causing harm to your pipes.
About Hall’s Plumbing
Serving Woodland and the surrounding areas since 1995, Hall’s Plumbing offers fast, friendly, and trustworthy technicians to solve your plumbing issues quickly, safely, and efficiently. From sewer line repair to slab leaks, they offer flat-rate pricing with multiple budget-friendly options and 100% customer satisfaction.
