A clogged drainage pipe is the worst nightmare of any woman, and through her, a man’s (her husband) nightmare too. A woman who works in the kitchen will be driven mad if the drain blocks and water spills over the sink or wash basin. However, there is a solution to solve this problem. In this article, you will come to know how to use a Plumbing Snake.
A Plumbing Snake or Plumbing Helper is actually a flexible auger. It is also called ‘Toilet Jack’ or ‘Electric Eel’. You can dislodge and remove stubborn clogs inside the drain pipes with this device. There are different types of Plumber’s Snake / Plumbing Snake, but the basic idea of all the equipment is the same. It is a coiled metal wire that is attached to crank at one end. You thrust the wire into the drain and rotate the crank. The wire rotates and advances through the drain, dislodging all the blocks inside it. The device works in three ways to remove the clogs.
- Auger end of the wire digs into the clog like a corkscrew and removes it when the wire is pulled out.
- Sometimes it breaks up the blocks and allows the pieces to flow through the drain.
- The wire flails around the inner surface of the drain pipe, thus scraping off the things that block the drain pipe.
Chemical cleaners can only loosen the things that disintegrate on contact with the chemicals. You can remove almost all items of clogs by this equipment. Mostly the clogs will be hair, small toys, cloth, pieces of plastic, food debris etc.
You must be very cautious while using this device. As you know, you are going to remove clogs from a drain pipe and those clogs may be days or weeks old, dirty and with a horrible stench. The following precautions will help in doing it properly.
- The plumbing snake – the long cable – will become dirty and slippery. So use gloves with strong grip.
- Use the small size snake first. If it doesn’t work, use the next size and so on.
- Insert the auger end of the snake into the drain pipe. Take care not to damage the sink, toilet, basin and pipes.
- Insert the wire into the pipe. At the same time go on turning the crank handle in clockwise direction. Let the movements be slow and steady.
- Flush at regular intervals to lubricate and also to wash away the loosened clogs.
- When the crank shaft becomes hard to turn, stop. Pull out the snake. Clean its end and insert again.
- Repeat these steps until the drain pipe is free flowing.
Using a plumbing snake will not only remove the clogs but also save you a big plumber’s bill. The thing is to do it properly and carefully. If not, you may end in more mire than before. Doing it clumsily may break the sink or basin and make scratches on the porcelain closet or sink. Careless way of handling these things may cause more damage, loss of time and money.
More care should be shown when you use it in toilet. Push the flexible end through the toilet until you feel resistance. The resistance is caused by the things that clog the toilet. Turn the handle to dig into the material and then pull it out. Flush the toilet to see if it works properly. If the block is not cleared, repeat the above steps.
The flexible wire follows all the curves and bends of the drain pipe where the other tools can’t reach. Buy a plumbing snake (helper) and keep it handy, if you want a quiet, peaceful and happy home.
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