Fats, Oils and Grease. These are the three most infamous kitchen sink cloggers out there. Unfortunately, they're also the most common. The problem is, these substances are all perfectly suited to clogging drains.
If your snake isn't unclogging your drains, it could be because the thumbscrew is loose, the clog is too severe, or the auger is dirty. Or maybe you just need a refresher on how to use a drain snake. A drain auger (snake) is a simple, inexpensive necessity for every homeowner.
Most bathroom drain clogs result when dirt, skin flakes, and especially hair binds to soap scum on the walls of drain pipes. Over time, this gunk accumulates and reduces water flow.
Mix 1/3rd of a cup of bicarbonate of soda with 1/3rd of a cup of vinegar in a measuring cup. It will fizz immediately, and you should waste no time pouring it down the clogged drain. The fizzing action will help to remove the gunk, hair, and grime that has built up in the pipe.
You can use a bent wire or a hair catching brush to clear out those pipes and prevent clogs, but table salt and vinegar are just as effective in these pipes. Pour one tablespoon (possibly more, if needed) of salt down the drain, and then dump ¼ cup of plain white vinegar down the drain.
While snaking is generally considered safe for your pipes, it can damage your pipes if they are in bad shape. Homes that have older pipes are more susceptible to this happening as hairline cracks and corrosion occur over time. Surprisingly, snaking your main line can potentially make the clog worse.
A manual drain snake, also known as a plumber's snake or a drain auger, is a small boring tool that rotates slowly as it's physically pushed through a stubborn clog. The terminal end of the device is a corkscrew-shaped hook that is fed into a clogged drain or toilet.
It would be best if you used the plunger on the toilet drain or a sink. First, ensure the plunger seals the drain completely, and then apply the plunger. This allows pressure from the plunger to remove the clog. You'll soon notice the reduced trapped water in the sink or toilet.
To prevent backups, add Drano® Max Build-Up Remover to your monthly routine. One flush once a month can help prevent septic backups!
It is not a great drain clog remover. Bleach has no effect in dissolving the common culprits of household drain clogs, like hair, food scraps and grease.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.
You can use Drano® Clog Removers to unclog a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or clogged bathtub, but DO NOT use them in toilets. For clogged or slow-running drains, apply the product and let it work 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. For tough problems, allow 30 minutes before flushing.
The national average cost to snake a drain professionally is about $250. For easy clogs, you can expect to pay as little as $100, but for complex clogs, the cost can escalate to $360 or more.
When your pipes are clogged, Drano will sit on top of the clog, continually reacting and generating heat until the clog dissolves. This can put a great deal of stress on your drains as the heat can cause PVC pipes to soften and even break or collapse.
Unfortunately, the pressure from a plunger probably won't break up a shower drain clog. Instead, it will only send the material deeper down the drain pipe completely intact. The clog still exists, but now it's even deeper into your plumbing system, causing your shower to drain slowly or not drain at all.
You should clean your sewer line at least every two years. Getting a sewer line inspection for older homes or those with more trees is a good idea. Basic sewer line clogs and debris can be tackled with a $5 drain snake. More stubborn clogs may require professional cleaning, which costs an average of $325.
You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
Drano is not only ineffective, but it's also extremely damaging to your plumbing system. The heat created by the chemical reaction is more than your drains are designed to take. Corroded, aging plumbing can easily breakdown. Pipes can split and the glue holding them together can disintegrate.
The chemicals in the product are designed to break own the clog, but if left for too long, they can start to break down the pipes themselves. This can lead to cracks and leaks in the pipes, leading to various issues, including water damage and flooding.
Clean the P-trap. If the water is still not draining correctly, there might be a blockage in the P-trap, aka the elbow-shaped pipe under your sink. Food, grease and other debris may be stuck in the pipe, causing your sink to drain slowly or not at all because the water hits a snag on its way down.
A hand crank enables a flexible cable to descend into your toilet and break up an obstruction. While billed as devices that are easy to use by anyone and everyone, drain snakes can be hard to manage, and if used improperly, can damage pipes.
In most cases, a single use of Liquid-Plumr or Drano will not cause any issues with your pipes, though you should avoid using them in your toilet.