How to de-clog a drain line using a power snake:

This article describes how we use a plumbing snake (you can rent a power snake or drain auger) to un-block a building drain line - a step in diagnosing and curing blocked drains, possibly leading to drain line repair or replacement.

Page top photo, a Ridgid power snake used for cleaning plumbing drains, septic lines, sewer lines. This 120V drain cleaning machine unit is manufactured by Ridge Tool Company and includes a 75 foot cable with assourted augers and cutter tips.

Where to insert the power plumbing snake when clearing a blocked line

Once a drain line blockage is traced to the main building drain, it makes sense to try to clear the blockage. The procedure of using a power snake or drain auger can either fix the drain line blockage, or even if that doesn't happen, the procedure can diagnose:

• that the drain line is broken, root-clogged, or otherwise damaged or collapsed
• the distance from the building to the point of damage or drain line blockage

In the blocked diagnosis and repair drain case we are discussing (beginning at SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT) once we were convinced that the drain blockage in the building was at the main drain, the plumber elected to use a power snake to attempt to clear the drain line, entering the line at the coupling we'd opened for inspection.

That avoided having to mess with an old, corroded main waste cleanout plug, and it meant that we were entering the line for sure upstream of whatever blockage there was.

We're not showing photos of the power snake itself - the author was a bit too busy to take photos at that moment.

We knew we were entering the building drain-waste line with the power snake before the blockage because there was standing water in the pipe when we opened it. Had we been below the blockage the pipe would not have been full of waste.

 

Power plumbing snake operation: how to use the Power Snake to DeClog a drain

A two-man team was needed

 to wrangle the heavy power snake machine into the space where it would operate.

The plumber selected a snake head attachment 

which was small enough to enter the drain line but had teeth that he expected would grab and perhaps permit removal of a possible obstruction.

Operating the power plumbing snake the plumber fed the snake,

basically a strong flexible wire coil which is rotated during operation, into the drain line until an obstruction in the drain was indicated by resistance felt against the proceeding power snake.

Drain Cleaning Machines & Power Augers

The power drain cleaning auger shown at left [we need a brand ID] provides an illustration of the key working parts of a power drain cleaning machine.

Most drain cleaning companies provide both hand augers and power-operated drain cleaning equipment.

• Duracable Manufacturing Company, Drain Cleaning Machines, Duracable Manufacturing, 300 Ashworth Road West Des Moines, IA 50265 USATel: 877-244-0740, Website: http://www.duracable.com/
• General Pipe Cleaners, Div. of General Wire Spring Co., 1101 Thompson Ave., McKees Rocks, PA 15136, USA, Tel: 800-245-6200 sewer & drain cleaning equipmenEmail: Website: http://www.drainbrain.com/ Email: info@drainbrain.commailto:info@drainbrain.com
• Ridgid Tool Drain Cleaning Machine, with 75-foot 3/8" flexible cable & assorted cutting tools, widely available as a rental or purchase unit. Suitable for 1" to 4" diameter drain piping. Ridge Tool Company 400 Clark St Elyria, OH 44035 US Phone: 1-800-4-RIDGID (1-800-474-3443) Email: rtccustomerservice@emerson.com, Website: www.rigid.com
• Rothenberger Pipe Tools, Electrical p;iep and drain cleaning machine (to 50m), Website: http://www.rothenberger-usa.com/
  Rothenberger, headquartered in Germany, has offices world wide serving Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, Europe.
• Spartan Tool, Drain Cleaning Machines & power augers, Spartan Tool LLC, Spartan Tool L.L.C. 1506 West Division Street Mendota, IL 61342, USA, Tel: 1-800-435-3866, Email: customerservice@spartantool.com Website: http://www.spartantool.com
• See BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS for toilet plunger, chemical & other drain cleaning or de-clogging methods.
• See: KINETIC WATER RAM for an alternative hydropneumnatic drain clog removal tool

...

Continue reading  at FIND DISTANCE to DRAIN BLOCKAGE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• KINETIC WATER RAM for an alternative tool useful to clear blocked drains
• SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
  • DIAGNOSE a BLOCKED DRAIN
  • WHEN to CALL a PLUMBER
  • FIND the MAIN BUILDING DRAIN
  • USE a POWER SNAKE to CLEAR a BLOCKED DRAIN
  • FIND DISTANCE to DRAIN BLOCKAGE
  • DETERMINE NEED for DRAIN LINE REPLACEMENT

Suggested citation for this web page

USE a POWER SNAKE to CLEAR a BLOCKED DRAIN at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

More Reading: For More Information See this INDEX of RELATED ARTICLES

ARTICLE INDEX to DRAIN SEPTIC SEWER PIPES

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