Snake Charming
At S.O.S. Plumbing, we appreciate your business and will do everything to help you out. With that in mind, we also want you to be comfortable handling some of the easier problems and save yourself the time and money of calling out a professional plumber.
We thought we’d tackle one of the more intimidating looking pieces of equipment an S.O.S plumber uses, the snake.
A Plumber’s Snake in the Drain
You’ve got a clogged drain. It might be a sink or a toilet, but it is a place water should go down and is not. Of course, you’ve already tried using a plunger and clearing a trap, but it’s just not happening. Well, that’s when you want to employ a drain auger, or snake.
This device, a coiled, spiral snake, is about a quarter inch thick with a handle on one end. It works the opposite way of a plunger. Instead of pulling the clog towards you, you’re pushing it away, or breaking it up. Some snakes will come as an attachment to an electric drill, but manual ones work well.
Four Steps on Using a Snake
- Step 1: Push the end of the snake into the drain opening and begin turning the handle.
- Step 2: Keep pushing the snake into the drain until you feel resistance.
- Step 3: Rotate the snake against the blockage until the resistance is gone.
- Step 4: Run water full force to make sure the drain is unclogged (or flush the toilet if that’s the problem).
About S.O.S. Plumbing
S.O.S. Plumbing is an Angie’s List “A” rated business that has earned a reputation for dependable, affordable plumbing. Based out of Palm Springs, California, we service many of the Coachella Valley desert communities by providing quality residential service and repair, drain cleaning, water and gas re-pipes, and more. When you need our services, visit www.sos-plumbing.com.