How Does A Plumber Snake A Drain? | Lighthouse Point, FL

If you’ve ever experienced a drain clog at your Lighthouse Point, FL home, you know how frustrating they can be. Resorting to seemingly simple or inexpensive fixes like commercial drain cleaning products can often make the problem worse. When you have a clog, it’s a good idea to contact a skilled plumber from MainLine Plumbing who can safely clear drain clogs. They can also perform any other professional plumbing service you may need. One of the tools we frequently use to clear clogs is a drain snake. It’s often the first tool a plumber will grab when dealing with a clogged drain.

What Is a Drain Snake?

Essentially, a drain snake is a flexible cable made of metal. It gets its name because it resembles a long snake. Drain snakes come in many sizes. You may have seen them sold in home improvement centers or hardware stores. Generally, drain snakes come in lengths of 25 ft, 50 ft, 100 ft, and 200 ft. The lengthier the cable, the more expensive the price tag.

A professional plumber will usually have multiple drain snakes in various sizes. Usually, a 25-50 snake is long enough to deal with common household clogs like a sink clog. If the clog is in the sewer line, however, your plumber will need a longer snake to root the drain. In fact, most plumbing pros will root sewer line clogs using an electric router/snake rather than a manual one.

How Does a Drain Snake Work?

When clearing a drain clog, your plumber will feed the snake down the drain. They may dismantle a pipe beneath your sink to feed the snake in there or through a cleanout. As the plumbing professional works the snake through the drain, the device dislodges debris built up in the pipe. Once the clog is broken up, the debris can be washed out into the main sewer system. A drain snake does away with any need to dump corrosive chemicals down your drains. These chemicals, though widely sold, are not good for your plumbing system. At the first sign of a clog, it’s best to contact MainLine Plumbing to let us sort out the problem–safely and quickly.

How Long Does Snaking a Drain Take?

There’s no telling exactly how long it may take for a plumber to clear a drain clog. If the clog is located close to the sink drain, the process is usually quite fast. However, if your Lighthouse Point, FL property has a long drain system, the clog could be further down the drain line. In such cases, it may take a plumber more time to reach the clog using the snake.

Also, it’s not uncommon for drains to have numerous clogs, some stubborn and some just developing. When using the snake, the plumbing professional can typically ‘feel’ when the tool meets a clog and breaks through it. If there are several clogs, it may make sense to work the snake through the drain more than once to ensure the debris is effectively broken up.

What if Snaking the Drain Doesn’t Work?

If you have a broken pipe, a snake won’t solve the problem. A broken pipe can be the cause of your drain blockage. MainLine Plumbing can repair and replace pipes as part of our professional plumbing solutions. If we suspect that a damaged pipe is causing the blockage, we can feed an inline camera through the drain system to locate where the damage has occurred. Then, we can assess the problem and recommend the ideal fix.

Drain Cleaning

If you have several slow drains or routinely experience clogs, it’s a good idea to let our plumbing pro perform drain cleaning service. Rather than snaking each drain, we can use hydro jetting equipment to wash the drains, clearing any debris buildup within them. With periodic drain cleaning, you can ward off developing clogs that can lead to messy water backups.

Can I Use My Own Drain Snake to Clear a Clog?

Since home improvement stores sell drain snakes, some do-it-yourselfers prefer to snake their own drains. If the clog is located close to your sink or tub, you may be able to quickly dislodge it using a simple drain snake. However, if the clog is located further into the drain system, it’s better to call a plumber. There are twists and turns in your plumbing system that you can’t see. A trained plumbing professional has the skills needed to work the snake or auger carefully through the drain system without damaging pipes. You definitely don’t want to create a more extensive plumbing problem by damaging your pipes.

Also, a plumber will know if the problem is the result of a broken pipe. Someone unfamiliar with the use of a snake may only be able to guess at the real issue at work. For stubborn clogs, it’s a good idea to leave the job to the professionals.

Clog Prevention Tips

Clogs are a common plumbing problem, but you can prevent many from occurring by scheduling drain cleaning service annually or as needed. It’s also helpful to use drain screens that prevent food debris, hair, and other items from washing into the drain pipes where they can get lodged and create clogs. If you experience numerous clogs, talk to our team about inspecting the situation and recommending the ideal solution.

If you have a clog at your Lighthouse Point, FL home, contact MainLine Plumbing. We’ll send a licensed plumbing technician to your home with the drain snake and other equipment needed to clear the clog. You can also rely on us for other plumbing services, including plumbing fixture installation, pipe repair, sewer line clearing, and more. Contact us to schedule a service call.

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