how to auger a drain?

Do you need to remove the blockages in your drain pipe? Then the best way to go about this is to use an auger. This apparatus can help remove the debris that has built up in your sewage system.

Although it looks intimidating, it’s fairly easy to use. All you just need to do is follow these tips on how to use a drain pipe auger – be it a manual model or an electrically-powered one.

Augers come in different configurations and specialties (e.g., drug auger vs. toilet auger.) Depending on what’s clogged or what equipment you have at hand, you may need to follow one (or more) of these instructions:

Also known as a canister auger because of its configuration, this equipment can help remove the ‘obstruction’ in your sink or bathtub pipes. An auger comes in really handy if the drain cleaner, plunger, or hanger can’t seem to dislodge the clog in your pipe.

Wear gloves and goggles.

Place a bucket underneath the U-shaped metal/PVC pipe underneath your sink. This will help catch the runoff from the pipe.

You can use your hand or a wrench to loosen and remove the slip-nuts located at the end of the P-trap.

Once you’ve removed the P-trap, Make sure to look inside. The clog may be in here so you may not need to use an auger at all!

For best results, consider removing the trap arm, which you’ll find between the P-trap and the wall pipe. This will give you easier, better access to the clogged drainpipe.

Insert the auger into the trap arm (the pipe leading to the wall.) Do this slowly for you don’t want to end up damaging the pipe walls.

Push the cable until you feel resistance. Pull out 12 inches of the cable before tightening the set screw.

This action will help twist the hooked end into the clog. Make sure to pull the cable back and forth/up and down as you do so. This will help remove the debris.

If you hear scraping noises while using the auger, then it means that you need to reposition your auger.

Pull out the cable from the pipe and feed it to the drum. Ideally, you should clean the cable segment while you do this. This will keep your cable rust-free (unwiped water and materials can end up corroding the material.)

Once you get to the end of the cable, remove the debris that has been caught on the hook. Remember to throw it in the garbage, not in any other drain!

Reinstall the P-trap by placing/tightening the slip-nuts with an adjustable wrench. Again, you may also use your hands to affix the slip nuts.

Run hot water into the sink. To prevent damage to your pipes, the water should be only at a maximum of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Flush the drain and remove the little remaining pieces of debris. If it’s still draining slowly, then you will need to auger the pipe again.

If you want a machine that’ll do some heavy drain cleaning, then a power auger is what you need. You can buy one – or rent one – but its operating guidelines remain the same.

Here’s how to operate a power auger, according to this video from professional plumbers:

If, say, the sink drain is not backed up, you’ll need to find the cleanout where you can insert the auger. This is usually located in the basement.

Wear gloves, ideally, leather, for rubber can get caught by the metallic cable. In the end, your hand may get caught up in the cable.

Next, plug the auger and place it next to the cleanout drain. Unscrew the latter and feed a few inches of the cable into it.

Turn the auger on. Feed the snake into the drain slowly. Make sure to keep any loose clothing or materials away from the running cable. Again, these may get caught up in the machine!

Once you’ve reached the blockage and ‘removed’ it with the cable, pour hot water into the pipe. This will help push/clear the debris out of the system.

In case the water backs out, this means that the clog isn’t completely removed yet. You may want to progress the cable a few ways more.

Remove the cable. Again, make sure to clean or wipe it to prevent rusting.

Once the cable is clean and dry, retract the line back up to the auger machine.

If your plunger can’t unclog your toilet, then the blockage may be past the toilet itself. For this situation, you’ll need a toilet auger – instead of the usual drain auger.

Here’s how to do it:

Wear gloves.

Pull the auger all the way up so the cable end is close to the auger tube’s curved bottom end. This will help feed the cable faster – and prevent scratches in the pipe system.

Hold the toilet auger housing with one hand and the handle with the other. Crank it slowly and gently, for doing so forcefully will just cause the cable to back up.

Once you feel the resistance, feed the cable until the auger feels tight. Rotate the cable until it’s fully extended.

Pull the cable out by rotating the handle. Remove the entire appliance once the auger is tight against the tube.

Check to see if you’ve completely removed the blockage by flushing the toilet. If there is, then you may have to re-auger the toilet drain again.

Although both help get rid of drain clogs, they do have some notable differences.

Drain augers are used to unclog pipes inside and outside the house. They are wider and have longer hoses (about 20-50 feet), which means they can work through drains measuring 1.5-3 inches wide.

Augers are operated by twisting the hose towards the affected area. This makes it ideal for unclogging the toilet or shower drain.

A plumber’s snake, on the other hand, is a flexible, slender line with a U-shaped hook. They are used to remove shreddable blockages inside pipes measuring 1-1/4″-2″, especially those that cannot be removed by a plunger.

Plumbing snakes, which come with a protective rubber shield, are best used for bathroom sinks or a toilet bowl. It can be operated with a crank, which helps move the hook toward the clogged area of the pipe.

Even if you’ve successfully used an auger in unclogging your drain pipe, it can still get blocked in the future if you don’t follow these tips:

To use a manual drain auger to unclog a sink, you will need to remove the P-trap first. Afterward, you may insert the cable and crank the auger until you reach the clog. Pull the cable up and down/back and forth to remove the blockage.

Next, retract the cable and remove the debris. Reinstall the P-trap if applicable, and run the drain with hot water.

Running a power auger is more straightforward, for the machine itself will help remove the debris from your drainpipe.

Using a drain pipe auger is simple, isn’t it? But if you have any more questions about using this appliance, all you need to do is post your query below.

If you’re dealing with a clog too stubborn for a plunger but you’re not ready to throw in the towel yet, a manual drain snake may be your best bet. A plumber’s snake or drain auger is a tool that “snakes” down into pipes to remove clogs. Snaking a pipe is the middle ground between plunging and calling in the big guns like professional, powered drain augers.

Plumber snakes are more powerful DIY drain-clearers than plungers but also more difficult to use. They can be difficult to maneuver through sharp turns and twists. To avoid costly mistakes, learn how your snake works and how to use it correctly. Here’s everything you should know about how to use a drain snake.

An auger is simply a tool designed for boring into something. A drill is a type of auger. A plumbing auger or plumbing snake is a long, flexible metal cable with a small, uncoiled spring on one end and a handle on the other. The auger head on the snake looks like a corkscrew. A home plumbing auger is usually around 20-50 feet long. The cable coils up into a circular housing when you’re not using it. Most home plumber’s snakes are hand-operated and have a rotatable handle or crank to release and maneuver the cable. By spinning the handle you rotate the coil to navigate through tricky areas.

Snaking a drain involves entering the drain directly to physically contact and then clear away the obstruction causing the clog. You begin by inserting the auger head into the drain and then feed the snake manually until you reach the clog. As the snake uncoils, it moves further through the drainpipe, until the head breaks through the obstruction. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how to use a drain auger:

1.Put on some clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and lay some old towels beneath the pipes you’re working on. Depending on the nature of the clog, your snaking procedure could get messy. This is especially important if you end up removing the p-trap.­

2. (Optional but recommended) Consider removing the p-trap. The p-trap is the curving piece of pipe beneath the sink. It connects the sink to the greater drainpipe system in your home. The reason it’s curved is to prevent sewer gases from rising through the sink and into the home. P-traps are often made of PVC pipe, though they can also be metal.

You can manually remove the p-trap, either with your hands or with the help of an adjustable wrench. Once you remove the p-trap, you should thoroughly inspect and clean it out. If you’ve found your obstruction, you may not have to snake at all! Removing the trap often makes snaking easier by bypassing this difficult twist.­

3. (Optional) Consider removing the trap arm. A trap arm is the part of the pipe between the p-trap and the actual wall pipe. It holds the p-trap in place and may curve again to reach the wall. Look for a plastic or metal nut connecting the trap arm to the wall. If you can find one, loosen it to remove the trap arm. If you can’t, then it’s possible the arm is glued in place; don’t attempt to remove it in that case. Make sure you clean out the trap arm like you did the p-trap once you remove it.­Removing the trap arm gives you the best access to the drainpipe possible. Look inside the drainpipe to look for any obstructions. If you can see the obstruction, try removing it from where you are. If you can’t, it’s time to use your snake.­

4. Manually thread the auger head of the snake into the pipe. Insert the head of the snake into either the drain (if you didn’t remove the trap), or the access point on the wall. If you didn’t remove the trap, consider running cold water while you snake.­Don’t push the auger into the drain with a lot of force, or you could damage the drain entrance or pipe. Be patient and make sure the head and cable aren’t too wide for the drain you’re trying to snake.­

5. Begin uncoiling the snake using the snake. Keep the handle of the snake as close to the entrance of the pipe as possible. The less slack the auger has, the more force you’re directing into the pipe.­Feed the line at a slow steady pace. If you feel resistance at any point while the cable moves through the pipe, you may have encountered the obstruction or simply a bend in the pipe.­

6. Upon reaching the obstruction, rotate the handle to move the head back-and-forth while continuing to push. Try to break up the obstruction or round the corner but don’t jam the auger into the walls of the pipe. If you hear scraping noises, then you should stop snaking and re-adjust. Steady push and pull motions while turning the crank can help.­

7. Pull the snake out and re-assemble the sink components. Check the auger head for remains of the obstruction and clean it off. If you removed the trap arm and p-trap, then you should re-install them at this point.­

8.Test the sink. The snake should have successfully removed the obstruction and solved the clogging problem. If you still have a clog, then you could try repeating your snaking process. Just like plunging, however, using a drain snake too much can harm your pipes or drains. If a thorough snaking didn’t solve your problem, it may be time to call in the pros.

Snaking is a surprisingly easy and accessible homeowner project. As long as you understand how to use your snake and have the patience to maneuver your snake, you should be able to remove pesky clogs from your sink, bathtub or toilet.