Plumbing - Draining A Clog

Clogs happen. When water isn't draining as quickly as it should—or, worse, isn't draining at all—you can reach for a drain snake. Also called a plumbing snake or drain auger, this handy tool is simply a long, thick, flexible wire that “snakes” into drains and pipes to chew through clogs quickly and efficiently.



Tried everything to clear a clog in a sink or toilet and nothing has worked? Before you jump to a drain snake, be sure you know the different types and how to snake a drain. It’s also important to understand the potential for damaging your pipes if used incorrectly.

The Drain Snake

A drain snake has a long metal cable (usually between 25-50 feet) with a metal cone on the end, known as an auger.

You use a drain snake by feeding the end into the drain and pushing it through the drain line while turning a handle to keep the cable spinning inside the pipe.

The snake is flexible so it can bend through the pipe without getting stuck. When it reaches the obstruction, the twisting motion of the auger end hooks onto any clogs so they can be pulled back out of the drain.

Drain Snakes Can Damage Pipes

You may be wondering — can a drain snake break a pipe? 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.

Old pipes in many homes are galvanized, or coated in zinc, which was done to prevent the pipe from rusting or corroding. When a drain snake is inserted into a pipe, the end may flop around, scratching the pipe.

If the operator isn’t completely confident in their ability to control the drain snake, they may apply too much force on the device. This is very easy to do if an electric drain snake is being used.

A drain snake used with too much force being can scratch a zinc pipe and damage the coating. This can lead to cracks or rusting in the pipes opening the door to a major problem in the future.