Learning how to clean a drain can be difficult if you don’t know what you are doing. This guide will give you step by step instructions for a DIY drain cleaning using a drain snake.

A drain snake also called a drain auger, is a long, approximately 25 to 50-foot cable that is flexible and has rigid edges to catch the junk that is clogging your drain. Some drain cleaners are hand-powered, while others are electric.

A liquid drain cleaner will not do any good if there is no water able to run down your drain. The drain cleaner will just sit and eventually start to eat your pipes as well. A drain snake is a great way to go to get all of the junk out of your drain before washing it down with a drain cleaner. You can purchase a drain snake at most grocery stores.

  1. First, you will need to take everything out of your sink or tub, including any filters that will stop the snake from fitting into the drain.
  2. Then you will need to take your drain snake and feed it into the drain as far as it will go. You should be able to feel the blockage. If you have a snake with a power feed, it will automatically advance the cable, if not, you can do it manually without too much trouble.
  3. Once you hit the clogged part in the drain, you want to push the cable in further and then retract it a bit to loosen the clog. Repeat this step as many times as necessary, until you feel like the clog has been loosened enough to either rinse through the drain or be brought back up with the snake.
  4. Use hot water to rinse your drain out and test if the clog is still present. If the clog has not released, repeat steps two and three until you manage to open the drain.
  5. Once your drain has unclogged, follow up by using a liquid drain cleaner.

If you have tried all of the previous steps with no success or you need assistance cleaning your drain, you may need to call a local plumber to assist you.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg is an expert when it comes to plumbing repair and cleaning drains. For the best drain cleaning in Houston, don’t hesitate to call (281) 869-3955.