After reading all about how to use a drain auger I have a question about it's use.
Are you trying to PUSH the clog, or are you trying to HOOK the clog and pull it out?
Based on what I've read it sounds to me like it's a little of both actually, but since I've never used on before I didn't want to start ramming the auger into the clog and wind up making it worse.
Eigenvector wrote:
You are just trying to push the line into the pipe until you hit a clog. Whether you hook it or not is a bit of luck. Try to get it wedged into the clog real good but don't risk breaking the line. It is then time to pull the line out and see. Remove the clog, if any, and then snake it again and keep snaking it until you have reached the capacity of your tool. I one time removed a dozen clogs before it came out clean. Hair and grease.
If you can't hook it then smearing it along the walls of the pipe seems to be what happens. At least the line is clean to the diameter of the snake and that's the best the tool will do. A have a 50' Milwaukee drain cleaner it is a good one.
Okay thanks. Sounds like it's really just a matter of doing it and using whatever works.
I only have to unclog about 6 feet of drain line until I meet my main septic line so I don't have forever to go. My big fear is that my clog is really rust buildup in the galvanized drain line and no auger is going to break that loose without causing some damage to the pipes.
Good Lord that was a pain in the rear!
I bought a 14 dollar drum snake and went at it. Getting it past the P trap was a major frustration and I bent the cable getting it past it. Fortunately once it gets past it moves nicely and I immediately hit the most foul looking clog of hair I never wanted to see.
I pulled up a chunk of it and went back to plunging - got it down. A few gallons of hot water and the drain works perfectly.
At least I didn't have to resort to toxic chemicals or dismantling the plumbing.
Remove the P-Trap and enter your line from the p-trap outlet. .
Can't remove the P trap without major surgery. My plumbing system is all galvanized plus some plastic at the tub. I seriously considered this until I took a long look at what would be involved - no thank you.
If you had made a hole in the pipe, PC-70 will go on while a pipe is wet, while it is dripping, and when it dries it's waterproof. I know that first hand. I had to keep pushing the stuff back in place for about 10 minutes until it stopped drooping, but after that, I just did nothing for a day while the faucet continued to drip a lot or maybe it streamed lightly. I was a subtenant and my roommates seemed not to care if it got fixed. I don't think I was supposed to go to the landlord directly, and they were sludges, so I just fixed it myself
I think their label says it dries underwater.
Strangely enough, it cleans up with water.
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