I have got a clog in one of my bathroom sinks. I have used one of the hand augers that you push down the pipe and then turn it. Unfortunately it seems to get stopped where it must T into another pipe and this is before the blockage. I've seen the smaller versions that are 25' long and can be connected to a drill. I'm wondering if that type of auger would be any better at making the turn at the T? Thanks.
Joe
Sounds like you are running the snake down the sink drain. It's almost certain that you'll have to take the trap apart and run the snake directly into the drain opening in the wall. (Once in a while the snake will successfully navigate the trap and go where you want but that's rare.)
If the TEE is right there behind the drain opening in the wall, you shouldn't have any trouble. In some cases the TEE is one stud space over and just an EL is present at the wall opening. That's *much* harder to snake.
The "snake-in-a-drum" for the drill has a fair chance of getting the clog. If not, rent a small hand-held power auger.
Jim
Thanks for the information. Yes, I am running it directly into the drain opening into the wall.
Joe
I'm no plumber, but I had the same "problem". I had assumed that the procedure was to push the auger down to the clog and then turn it. I removed the plug from the trap under my bath sink and inserted the snake, only to have it get stuck at the first tee, about 1 foot in.
I decided to attach the drill anyway. Lo and behold, when I turned the drill on (in the "forward" direction), the auger started to pull itself into the pipe. It took care of the clog quickly.
A few tips:
Use a vari-speed drill, and start it off slow. If you kink up the snake in the pipe I shudder to imagine the cost of the repair. If you have a reasonably powerful cordless, that's even better.
DON'T USE A KINKED SNAKE! I'm told it can break off inside the pipe. I'm thankful that that's one lesson I didn't have to learn the hard way.
My first snake was a cheap one, which had a thumbscrew to tighten the snake at whatever length you had let out of the unit. Since you could only have maybe 18" "showing" between the housing and the pipe at any time (or else the snake would just tangle up), you have to repeatedly loosen the screw, pay put a little more snake and then tighten it again. When that snake died, I got one (Ridgid) that has a trigger that lets you pay out some more snake while "drilling".
Greg Guarino
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