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How to Use a Plumber’s Snake
A plumber’s snake, or drain auger, is a tool that reaches down into pipes to remove clog-causing blockage. Snakes make up the middle ground between common household plungers and the really big guns. If you’re dealing with a clog too stubborn for your plunger, then a snake is your best chance to clear it out yourself.
Snakes are much more powerful drain-clearers than plungers, but they’re also slightly riskier to use. If you use your plumber’s snake improperly, then you might tear up your pipes or even create leaks. To avoid doing that, it’s important to know how your snake works and how to use it correctly. Here’s everything you should know about using a plumber’s snake.
How does a plumber’s snake work?
what is a plumber's snake?A plumber’s snake is a long, flexible metal cable with a small auger or uncoiled spring on one end and a handle on the other. The auger on the snake looks like a drill bit or a corkscrew. Home plumber’s snakes are usually around 50 feet long. The cable coils up when you’re not using it. Most home plumber’s snakes are hand-operated, and probably have a rotatable handle or even a crank.
Plumber’s snakes work by entering the drain directly to physically contact and then clear away the obstruction causing the clog. You manually insert the auger end of the snake into the drain and then begin uncoiling by rotating the handle. As the snake uncoils, the auger moves further through the drain pipe, until it breaks through the obstruction.
How do you use a plumber’s snake?
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) Consider removing the p-trap. The p-trap, or p-bend, is the curving piece of pipe beneath the sink. It connects the sink to the greater drain pipe 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 find your obstruction, then you won’t have to snake at all! Even if you don’t find anything, removing the trap could make snaking easier.
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 gets you as close to the drain pipe as possible. Look inside the drain pipe to look for any obstructions. If you can see the obstruction, try removing it from where you are. If you can’t, you should 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 force the auger into the drain too hard, or you could damage the drain entrance or pipe. Be patient and make sure the head and cable aren’t too long for the drain you’re trying to snake.
5. Begin uncoiling the snake using the handle. Keep the handle of the snake as close to the entrance of the pipe as possible. The more slack the auger had has, the less force you’re supplying it.
Rotate the handle at a consistent pace. Don’t try to rush it or rotate too slowly. If you feel pressure at any point while the cable moves through the pipe, you may have encountered the obstruction.
6. Upon reaching the obstruction, move the rotate the head back-and-forth and up-and-down. Try to break up the obstruction as thoroughly as possible. Don’t try to jam the auger into the walls of the pipe, however. If you hear scraping noises, then you should stop snaking and re-adjust.
If you think the auger might be stuck in the obstruction, consider pulling the snake out of the pipe. In some cases, the obstruction may come out with it. Continue snaking until you no longer feel resistance and the snake uncoils to its full length.
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. Check the sink. The snake should have successfully removed the obstruction and solved the clogging problem. If you still seem to have a clog, then you could try repeating your snaking process again. Just like plunging, however, snaking too much can harm your pipes or drains. If a thorough snaking really didn’t solve your problem, then you should consider calling in the pros.
Snaking is a surprisingly easy and accessible homeowner project. As long as you understand how to use your snake, you should solve your problem without creating new ones.
Sometimes, however, you may not be able to beat that clog, no matter what you try. Don’t despair! After your snake, the next step is to call Mike Diamond. We’ve got the tools and know how to find and break up any clog, no matter how stubborn.
Once You Need to Upgrade The Hot Water Tank Here is How to Proceed
By far the most neglected gadgets in our houses nowadays is the hot water heater, or hot water tank. We treat it like an afterthought until winter is in full force then find ourselves surprised with the shock of frosty water. We only comprehend the worth of this equipment in the morning when the shower is too cold to tolerate. That's when you are struck with the realization that you don't know the way to fix a tankless hot water heater.
How To Prolong The Lifetime of a Tankless Hot Water
Quite often, a gas-powered hot water tank will last an average of ten years. Many hardware stores carry hot water tanks and their equal if you know what to do with them that is. You may extend the unavoidable up grade by a couple of years, if you understand how to take care of your water heater by purging it a minimum of every year or by making use of an insulation jacket. A prudent home owner will follow one or both ideas to postpone the unavoidable upgrade.
While you may recognise the need of swapping out a tank that is on it's last legs, you might question why exactly that is a necessary step well before the unit reaching its typical life span limit.
Exchanging The Hot Water Tank Saves You Money
The major advantage of investing in a new hot water tank is the savings on your home heating costs. A new water heater will, in almost every case, be more efficient than an older version. However to make the most of those cost savings, you will find a few points to consider, mainly the number of people drain tile cleaning service in your house.
An well informed heating technician can help you calculate the size and capacity of a new water heater according to the number of individuals in your home. After all, additional individuals means extra hot water.
Types of Water Heaters
Hot Water Ttanks fall under two main groups; Natural Gas and Electric. Gas water heaters are frequently more expensive to buy and the electric ones could be nearly the same value initially, but for the most part a little less to buy. Lots of people are still opting for the conventional hot water tank as it's what we are most familiar with, but on demand water heaters have grown to be very popular, so you'll want to look at both before you make an investment.
Regardless of which type you choose, gas powered or electric, one can select the on demand water heater type. Or maybe you might be more inclined to spend money on green power one can find solar powered water heaters, which can diminish emissions older hot water tanks are notorious for. There is one catch, though - solar heaters can be difficult to set up, so make sure you retain the services of the right contractor for the job.
No matter which way you're going to go with regards to a new water heater, it is recommended you retain the services of a expert for the installation. This kind of work calls for an understanding of local heating system codes and suitable venting of fumes for gas units. If you are not qualified in the art of installing a new hot water tank then look for a local heating company who will do it for you.
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