How Does Drain Snaking Work?
A drain snake or plumbing snake is used to clear obstructions from pipes and drains. We use a long, flexible wire that looks like a snake and navigates it down the drain to either dislodge the clog or remove it entirely. Plumbers commonly use this technique to clear clogs from gutters and flush systems. NuFlow St. Louis is a drain cleaning company with many years of experience removing a wide variety of clogs. We explain our drain snaking process below:
Start With a Sewer Inspection
Finding the clog is the first step in drain cleaning in St. Louis, MO. Inspecting the pipe with a camera or using a plunger can achieve this goal. When the clog is located, the plumber will use the cleanout access point, typically near the base of the fixture or the main sewage line, to feed the drain snake into the pipe and clear it out.
Begin Drain Snaking
The plumber will rotate the cable and push it further into the clogged drain using the snake's grip. As the cable passes through the pipe, it will touch the obstruction, breaking it up or catching it so it may be removed.
The snake cable is equipped with a cutting blade at the tip, which can be used to cut through thick blockages such as tree roots. This blade is also used to scrape the sides of the pipes to remove any buildup of grease, hair, or other debris.
End With an Inspection
Once the blockage is removed, the plumber will retrieve the snake from the pipe and flush the system with water to ensure that the blockage is completely cleared. The plumber may use a high-pressure water jet to flush the pipes and remove any remaining debris. When done, we finish our drain cleaning services with another inspection to ensure that it is clean and all the blockage is removed.
Drain snaking is a relatively quick and effective method for clearing clogs in pipes and drains. It is often less intrusive than other treatments, such as hydro jetting or pipe replacement, and causes minimum disturbance to the residence or company. Contact NuFlow St. Louis today to schedule an appointment.
