When The Plumber Brings A Snake

Sometimes technical terms sound scary or odd to the average housewife. After making a call to the plumbing professionals, you may hear the plumbing guy say that they will bring the "snake" to clear up the drain. Because they may be unaware of what they mean and how they are used. But, most of the time terms like snaking a drain can really translate to something quite simple.

When the plumbing crew arrives to your house, they usually have one main tool they like to use the most. This is because it works almost every time a clog is present. So, bringing a snake to a job or to your home does not mean of the reptilian variety. This snake is in fact not alive and is made of metal. Sometimes people will refer to an auger or a 'toilet jack' as a snake. It is common to hear the phrase 'snake the drain'. But, in essence all these terms mean the same thing. A snake or auger is a device that a plumber will use to unclog a problematic drain.

So, when you see your plumber come into the house with a giant coil of metal wire, don't be alarmed. This simple device will actually unclog your drain. How is this possible? Well, on the coil of wire there is a crank that will allow your plumber to place the metal coil deep within the drain and locate the clog. When the metal wire comes into contact with the actual clog, it will do one of three things. First, if your particular clog is of the hair variety or a tampon, or even your daughter 's favorite toy, the snake can attach itself to that particular item and bring it up and out of the drain as the coil is cranked to the top.

Sometimes the snake won't bring up the particular clog out of the drain. Instead the plumbing professionals will use the snake to break up the particulate, like tree roots or other organic material and help to release it to the main sewer line.

Other times a professional can use a snake that is fitted with a camera that will allow for the plumber to see just exactly what is causing the problem. Often times, a clog comes in the form of a mineral deposit from older drain pipe materials, such as cast iron that will accumulate around the perimeter of the pipe making it impossible for anything to go through. Other times other materials accumulate like cooking oils mixed with coffee grounds forming a tiny little hole for waste water to drain through. Once determined the plumber will be able to use the snake to effectively scrape the walls of the drain pipe whatever it is that is causing the problem.

So, the next time you heard the word 'snake', don't be alarmed. This snake can work a lot of magic in a short amount of time.