What’s the proper plumbing tool to clear out a sink drain line past the trap and into the wall?

[mikey03]

Every so often I’m doing some handyman helper work and get asked to deal with this. I got an old fish tape that I feed in and twist and yank out and it usually does the job but I never get it in very far and sometimes it don’t go deep enough. Also hard to clean it’s meant to be an electrician tool I think but I use it for plumbing and it’s kind of mid.

I saw Milwaukee got a battery powered one that has terrible reviews. I don’t use it enough to justify a battery one anyway unless it’s really necessary idk

 

[Cheep]

A drain snake.

 

[teufel666]

this one's done everything I've asked of it: https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Husky...k-Tub-and-Shower-Clogs-410-185-0111/326792663

Not expensive. Ability to use a drill if it's truly stubborn. Plenty long. Auger tip will absolutely catch the ****.

 

[mikey03]

this one's done everything I've asked of it: https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Husky...k-Tub-and-Shower-Clogs-410-185-0111/326792663

Not expensive. Ability to use a drill if it's truly stubborn. Plenty long. Auger tip will absolutely catch the ****.

Looks nice how do you clean it off after use properly? If you just **** it back in with **** and water I figure it will rust inside there. seems hard to walk backwards 25 feet to dry it all off outside of the drain. Maybe hold a rag around the end as you reel it back to dry it a little at a time as it comes back in? Maybe spray some oil on the rag?

seems like would be a three ******** to hold the tool, twist the crank (or hold the drill) while also holding a rag. But maybe can wrap a longer rag around it that you hold with the same hand that holds the grip as you turn with your other hand

 

[HoosierMark]

Have you considered a shop vac. Try to **** it out or blow it thru. It all depends where the vent pipe connects. I have also used a rubber bladder that expands to seal the water from coming back. But you need to know what other drains are connected and where they are in plumbing schematic.

 

[mikey03]

Have you considered a shop vac. Try to **** it out or blow it thru. It all depends where the vent pipe connects. I have also used a rubber bladder that expands to seal the water from coming back. But you need to know what other drains are connected and where they are in plumbing schematic.

I did and have tried it and it worked but idk if it was that or the manual cleaning because wasnt worth reassembling each time to try I just had a shop vac and added as a bonus to **** first and then blow. And worked but maybe was the cleaning with the fish tape

i did see a post here another member did that and blew a bunch of **** out into his washing machine drain area and 45 years later never forgot the look on his wife’s face so got to be careful

 

[dscheidt]

Looks nice how do you clean it off after use properly? If you just **** it back in with **** and water I figure it will rust inside there. seems hard to walk backwards 25 feet to dry it all off outside of the drain. Maybe hold a rag around the end as you reel it back to dry it a little at a time as it comes back in? Maybe spray some oil on the rag?

seems like would be a three ******** to hold the tool, twist the crank (or hold the drill) while also holding a rag. But maybe can wrap a longer rag around it that you hold with the same hand that holds the grip as you turn with your other hand

The real **** will only be at the end, where the clog was, the rest is just wet. you can pull a foot or three out of the drain, wipe it with a rag, and then reel it into the snake's canister. Mostly, though, I just pull it in, clean the end, and spray some wd40 in it. Sometimes, it gets sprayed out with the garden hose, and then wd40'd. You'll kink or break the snake before the rust matters to it....

 

[u2slow]

I put a cheater vent under the sink the last time I re-piped (from the last blockage). This proved to be the ideal snaking 'port' 10 years later. Pulled out the soap dispenser and ran the 1/2" drain snake right down through the countertop into the pipe to push out the blockage 16' away.

The 1/4" super-flexy snake couldnt do it.

 

[mikey03]

I put a cheater vent under the sink the last time I re-piped (from the last blockage). This proved to be the ideal snaking 'port' 10 years later. Pulled out the soap dispenser and ran the 1/2" drain snake right down through the countertop into the pipe to push out the blockage 16' away.

The 1/4" super-flexy snake couldnt do it.

a cheater vent? Got any pics or do you mind explaining more? That sounds awesome

 

[The Cobbler]

I have a drill type 24' power snake that I was lucky to have got on clearance for about $25. that has saved me a few times . clear the drain, run water and in and out several times to clear all the gunk from the pipe and it's all good

 

[u2slow]

a cheater vent? Got any pics or do you mind explaining more? That sounds awesome

Air Admittance Valve (AAV)

 

[nadogail]

A cable with an auger on the end generally works fine for most needs, one of mine can be spun by hand if wanted, it also has a stem that will allow it to be powered by a drill.
I have seen dedicated drills with an attached drum and cable; they were to the best of my recollection either made by Milwaukee or Ridgid.

 

[Beerhippie]

Removing the P-trap is usually trivial and gives you a straight shot down the pipe.

 

[KnurledNut]

I've snaked drains only to have it push the blockage further down the line. More than that, there is a reason it happened and just clearing it doesn't necessarily fix the cause. Is the pitch wrong? Did something break loose or move? Was the installation improper or sloppy causing problematic joints that are snagging waste? Is there a venting issue? How far down the line is it blocked? If the line is accessible, sometimes it's less hassle to try to find where it's clogged and just cut it out and replace it to fix the bigger problems.
On one job, this meant completely reworking the majority of the drain system. It was messy work and a greater expense but it didn't take that long and was a permanent fix.

 

[Junkman]

When our kitchen sink was plumbed, they used 1 1/2" plastic pipe, and when my wife ran potato peels through the garbage disposal, they clogged the pipe. Luckily, there was a clean out, and I could get a bladder into the pipe and blow it out into the 3" pipe to the sewer. A couple of months ago somthing else clogged it, and I had to do the same thing. I have decided that I am going to cut the pipe and replace it with 2" pipe, go where I can get it connected to the 3" pipe. I am almost tempted to just connect a short length of 2" and then up it to 3" till I get to the existing 3" pipe and connect it there. I hate cleaning out pipes.

 

[mikey03]

I've snaked drains only to have it push the blockage further down the line.

sounds like you needed a bigger drain snake but for real I guess you can’t make them too long or they won’t work

 

[mikey03]

When our kitchen sink was plumbed, they used 1 1/2" plastic pipe, and when my wife ran potato peels through the garbage disposal, they clogged the pipe.

did that with carrots when I was young and then I wondered why garbage disposals even exist if your not supposed to use them

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Look up the Ridgid FlexShaft it’s ideal for drain cleaning on sinks, showers, tubs, (…) in a residential setting and powered by your drill/driver. Lot’s of attachment options, very clean, very neat. Albeit pricy to keep around “just in case” on a first look. However, compare to the going rates for an emergency call-out to a plumber - that is not your buddy or well-known residential plumber - it can actually be a “bargain”.

They make them powered as well, but you’re looking at way more $$$ then.

They are more handy than larger units. They make different sizes/lengths. Since it is sleeved it prevents damage to cabinets, floors, (…).

Always follow up with an inspection camera to determine cause of the blockage/ spot cracks, breaks, bellies, misalignment/sunken pipes, ingrown roots, (…). So you know whether you‘ll just have to revisit a couple of years down the road or a (full) replacement or maybe just re-lining is in order.

FlexShaft is the #1 solution for quick, clean & no-fuss drain cleaning/clearing for the most commonly found causes for drain blockages in housing/residential.

Use proper gloves that protect from germs & cuts.

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[dscheidt]

Air Admittance Valve (AAV)

The valve illustrated is installed wrong. It must be above the flood level of the drain it serves, or it can flood when the drain past the trap is blocked.

 

[mikey03]

The valve illustrated is installed wrong. It must be above the flood level of the drain it serves, or it can flood when the drain past the trap is blocked.

What’s the flood level? I understand the concept of what your saying but not how to figure out what it is unless its at the same height as the top of the sink which is same level the sink itself would overflow if this special contrapshion didn’t exist

 

[mervyn]

Dynamite

 

[The Cobbler]

What’s the flood level?

it's where the sink will flood over . it's not always achievable in an island but the diagram is way too low. it should be as high as possible, which is the underside of the countertop

 

[u2slow]

The valve illustrated is installed wrong. It must be above the flood level of the drain it serves, or it can flood when the drain past the trap is blocked.

Read the install instructions on a few of these. Oaty says 4" minimum above the horizontal drain arm is sufficient.

 

[Lassen Forge]

When my wife ran potato peels through the garbage disposal, they clogged the pipe. Luckily, there was a clean out,...

I did that at our old Oakland house decades ago, not realizing what a teaching moment I was giving myself. The "cleanout" was on the wrong side of the house to reach the kitchen, and we ended up hiring a plumber with a LOOOONG snake reel to haul it up to the ROOF to the roof vent, and snake it out from there. Goddam expensive education I got about 80 year old plumbing and potato peels and garbage non-disposals,

Oh, did I mention it was Thanksgiving weekend? With company coming?

I have no doubt his 2 week vacation to Maui was a lot more fun than my getting to pay for it. And from then on, I NEVER trusted garbage mashers to actually "dispose" of anything.

 

[Beerhippie]

I NEVER trusted garbage mashers to actually "dispose" of anything.

Growing up, we had an innovation called a garbage can. It never clogged the drains.

 

[mikey03]

it's where the sink will flood over . it's not always achievable in an island but the diagram is way too low. it should be as high as possible, which is the underside of the countertop

And then are you supposed to put some kind of screw hole lid over the counter so you can access it from the top to put one of these tools in?

 

[The Cobbler]

no. they are not meant to be a clean out access . you would put a clean out lower

 

[Junkman]

Garbage disposers work well, but only when you keep the water running after you turn the disposal off. You need to flush the ground material into the main drain.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I did and have tried it and it worked but idk if it was that or the manual cleaning because wasnt worth reassembling each time to try I just had a shop vac and added as a bonus to **** first and then blow. And worked but maybe was the cleaning with the fish tape

i did see a post here another member did that and blew a bunch of **** out into his washing machine drain area and 45 years later never forgot the look on his wife’s face so got to be careful

That would be me!

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/love-hate-relationship-with-plumbing.552093/#post-11404158

 

[u2slow]

no. they are not meant to be a clean out access . you would put a clean out lower

Agreed.

The AAV riser just happened to work out like that for me.

I should really have used a cleanout Y in the crawlspace instead of a sweep 90.