Drain snaking in Los Angeles

Snaking a drain means feeding a flexible coiled steel cable, a drain snake, into a pipe and turning it so the tip hooks, breaks up or cuts through the blockage. A hand-cranked snake handles a sink or tub. A powered auger on a drum handles a main line. In Los Angeles a plumber typically charges about $150 to $450 for a snaking visit.

This page covers the tools, the places snaking works, the risks and the signs you need a different method. For high-pressure cleaning, read hydro jetting, and for a plain cost breakdown see drain snaking cost. The LA Drain Works home page lists everything else.

What is snaking a drain, and which tool does what?

Snaking is clearing a clog with a rotating cable. Hand snakes of 15 to 25 feet suit sinks, tubs and showers. A drum machine with an electric motor spins a longer cable for branch lines. A larger sectional machine carries cutters for roots in the main. The words snake, auger and cable usually mean the same thing in a drain.

The tip matters as much as the machine. A hook head retrieves hair. A spade or cutter head chews through roots or scale. A plumber picks the head after asking where the clog sits.

Trade names for this job vary. The old word rooter, from rooter service, simply means a snaking visit for roots in a sewer line.

Can snaking damage pipes?

Snaking can damage pipe only when it is done carelessly or on pipe that is already failing. A cable is much gentler than a hydro jet on healthy PVC, copper or cast iron. It can scratch old cast iron or catch a cracked clay joint, which is why a plumber slows down and stops when the cable binds.

Are drain snakes bad for pipes? Not if the machine matches the pipe. Real risks:

• A heavy cutter head on thin, old cast iron can break the pipe wall.
• Forcing a cable past a bend can punch through a weak elbow.
• A cable run too fast through a plastic trap can gouge it.
• Corroded or collapsed pipe can snag the cable and tear a section.

Ask whether a camera look comes before heavy cutting. See snaking drain pipe for more on pipe condition, and why a clog may remain after a visit in why is my drain still clogged after snaking.

Where does snaking work, and where does it not?

Snaking works on sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, floor drains and the main line when there is access. It does not work well on grease-coated pipe, collapsed pipe or pipe with a deep low spot where water sits. In those cases a jet or a repair is the right answer.

Places people ask about:

• Floor drains and basement drains: usually a short branch to the main, straightforward with a drum machine. Floor drains in basements, garages and laundry rooms all work the same way.
• Outside and yard drains: reached through a cleanout; roots are the usual cause.
• Roof vent: a cable can clear a blocked vent stack from the roof, but only a plumber should do that for safety reasons.
• Drain tile and French drains: perforated pipe is easily damaged, so a jet at low pressure is usually the better choice.
• Sump pump discharge line: snaking goes in the discharge pipe, never through the pump.

What is the fastest way to unclog a shower drain, and what can unblock a sink?

For a shower, pull the hair plug out of the drain with a plastic barbed strip, then flush with hot water. For a sink, plunge, clean the P-trap and use a small hand snake. A snake is the escalation when the quick fix fails, and the full steps live on the fixture pages.

Go to clogged shower drain for the shower order of operations and cleaning a basin drain for sinks. For sinks, a hand snake of 15 to 25 feet is enough most of the time.

Does pouring boiling water down a drain help?

Hot tap water helps with soap and grease film. Boiling water is not a good idea, because it can soften plastic traps and joints and crack a cold porcelain basin. It does not move hair or a dense plug. Use hot water as maintenance, and a snake or plunger for actual clogs.

Is a hydro jet better than a snake?

For grease, scale and clogs that come back, a hydro jet usually cleans better because it scours the whole pipe wall. For a simple hair or paper clog, a snake costs less and works just as well. The camera result decides. See hydro jetting vs snaking for the side-by-side.

If a pipe is heavily rooted, many plumbers snake first to open the line, then jet to clean it, and then recommend a repair if roots keep coming back.

Can I snake a drain myself?

Yes, for a single sink, tub or shower with a short hand snake, and for a toilet with a closet auger. Feed the cable until you feel resistance, turn the handle, push gently and pull back with the debris. Stop if the cable binds, and do not use a power drill on it.

Do not snake a drain that has had a chemical cleaner in it unless you wear eye protection, because caustic liquid can splash back. For the main line you can rent a machine, but a cutter head on old pipe is easy to get wrong, and powered machines can injure hands. A local plumber comes to you if it gets beyond the basics.

If the snake did not work, or you would rather not try, use the price request page and a local plumber comes to you with the right cable.

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Questions people ask

Is snaking a drain bad for it?

Not for healthy pipe. A snake is a standard maintenance tool. Risk grows with old, thin or cracked pipe, which is why a plumber matches the cutter head to the line, goes slowly through bends and stops when the cable binds. Ask whether a camera look comes first on old cast iron or clay.

What if the drain is worse after snaking?

A drain can be worse after snaking when the cable punched a hole in the plug and left debris to settle again, or when the pipe has a defect. Call back with the details. A camera shows whether the pipe is cracked or sagging and whether a jet or a repair is next.

What is the strongest thing to unclog a drain?

A plumber's cable machine or a hydro jet. Both remove the blockage physically. Chemical cleaners dissolve only some of it, can burn skin and eyes and can harm old pipe, so they are weaker in practice than a good machine.

What is the best electric drain auger?

For a household, pick a small drum machine with a cable of about 25 feet for sinks and tubs, and leave long-run machines to a plumber. We do not rate brands. Check that the cutter heads suit your pipe size and that the machine has an auto-feed or a safety clutch.

Does Dawn really unclog drains?

Dish soap loosens a light grease film, but it does not clear a hair plug or a food mass. Use it with hot water as an early step in a kitchen sink and move to a snake if water still stands.