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July 30, 2007
Should I Snake it Myself?
We just moved into a 2bed/2bath coop apt (our first home) over the weekend. Last night I decided to change the catch in the stand-up shower in our master bathroom. While everything seemed to be draining normailly, because I have a ton of hair that is always shedding, I decided to use a mesh catch that was less porous to avoid future clogs. When I removed the original catch, I found a gloppy disgusting mess of crud and hair. I decided to try and remove as much as I could using gloves and a screwdriver (to pull out the clumps of muddy hair balls). In the process, I must have disturbed the natural placement of the glop, because now the water barely drains. I used a mixture of baking soda and vinegar last night to try and unclog it (naive?), but of course it did not make it better and it's probably draining even slower now. So...I can check with the super about a snake, but if this is out of his jurisdiction, should I just buy a snake and try and unclog it myself? I've never used a snake. Is this something a novice can handle? Thanks!
Comments
An electric drain-cleaning snake is a difficult ant dangerous tool to use for the uninitiated.
The machine itself is heavy to hold and often has to be operated with one hand. The cable can and often does suddenly pull back out of the drain opening and whips around spraying gunk and grease around, catching your skin and clothes...I hate snaking drains.
If you're going to try it yourself, I'd strongly recommend using a hand operated, non-electric type.
They're much cheaper and safer. Worth a shot if you're willing.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at July 30, 2007 8:39 AM
Try a plunger first.
Posted by: Pipe at July 30, 2007 10:12 AM
Are you a werewolf?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 10:38 AM
This is interesting timing. My recently renovated bathroom's shower drain clogged this morning. I noticed that there was a small leak behind my toilet. Apparently the two are connected. I plunged the toilet real good. Within a few seconds, both clogs were cleared. Toilet plunger... best invention EVER!!!
Posted by: GHB at July 30, 2007 2:16 PM
Have you tried using Liquid Plumber?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 3:57 PM
The non-electric snake is indeed safer, but of limited use. It's difficult to apply enough torque once the snake starts going around bends in the pipes. Might be useful if your problem is in a relatively straight pipe that's too deep to reach by hand. Can't hurt to try, though, because they're cheap. But in my experience it's worth finding an inexpensive plumber who'll charge a flat fee to snake out the tub. You'd be amazed at the amount of gunk they can pull out with the electric snake compared to the hand snake.
Posted by: Anon at July 30, 2007 6:34 PM
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