How to Use a Snake to Unclog a Drain: Step-by-Step

When a plunger and a bottle of drain cleaner both give up, a drain snake is the tool that actually reaches the clog. Learning how to use a snake to unclog a drain takes about ten minutes to master and saves the $150 to $350 a plumber charges for a routine clog. A snake, also called a drain auger, is a flexible steel cable that you feed into the pipe until it hooks the blockage, then either breaks it up or pulls it out.

The trick is matching the right auger to the drain, feeding it with patience instead of force, and knowing when the clog is beyond a hand tool. Here is the complete process, plus the small mistakes that turn a simple job into a scratched fixture or a stuck cable.

Choose the Right Type of Drain Snake

Not every snake fits every drain. Buying the wrong one is the most common reason a first attempt fails.

• Drum auger (hand snake): 15 to 25 feet of cable in a spinning drum, $20 to $40. The everyday choice for sinks, tubs, and shower drains.
• Toilet auger (closet auger): Has a rubber sleeve to protect porcelain and a J-shaped end, $15 to $30. Use only this on toilets so you do not scratch the bowl.
• Drill-powered auger: Attaches to a cordless drill for extra torque on tougher clogs, $25 to $50.
• Power/electric snake: 50 to 100 feet, for main-line and root clogs. Buy for $200-plus or rent from Home Depot for about $60 a day.

For a bathroom sink or tub, a basic 25-foot drum auger handles 90 percent of clogs. Reach for a longer or powered unit only when the blockage is deep in the branch line or main.

Tools and Supplies to Gather First

• The correct drain auger for the fixture
• Rubber gloves and old towels
• A bucket to catch water and debris
• A screwdriver or wrench to remove the stopper, drain cover, or P-trap
• An old rag to plug the overflow opening on tubs and sinks
• A flashlight and a bit of plumber’s grease or dish soap for lubrication

How to Snake a Sink or Tub Drain

1. Remove the stopper or cover. Pop-up sink stoppers usually lift out or unclip under the sink. Tub stoppers unscrew or pry up. Clear any hair or gunk you find right at the opening first.
2. Consider removing the P-trap. For sinks, unthreading the curved P-trap under the cabinet lets you clear near clogs directly and gives the snake a straight shot into the wall pipe. Put a bucket underneath first.
3. Feed the cable in slowly. Push the auger tip into the drain until you feel resistance. Do not force it; let the cable follow the pipe’s bends.
4. Crank and advance. Turn the drum handle clockwise while applying gentle forward pressure. The rotation lets the tip corkscrew through or grab the clog.
5. Work the blockage. When you hit the clog, keep cranking. If the tip is hooking hair or debris, you will feel it grab. If it is a soft blockage, the rotating tip breaks it apart.
6. Pull back and inspect. Slowly retract the cable, wiping off whatever it drags out into your bucket. Reeling out a wad of black hair is a good sign you found it.
7. Flush and test. Reassemble the trap, run hot water for a minute, and watch for a strong swirl. Repeat the snaking if it still drains slowly.

How to Snake a Toilet

Toilets need a closet auger, never a drum snake, because the rigid drum cable will chip and scratch the porcelain. Insert the auger’s curved tip into the bowl outlet with the rubber sleeve resting in the bottom of the bowl. Crank the handle clockwise while pushing the cable up into the trap. When you feel it grab, pull back to retrieve the object or push through to clear it, then flush to confirm. Most toilet clogs sit within the first 3 feet, right in the built-in trap.

How to Snake Through a Cleanout or Floor Drain

For a clog you suspect is in the branch line rather than right at the fixture, a cleanout gives you a straighter, wider path. Look for a capped fitting under a sink, in the basement, or in the crawlspace, and for floor drains in laundry rooms and garages you can feed the auger right through the strainer.

1. Place a bucket and towels below the cleanout, since backed-up water may spill when you remove the cap.
2. Unthread the cap slowly with a wrench, letting any standing water drain into the bucket.
3. Feed the cable into the pipe in the direction of flow, toward the main line, cranking as you advance.
4. When you hit and clear the clog, run water from an upstream fixture to flush debris through.
5. Rethread the cap with fresh Teflon tape or pipe dope so it seals against future backups.

A cleanout is the pro’s first access point because it avoids removing traps and lets a longer cable reach deeper clogs without fighting through tight fixture bends.

Pro Tips That Prevent Damage

• Let the cable do the work. Steady rotation clears clogs; jamming the cable just kinks it and can crack a trap.
• Keep the drum close to the drain. A long span of exposed cable whips and scratches the fixture. Feed it a foot or two at a time.
• Plug the overflow. Stuff a rag into the tub or sink overflow so the cable goes down the drain, not up and out.
• Never snake right after using chemical drain cleaner. Caustic water can splash back onto your skin. Bail out standing chemical water first or skip chemicals entirely.
• Run hot water and a monthly maintenance flush of a half cup of baking soda followed by vinegar to keep lines clear once you have opened them.

Why Your Snake Might Not Be Working

If the cable goes in but nothing improves, one of a few things is happening. The clog may be past your snake’s reach, meaning it sits in the main line and you need a 50-foot power auger. The tip may be sliding past a greasy blockage without grabbing it, in which case a drill-driven auger with more torque helps. Or the cable may be looping back on itself inside a large pipe; pull it out, straighten it, and re-feed more slowly.

Recurring clogs in the same drain, or several drains backing up at once, usually point to a main-line problem, often tree roots in older homes. That is beyond a hand snake and calls for a professional with a motorized rooter and a camera.

Clean and Store the Snake Afterward

A drain auger lasts for years if you care for it, and a neglected cable rusts and kinks. After each use, rinse the cable with hot water and wipe it down with a rag, then run a light coat of machine oil or WD-40 along its length before reeling it back into the drum. Store it dry and coiled, never bent sharply, so it feeds smoothly the next time. Rinse the drum interior too, since trapped gunk breeds odor. Spending two minutes on cleanup means your $25 tool is ready to go the next time a drain slows, instead of a rusted mess you have to replace.

When to Call a Plumber

Snaking is a safe, satisfying DIY job, but bring in a licensed plumber if multiple fixtures back up simultaneously, if sewage smells or gurgles come from more than one drain, if water bubbles up in the tub when you flush the toilet, or if your auger cannot reach or clear the blockage after a couple of honest attempts. Those signs point to a main-line or sewer clog that needs specialized equipment. For a single slow sink, tub, or toilet, though, a $25 auger and the steps above will have it draining freely again in under half an hour.