Drain & Sewer
Drain Snaking
Drain snaking — also called mechanical augering or cable cleaning — is a drain clearing method that uses a rotating steel cable (the snake or auger) to punch through or retrieve blockages from drain and sewer lines. The cable is fed through a drain opening and rotated to break up soft clogs (grease accumulations, hair, soft debris) or to hook and retrieve solid objects. Snakes range from small hand-operated tools for sink and tub drains to large motorized units for main sewer lines.
Snaking is effective for clearing immediate blockages and is faster and less expensive than hydro jetting for simple one-time clogs. However, it does not clean the pipe walls — grease, scale, and debris remain coating the interior, and the conditions that caused the original blockage are still present. For recurring clogs, older pipes with heavy buildup, or sewer lines with root intrusion, snaking provides only temporary relief. Hydro jetting is the follow-up treatment when recurring snaking is needed.
What This Means for You
Snaking is appropriate for an isolated clog that has not recurred. If you've had the same drain snaked two or more times in a year, that's a sign the pipe needs cleaning rather than just clearing — ask about hydro jetting or camera inspection to identify the underlying cause.
Related Terms
Hydro Jetting · Sewer Line · Blockage vs. Clog · Tree Root Intrusion