need a longer snake for hydrostar

9 years ago

I have had enough sewer line clogs recently that I got a hydrostar electric snake from harbor freight. I suspect that the line may be ok, just that maybe someone is putting something down that shouldn't go down the drain. I don't think it's roots or grease. When I had it snaked the first time by a pro, we did a video on the line all the way to the city and it looked great. So I think this lower powered tool may be ok for me. He ran his snake without a tip. Time will tell. That said, it's 3/8"x 50' snake and that's not long enough. I need 75' to 100'.

I would appreciate any insight into how to go about this. I have a couple of ideas for a longer snake:
1. try and just swap out the complete snake with a longer one (maybe smaller diameter), 75 or 100'
2. add a length of 25'; can I just find a snake with slotted ends and screw it together?
I don't want to overstress the machine, so I was thinking of maybe 3/8" or 1/4" diameter. (the clogs have been very easy, so I think small is ok)

Should I choosing a snake with or without a core? Why would you choose one or the other?

Lastly, I see snakes for sale without ends. how do you attach ends to those?

thx for any suggestions!

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Comments (4)

klem1
9 years ago
Get your money back and buy a 100' 3/4trs wide flat snake and heavy gloves. That little snake will tie itself in a knot inside the 4" line and cost you $1k to have plumber retrive it. Ask everyone not to put Kleenx,Kotex,Tampons,baby wipes and q-tips in toilet. Scrape dishes clean into trash can or compost bucket before rinsing in sink. Avoid animal and vegitable fats in sink at all costs. Run only COLD water when it's nessary to run disposal. Taking those steps will assure you never have gloggs if lines are in good repair.
18tons
Original Author
9 years ago
thx klem1 - what is "trs" that you referred to?
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hippy
9 years ago
He is referring to a Flat Sewer Rod type of snake.

First question that needs to be ask,
Kitchen or bath or utility room sink, Washer drain, Commode, Shower? Complete blockage or just slow draining?

If you have so many stoppages that you had to go out and buy an electric snake even after a plumber scoped the lines. You have a problem that no sewer snake will cure.

Photo to show you what a Flat Sewer Rod/snake looks like.
.
18tons
Original Author
9 years ago
thx for the picture hippy - never heard of this! kitchen sink, dishwasher and clothes washer all seem to be fine, which doesn't make sense to me, except we just don't use a lot of water with those and this is slow draining. we can live with it if we don't take showers back-to-back. It's the toilets and showers that show the backup. It usually takes a shower to see the backup, I think because it takes a lot of water to fill the pipe.

Been here over 10 years, cast iron pipe (1965), and no clogs previously. Now it seems very sensitive. Plumber snaked it once, without even using a tip. It's like something very light that you can punch right through. Now, I rented a snake and did the same thing without a tip, because all they could give me was a root ball tip and I was afraid it would get stuck. I bought some of that bio-clean but have not used it yet. I don't know what to do. The 50' goes through the pipe easily, just doesn't make it to the clog! I'm planning on trying the FSR. If you have ideas, I'd appreciate it!