Imagine meeting your future in-laws at their house for dinner. The kitchen is oozing aromas of roasted meats and vegetables throughout the living room.
You're still feeling nervous, so you decide to use the restroom. That's when you do the worst thing imaginable and clog the toilet. The plunger isn't working, and you start to panic.
As embarrassing as it was, your partner's parents assure you everything is okay and contact a plumber to resolve the issue immediately. This unfortunate fact of life means that we at Monkey Wrench have seen this exact scenario play out more often than you would think.
At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we understand how annoying clogged drains can be. We have dealt with pesky drains in our homes and cleared drains across the Los Angeles area for the last 15 years.
You're tired of backups and slow drains, so it's time to consider a snaking service. Before paying for the service, read this guide to understand the pricing behind snaking drains. This guide may even help you save money!
How Much Does it Cost to Snake a Drain?
Plumbing companies can charge, on average, around $200 to snake a drain in your home. A drain snake is the main tool necessary to get the service done.
You probably have already seen a drain snake picture online or in person at a store. Also referred to as a plumbing auger, this tool contains a slender and flexible rod with a spiral-shaped metal coil around it. The plumbing tool can be operated manually, motorized, with a power drill, or by electricity.
A drain snake is reliable when your plunger isn't unclogging a toilet. Even a build up of baby wipes flushed down the drain cannot get unclogged by a regular plunger.
It is also helpful to use when a drain cleaner doesn't work since too much of the solution can damage your pipes.
Here are some reasons why you're dealing with clogged drains.
- Hair
- Dirt
- Debris
- Food Scraps
- Oil, Grease, and Fat
- Toiletries such as wipes and diapers
- Feminine hygiene products
- Random Objects
These items are complicated to unclog with a plunger. They’re either too big or heavy to be pulled out by the suction of a plunger.
A drain is more effective because it can either attach to the debris causing the clog and forcefully remove it. The tips of augers twist to address the source of the clog.
Factors That Affect Drain Snake Costs
Drain snake services vary between various plumbing companies across the Los Angeles area. Once you learn about the different factors behind the pricing, you can break down the estimates provided by each plumbing professional.
One thing you should keep in mind is to avoid repeatedly snaking your drains since it may damage your pipes. A plumbing auger will clear your clogged drains, and a professional plumber will always do a thorough inspection to determine how to resolve any lingering issues.
Type of Drain
Plumbing companies in Los Angeles charge accordingly depending on the type of drain that requires snaking. Plumbers will charge you less to unclog a trap drain under a kitchen sink. For example, you can pay over $100 for a more complicated clogged drain in a bathtub.
Drains are all designed to carry wastewater away from your home, but bathroom and kitchen drains are slightly different. Kitchen sink drains will see more food scraps and oils down their drains than a bathroom sink. You're more likely to see a clogged bathroom drain from hair than the kitchen sink.
On average, a bathroom is more likely to get clogged than the kitchen sink. But in other homes, a kitchen is more likely to get clogged if people use the sink to dispose of food.
A garbage disposal can help lower the chances of a clog, but it cannot protect your drains if you use it to dispose of nuts, pits, bones, and other hard food scraps.
These drains can benefit from a strainer to catch hair, debris, and scraps. But when you have a clogged drain, a snake can help clear any debris that slipped through.
Type of Drain Snake Tool
A snake tool comes in different shapes and sizes. Depending on the severity of the clogged drain, a plumbing technician will have different types of drain snakes to handle the clog.
Here's a better look at the different types of drain snakes:
- Manual: Manual-powered drain snakes do not require any power besides a person using their hands to turn the snake. These drain snakes are cheaper than other types of augers, and you may save money if you keep one in your home whenever you need to unclog a drain.
- Motorized: These motorized drain snakes can extend from over 100 feet. They are powered by an attached chargeable battery or an extension cord. You can expect to pay over $100 because they require a professional plumber with experience in operating them.
- Power Drill: Similar to a motorized drain snake, these types of augers have an attachment that connects to a power drill. These plumbing augers are long and can damage your home's pipes if misused. It’s best to hire a professional to handle this tool for unclogging drains, which costs at least $100.
- Drum Auger: For heavy-duty clogs deep in your home's pipes and sewer line, a drum auger is the best choice. Some of these augers come with cameras and are bigger than other drain snakes. You can expect to pay closer to $200 if you hire a plumbing company for this service.
- Toilet Auger: This specialized drain snake is designed to handle tough toilet clogs that a regular plunger couldn't handle. Toilets are essential to every home; unclogging a toilet is an on-demand service. Plumbers can charge over $150 for this service since it is highly in demand, and companies charge more for emergency service requests.
Motorized augers are smaller, whereas drum augers are much larger and usually powered by gas. Costs vary for each, but plumbers will charge you more if they use more completed drain snakes to clear clogs.
Ready to Snake Your Home's Drains?
Maintaining a home is a big responsibility, so you should always take care of clogged drains. A clogged toilet or kitchen sink can quickly cause more damage which can be expensive to fix.
A clogged drain is an irritating experience, and at Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we've seen how much of a headache they cause. We've seen and unclogged plenty of drains at our homes or at one of our many job sites. If your drains were snaked but still experiencing issues, then consider hydro-jetting your drain pipes.
If you want to learn more about drains and plumbing services, check out our learning center. If you're ready to schedule an appointment, call us at (310) 773-3882 or book a visit from one of our experienced technicians online. Once your appointment is booked, read this article to learn more about what to expect from your visit.
