If you’ve called a plumber for a clogged drain, you may have heard the words “snake”, “auger”, and “hydro-jet” thrown around interchangeably. They’re actually three different tools for three different jobs - and using the wrong one wastes time and money. Here’s how we decide.
What a drain snake does
A drain snake (also called a hand snake or closet auger for toilets) is a thin, flexible cable with a small grabbing or cutting head on the end. It’s the right tool for:
- Sink and shower clogs caused by hair and soap
- Toilet clogs caused by a single obstruction
- Most short branch lines under 1.5” diameter
A snake punches a hole through the blockage so water flows again, but it doesn’t scour the pipe wall clean.
What a drum-style auger does
A drum-style auger (the big machine you’ll see a plumber wheel in) is a more powerful version with longer, heavier cable and interchangeable cutter heads. It’s the right tool for:
- Kitchen branch lines (1.5”–2”)
- Laundry standpipes
- Long bathroom branch lines
- Tougher organic clogs
Drum augers can also be fitted with root-cutter heads to chew through small root intrusions in older Vancouver sewer laterals.
What hydro-jetting does
A hydro-jetter is a high-pressure water machine (think pressure washer for the inside of a pipe). It uses a specialized nozzle that sprays water forward and backward through the line. It’s the right tool for:
- Grease-heavy kitchen lines that have built up over years
- Sewer laterals with significant root buildup
- Recurring clogs in the same line where snaking just punches through but never solves the problem
- Cast-iron main sewers in older Vancouver homes coated with scale
Hydro-jetting doesn’t just clear the clog - it scours the inside of the pipe back to the bare wall, which is why hydro-jetted lines typically stay clear far longer than snaked ones.
How we choose
A few honest decision rules our Vancouver plumbers use:
| Situation | First tool |
|---|---|
| One slow drain | Hand snake |
| Kitchen sink clog | Drum auger |
| Multiple drains backing up | Main-line sewer auger + camera |
| Recurring clog every few weeks | Hydro-jet + camera |
| Roots seen in past camera | Cutter head, then hydro-jet |
| Heavy grease and the line is clay or cast-iron | Hydro-jet |
Why we don’t use chemical drain cleaners
You’ll notice we don’t recommend Drano or any other chemical drain cleaner. Three reasons:
- They damage pipes. Especially cast-iron, ABS joints, and older copper drain lines.
- They don’t fix the cause. They might dissolve a portion of the clog, but the next clog is coming.
- They’re dangerous for the plumber. If the chemical is still in the line and a plumber has to disassemble it, the splash-back can cause chemical burns.
When to camera-inspect
If you’ve had the same drain clogged more than twice in a year, don’t keep clearing it- get a camera inspection. We can run a fiber-optic camera through the line and see exactly what’s going on: roots, bellies, offsets, breaks, scale. Then we recommend the right long-term fix.
Need a drain cleared today?
Call Right Choice Plumbing at 604-330-9695 for same-day drain cleaning across Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, and Coquitlam. We carry snakes, augers, and a portable hydro-jetter on the van so we can pick the right tool for your line.
Need a plumber for this?
Skip the DIY rabbit hole - our licensed Vancouver plumbers cover Greater Vancouver with same-day appointments and 24/7 emergency service. Workmanship warranty on every job.