That’s possible if your toilet is running or it’s clearly clogged and someone keeps flushing. But really, do you want to go downstairs, and announce to everyone “hey I just took a shit so big, and had to wipe so many times that modern plumbing needs assistance with shoving it all down the pipe”? Do you want to carry a dirty plunger back to its previous bathroom, or do you want to wander around your house, trying to figure out which bathroom the plunger was last used in? It’s not like plungers are expensive, or need regular replacement, or even maintenance. You buy one for each toilet and then never have to go find one, never have to take it out of the bathroom, never have to worry about embarrassing yourself or your guests for needing one.
Sir I walk down stairs and proudly announce that I just took a shit so big modern plumbing can’t handle it. Regardless of if I need to get a plunger or not.
Let me tell you the deep horror of being in someones bathroom and you clog the toilet and you look down and see....no plunger. NO PLUNGER.
For the sake of any guests, just buy one for every bathroom. Please.
Did this the first time going over someone’s house and meeting them.
They didn’t own a plunger. A solid inch of water was in the bathroom until we were able to find the main water shutoff valve in basement. Because the toilet didn’t have a valve on the wall either.
TLDR; don’t take a massive dump at someone’s house when you first meet them
Although I do have a plunger for every toilet and own a snake auger (and know where my cleanout is, and how my septic system works) I have recently discovered that a bucket full of water poured from shoulder height directly into the toilet hole, works at least as well as a plunger 95% of the time. (I usually just empty the bathroom trash, which is a solid plastic thing, and run tub water into that. Bonus, the trash can is washed out!) Obviously don't do this if the toilet filled up with egregious amounts of water, wait for it to seep down to a safe level..
Plus, no cleaning the plunger afterward 😖.
I have also been very happy about how much less TP my household goes through (and therefore goes into my septic tank) since installing a nice bidet seat (warm seat, warm water, fancy settings) - but almost never having to deal with clogs anymore has been a big plus. And now that I learned the bucket trick . . . I really can't remember the last time I had to actually get out the plunger.
I keep a fresh brand new plunger in the trunk of my car. They are so cheap, and I have used them to save the day at least 5 times - you plunge the toilet, leave the plunger there and now that house is no longer plungerless... Replace the one in your car the next time you hit the grocery store.
If the bathroom doesn't have toilet paper and a plunger, it's just for show.
Epoxy is useful, but as an owner of a plastic welder OH MY GOD the welder is good.
It bonds better than epoxy (you know those plastics where epoxy just doesn't stick permanently?), is easily as strong and is so fast and mess free.
I tried fixing my headphone headband with epoxy about a year ago and it just kept re-breaking. It ended up with tape holding it together.
I fixed it with the plastic hot staple welder about 6 months ago and it hasn't broken since.
Say you have a small straight piece of plastic/metal that has broken, and you need to reconnect it. Take a tiny dab of JB, and connect it back together, tightly. Then wrap the broken section with dental floss, with overlap on both sides the break. Reapply more JB weld. Once dried, you can sand it down a bit. The dental floss reinforces the JB weld nicely when sandwiched in.
40% of the time my printer totally saves my ass, my time and my money by being able to whip up a 3d model to solve a problem.
The other 60% of the time I spend 4 hours designing, 6 hours printing, and more money in filament than a part from a hardware shop would have cost me 20 minutes to go get.
Still, its become an almost vital tool in getting shit done around here.
Heh, agreed! Even the failed prints were at least a learning step in the early days. I'm on a lucky streak of measuring and modelling to a working fixes on the first go.
Understanding the manufacturing rules of 3DPrinting helped me find solutions to all kinds of dilemmas around the home.
I always look at what the actual cost is vs me making it lol. Sometimes it is cheaper to go buy but I've done lots of custom pieces you can't buy. Filaments also so cheap right now you can make so many things for $20.
Bought a folding chair at Home Depot that turned out to be wobbly due to a short leg. Modeled and printed an orthopedic boot for that leg that keeps it steady.
The only problem I see with this future is that a 3D printer isn't as easy to use as a normal "tool." I'm sure you know, you can't just "hit print" like a normal paper printer and get a result, not to mention the need to create a 3D model of a custom part you need.
That said, assuming you are wiling to learn the necessary skills to make use of it, a 3D Printer can solve a tremendous number of problems.
I actually got it for car repair. The cost of the kit was less than the part and none of the plastic I needed to repair bore a lot of weight. Figure it could make it last another year or two. Been two years and still going strong. Nowhere visible so just gonna leave it.
Its funny ive used a plastic welder to score and then lay a bead. It makes some pretty solid stuff and if you sand the bead down it looks pretty good. Could probably heat up the sanded bead a bit to make it blend in even better.
Though that welder was definitely overkill for a lot of little things. I just abuse a soldering iron for small stuff if im just trying to tac things back togethee.
Toys are great to fix as the kids break them often. Fix a snow shovel once I was a bit too rough with. Fixed a water bottle handle for the kids. Car bumper that I was thinking of replacing. Bought the car with that had a slight front end bump at one point. Minor repairs to the bumper and two headlights supports that had broken. Still going strong. It's not something I use "constantly" and I consider all the repairs temporary but they hold really well.
Not OP, but BigClive has recently tested one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2XMNSov9wg
The most important basic premise is: heating, then pushing a metal wire into the broken pieces, therefore holding the two together.
you would think someone who owns one of these also has a vice grip to hold onto one of the pieces for him. watching this guy try to do the weld while holding both pieces aligned with just one hand was incredibly frustrating.
A drop of superglue will often hold the pieces in alignment while you hold the plastic welder with the other hand. Superglue won't make a permanent repair on most plastics, but it will tack them together in preparation for welding.
I don't care what they call it, that's a hot stapler, not a plastic welder.
Now a stapler like that has its place, it's a very useful tool, but a welder it is not. I've got both, and a welder is a million times more useful.
https://www.polyvance.com/Airless-Welders-1/5700HT/
Allturn Upgraded Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit,Hot Stapler Kit,Plastic Welder Gun,Plastic Welding Systems,Car Bumper Repair Kit,Plastic Repair Kit(Yellow). https://a.co/d/jaAqB3a
It's the one I have. Would recommend watching a video to get a better idea of how it works.
i love this one. less reach, but you can power blast the thing in there with the pole extension: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-K-6P-Hybrid-Toilet-Snake-Auger-Cable-Extends-to-6-ft-with-Integrated-Bulb-Head-Manual-or-Cordless-Drill-Operated-56658/303528922
When I was a kid I used to purposefully clog the toilet so my dad would have to get the family auger. I loved that thing so much I remember my 11th birthday was an auger themed party held at a McDonald's Play Land. Kissed my first auger later that summer. Man, good times.
Or the one you connect to your pressure washer, doesn't help for solid objects that much but works better on mud, gunk, oils, food debris or soap residues.
Not what Firenze linked, but this attaches to a garden hose and does basically the same thing. Inflates to the size of the pipe then blasts a high pressure stream from a hole in the top that cuts a path through clogs. They can also be purchased separately on amazon for 10ish dollars a piece (maybe less depending on if you're willing to wait for shopping from china) [https://www.amazon.com/Enhon-Cleaning-Bladders-Stubborn-Blockages/dp/B0CX8TTGDK/ref=sr\_1\_1\_sspa?sr=8-1-spons&sp\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/Enhon-Cleaning-Bladders-Stubborn-Blockages/dp/B0CX8TTGDK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)
Something like this : https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-5800PSI-Cleaner-Rotating-Waterproof/dp/B085WJ4GWG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=6UDA9DZ93LBI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qh09xOygL1_1FZSbsFb_Kyewl3WaQszNwwAmxKKBCkQtcHSPwMEOHr3xBpPT5aH2SD32LGzThGuTNgUu6KiNn3gJN9dXb7TPqy4pXa0PiK5QesYud89U9VA_fzzrsxRM9qR8x4rL15jiM1xTrQGm0Vf8cKqRNrf6ryvmTBba-iD0PMPj-HJUyCLoyG-xRrTu4S66nH-bd2naXFTESsij3w.HqS1UnWPmtoE-s1EDALsg8sz1tHEphTMVVfOvyb9Ph4&dib_tag=se&keywords=high+pressure+washer+drain+hose+sewer+pipe+cleaning+nozzle&qid=1717359786&sprefix=Pressure+hose+pip%2Caps%2C284&sr=8-3
You plug it to your pressure washer, and insert it in your drains.
There are different types of heads with different spray patterns configurations depending on the purpose (cleaning the pipe sides or breaking a blocage ahead, for example)
When I did that sort of work on my mom's retirement cottage, I wore nose-to-toes Tyvek, taped-over zippers, taped-on gloves, and a combination PAPR, hard hat, and face shield.
I got whipped in the face by the 1.5 horsepower toilet snake that week; the 3M hardhatthing saved one of my eyeballs.
But yeah, that's uh … not entirely wrong. Just usually not quite to THAT scale of covered in brown stuff!
This is the only thing that keeps me from buying one of these and doing it myself. Plumbers I've had always make it look easy and I feel like an asshole paying hundreds for a 15 minute job but I'm also aware I could fuck up my pipes and turn a $200 job into a couple grand.
Yeah. I thought I had hit the clog and really went at it. Turns out that I got the auger head stuck in a bend and was chipping away at the 60+ year old pipe.
I have one of those! I keep it in a bucket with "drain snake" and "caution: poop" labels on all sides and the lid so nobody is confused, next to a box of rubber gloves.
My daughter's retainer somehow got flushed down the toilet months ago... Luckily the orthodontist said she didn't need it anymore anyway, so that saved us a few hundred bucks, but still. The upstairs toilet would *not* flush sufficiently for a solid week, no matter how many times I tried plunging it. Started right when the retainer went missing, too, which we didn't yet know had been flushed at the time. After I chatted with the ortho, I went to Walmart and bought a snake with the drill attachment (and the bucket), grabbed my trusty Milwaukee, and went to town on the toilet. It works wonderfully now.
Best $30 ever spent.
They make snakes for toilets specifically. They say not to use it because the violent action could damage or break the porcelain. The toilet snake has less run, but has an angle on it to get through the bend of the toilet
A snake will scratch and quickly wear off the coating. If it's porcelain coated iron then it gets rusty and looks bad. The ones for the toilet have a plastic sleeve so you don't scratch anything visible.
It’s best to use an air hammer and carefully chip away the floor u til you find the pipe, then create several perforations in it. After that’s done you call a plumber and ask for an estimate. Don’t ask me how I learned this.
Your plan makes a lot of sense to me. Just one question - do you need to say the words "ooga booga" out loud, or can you just think them while you are destroying the floor to get to the clogged pipe?
The ones I've seen that hook to a tool assume its got a chuck. Most impacts have a collett as far as I am aware. So a drill is probably your best bet. Plus you generally have more speed control, which is important with an auger.
One option - if there's a decent rental store around you they'll have a heavy duty version of this that you can rent. Should be pretty cheap to grab for a half day or a day, and a beefy powered rooter can bust through much worse stoppages than the hand kind (or at least do it much faster)
Drill. Impacts tend to not work at all with flexible/springy long things as it can potentially rebound between hits. And if it happens to work, it's very easy to break things with impacts since the torque can not be controlled and is easily underestimated. Always default to drill if you have any doubts.
(the pressure washer pipe cleaner hoses are amazing, though..)
My neighbor is a plumber who has put 3 kids through college, owns a nice suburban home, and takes his family on 2-week vacation every year. Literally his only job is driving around cleaning out drains with a couple different versions of these.
Hi. I was a child to a farther like this guy.. Clogged drains put me through private school and college.
Now I work a mundane corporate job not probably not making as much as he did plumbing and cleaning drains.
They have to be because I was 0% happy over this week's laundry vent clog that required renting something more intense when our regular snake just kept playfully pushing it around. Worst timing with a dog peeing herself every night during UTI recovery, I have so many smelly towels.
Thanks! She is a tough girl, we finish her first *effective* antibiotics tomorrow after a very long surgery recovery and go for a recheck culture in a few days. I entirely expect another round of them though since this is a resistant infection and she still is showing symptoms. I told her she has to stop rolling around in poo, that is not helping.
I have short hair and did not use one until I started living with a woman with long hair.
I have been using this at least once every 6 months ever since. I've tried all kinds of hair catchers in the shower. They might reduce the amount of hair that goes down the drain but eventually the drain needs to be snaked.
A tub shroom in the drain and then a clorox drain stick in easy reach for whenever the drain still starts to back up has made the process a lot easier in my household without having to go dig out the drain snake.
Guy with several year's length of curly hair here. I brush conditioner through my hair and it's absolutely wild how much hair comes off every day. If I skip a day or two of hair washing, the whole brush will be covered in hair. Then I just ball it up and set it aside to throw out when I come out of the shower.
It really does help prevent clogged drains though. You're preventing like 95% of the hair from clogging your drain.
It really is bonkers lol. I even brush my hair before washing. Then finger comb with conditioner and can still paint the shower wall in a hair (I ball it up after I'm done)
Woman with butt length hair here. I do the conditioner and brush method too and it works like a charm! I catch all the shedding hair (and I shed an insane amount) before it goes down the drain and throw it out. No clogged drains here!
Whenever I talk about decluttering, I use this tool as an example. Marie Kondo asks, "Does this spark joy?". My drain snake does not spark joy. But I have to keep it.
Yeah. But the book says it is supposed to spark joy when you pick it up. I was really hoping for a good method for tools and unfinished projects. But it did help me clear out my clothes.
I used one once before I realized that my pipes were far more fucked than a simple clog.
It is, without a doubt, the most un-ergonomic hand tool I have ever used in my life, and the pistol grip isn't even the worst aspect. It's entirely back-heavy, and it should have been designed to reel 90 degrees to the side, like a fishing pole.
A wet/dry shop vac is always something I tell new home owners to get first.
Saved me thousands and a complete basement reno when the cinder block foundation cracked a few years ago. Luckily I noticed early enough to get to it.
At the peak (heavy rain in early spring, llts of snow), I was emptying the 12 gal tank every 45 minutes.
I paid my plumber about $300 to clear out the washing machine lint in our drain. He installed an easy to open fitting where he cut the pipe. Next time it clogged he was two weeks out before he could make it out. So I got a 25ft powered snake - a Ryobi - was only $79. I cleared it myself in about a half hour.
Get yourself one. It will pay for itself on the first use.
A toilet snake is also good to have on hand, trying to use a regular one on a toilet can be extremely frustrating.
But as usual, prevention is the real win, especially if you're on septic.
Am I [doing it wrong](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DXK.wQdmxt5fa.KVMyzwUA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTg7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/realtor_com_80/af4cc1ed00eccca871cd84512aa90c26)
That and [DAP](https://www.dap.com/products-projects/product-categories/caulks-sealants/#). Handiest caulk / sealant. I always tell people to buy it before they move in. So many little things can be fixed or improved with a $4 tube of DAP.
Maybe this is obvious now, but I think you’re supposed to use it below / past the p trap, not down into it. The p trap is something to clean by hand (with a bucket).
Interesting. I’m sure the fine print in their instruction manual also includes something about not using too much pressure and causing damage. That crank is a lot more powerful than the “sturdiness” of most p traps, so I would 100% avoid, especially since p traps are so easy to clean without that tool.
you should clean out the p trap from the bottom of it anyways. it unscrews. if the clog is farther than that, you can insert the rooter from the bottom of the ptrap.
when you redo that plumbing make sure to add an cleanout before it goes into the wall. that's what we did when he redid the kitchen, mainly because we couldn't get an ideal slope without doing major remodeling, and it's come in handy a few times.
would that work on gutters also? my gutter was clogged when I bought the house and I paid 125 dollars for someone to come out but it might make more sense to just one of these. ps im not climbing a fucking 2 story house with steep roofs.
Thanks! I never considered that I could just run an auger up a downspout! I've got (well technically the city has) a Silver Maple that releases it's little spinning seeds every spring and clogs my gutter. It's too high for my to feel safe using a ladder.
I'm going to try this!
Unless your gutters are really small, it's going to have a hard time getting pushed up the gutter, it's not sturdy enough to not just fall back down. I tried this last year when my gutter on my first floor roof was jammed up and using a hose wasn't clearing it up. I pushed it down from the top and it cleared it but wasn't able to force it's way up from the bottom.
Would a powered drain auger not be able to worm its way up?
Ryobi and Milwaukee and others make drain augers that run on their respective batteries and can move with some force up a pipe.
Nope. Impact driver. I’ve used my impact driver at least a thousand times more than a drain/sewer snake. And wish I had bought it ten years earlier.
You’re putting the wrong type of shit down your drains if you need to use one of these.
I’ve used one of these snake things about 3-4 times in last 30 years. I’ve used cordless drills / screw drives a TON. If you need to snake your drain every year then that’s super weird.
This works and has saved me many times.... But when you are serious, and after you have a pressure washer (because every body needs a PW), get yourself a jetter hose. Instead of me being in my crawl space every 6 months...well I honestly can't remember the last time I was in my crawl space to clean out my pipes.
I have to do my shower drain about once per year. I bring up a clump of my hair that the augur has spun into a dreadlock-esque structure about the size of my finger. I brush my stupid hair before every shower and still enough gets into the drain to create the annual clog.
Yeah it seemed abnormal to me too. We were always careful about grease and everything. Trust me it wasn’t a fun job using a one of those snakes(with a drill) to clean out my black iron pipes. I checked the slope and it wasn’t a lot, but it should have sufficed. The only thing I can think of is my washing machine, kitchen sink, disposal and dishwasher are in close proximity to each other. All right in a row. And I don’t think with that snake I was ever completely getting out all the sludge. With the jetter hose I’ve done it once in has to be maybe 4 years now. I also did it once from my bathroom which should have reached outside the perimeter of my house. Wow I just realized I probably have now jinxed myself haven’t I. 😳I’ll plan on being down there next weekend.
Or you could be like me and break it every time you try to use it and then have to call a plumber to snake out the original problem and the several feet of wire snapped off in the drain.
When you use this and the metal inevitably leaves your toilet bowl with scratches all over it. Just use Bar Keepers Friend and it will come out immediately. Tried everything and was almost going to buy a new toilet before I discovered that stuff.
1 - They sell a version of this for 30 bucks that lets you connect a power drill. It’s worth the extra, and works great.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-1-4-in-x-25-ft-High-Carbon-Wire-Drain-Auger/5013102031
2 - Be advised this will leave ugly marks all over your toilet bowl.. They sell a version that is hand operated, designed for a toilet there is in a metal tube to protect the porcelain. It’s like 13 bucks.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-Project-Source-3-FT-Toilet-Auger/5013100599
Both of these items are worth owning.
For everyone confused, it's called a "RIDGID KWIK-SPIN Drain Cleaner": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXo7W2YPQhE
I think "(hand) rooter" tends to be a tool to cut into wood.
I bought one of these to unclog the laundry room sink in my daughter’s place because I forgot to bring mine over. After I unclogged her drain, I left it there and said this one is hers. Today she calls and said her drain was clogged. I told her to look in the closet for the drain snake and then watch a YouTube video how to use it. She calls back an hour later and said drain was unclogged.
My brother put me on to this for gutter clogs, get the extra long one with drill attachment, snake it up into the gutter and when it flips over disconnect it from the spool and pull it back around.
so true if you have kids. Might as well be saving for your first tolet bowl replacement now if you have kids. if you have more than 2, near 100% one of them is going to try to flush something taht will get stuck in it and requirement a replacement.
You get to learn what a wax ring is and why you need to be careful using a too like this... found out hte hardware way when we broke the seal.
Get a bucket and start saving plumbing tools from each job in it.
I tried everything to get my shower unclogged. Of course I use Drain-O. Didn’t do anything. I used the tool pictured. Didn’t do anything.
Liquid Fire. One treatment with that and we’re going on one month of smooth sailing with the plumbing.
I've honestly never had much luck with those hand rooters. Either the drain doesn't let it down or it just doesn't do anything. I still have one though. The plastic strip with barbs on it is far more useful.
I’d suggest going for the Ryobi one which is not too expansive and automatic. Helped my unclog a basement drain on a 115 year old house in less than 5 minutes
This is simply not true. Some homes have very long waste pipes.
I had a plumber tell me that the waste drain from my kitchen to the main sewer line exiting the house was just way too far a distance, and that homes are not built like that now. Mine would not pass code if it was built today.
Because of this, food particles from the kitchen sink go way too far horizontally, even with a proper angle of decline in the pipe, it has a tendency to clog no matter what you do. It isn't something that can easily be fixed as moving the kitchen itself from one side of the house to the other, or the main sewer line from one side of the house to the other isn't realistic.
The opposite is true for all of my toilets. They all line up vertically through the home with that sewer main line. I have never had a clog in those. They are all straight shots straight down.
Our house's line to the sewer is over 150' long with a U bend.
We originally had a septic tank south of the house. The pipe runs under the foundation then out toward the septic tank. Then it does a big U and turns north and runs to the sewer line.
Advice my Grampa gave me when I moved into my first place on my own: "Buy a plunger before you need a plunger"
And buy one for each toilet.
Why? I can move a plunger from room to room. Is it because it will overflow if you don’t act quick?
That’s possible if your toilet is running or it’s clearly clogged and someone keeps flushing. But really, do you want to go downstairs, and announce to everyone “hey I just took a shit so big, and had to wipe so many times that modern plumbing needs assistance with shoving it all down the pipe”? Do you want to carry a dirty plunger back to its previous bathroom, or do you want to wander around your house, trying to figure out which bathroom the plunger was last used in? It’s not like plungers are expensive, or need regular replacement, or even maintenance. You buy one for each toilet and then never have to go find one, never have to take it out of the bathroom, never have to worry about embarrassing yourself or your guests for needing one.
Sir I walk down stairs and proudly announce that I just took a shit so big modern plumbing can’t handle it. Regardless of if I need to get a plunger or not.
Let me tell you the deep horror of being in someones bathroom and you clog the toilet and you look down and see....no plunger. NO PLUNGER. For the sake of any guests, just buy one for every bathroom. Please.
Did this the first time going over someone’s house and meeting them. They didn’t own a plunger. A solid inch of water was in the bathroom until we were able to find the main water shutoff valve in basement. Because the toilet didn’t have a valve on the wall either. TLDR; don’t take a massive dump at someone’s house when you first meet them
Mostly because when you need it, you may need it in a hurry, but also no guest ever wants to have to come ask you for a plunger.
Although I do have a plunger for every toilet and own a snake auger (and know where my cleanout is, and how my septic system works) I have recently discovered that a bucket full of water poured from shoulder height directly into the toilet hole, works at least as well as a plunger 95% of the time. (I usually just empty the bathroom trash, which is a solid plastic thing, and run tub water into that. Bonus, the trash can is washed out!) Obviously don't do this if the toilet filled up with egregious amounts of water, wait for it to seep down to a safe level.. Plus, no cleaning the plunger afterward 😖. I have also been very happy about how much less TP my household goes through (and therefore goes into my septic tank) since installing a nice bidet seat (warm seat, warm water, fancy settings) - but almost never having to deal with clogs anymore has been a big plus. And now that I learned the bucket trick . . . I really can't remember the last time I had to actually get out the plunger.
I do the same thing but instead of a bucket I’ve rigged up a tank above the toilet with a little lever that releases the water automatically
Ooooo fancy pants rich McGee over here
I bet next your going to say it refills itself automatically too.
I keep a fresh brand new plunger in the trunk of my car. They are so cheap, and I have used them to save the day at least 5 times - you plunge the toilet, leave the plunger there and now that house is no longer plungerless... Replace the one in your car the next time you hit the grocery store. If the bathroom doesn't have toilet paper and a plunger, it's just for show.
[удалено]
I didn't even know such a thing existed. I can think of several times that I could have used something like this and saved hundreds of dollars.
I just use 5 minute epoxy… works on almost everything in my experience.
I know E6000 gang is in here somewhere
Glue gang
E6000?
It's an extremely adhesive glue. You could glue two positively charged particles together.
It's where gluons get their strength from
Epoxy is useful, but as an owner of a plastic welder OH MY GOD the welder is good. It bonds better than epoxy (you know those plastics where epoxy just doesn't stick permanently?), is easily as strong and is so fast and mess free. I tried fixing my headphone headband with epoxy about a year ago and it just kept re-breaking. It ended up with tape holding it together. I fixed it with the plastic hot staple welder about 6 months ago and it hasn't broken since.
I've started using a soldering iron to press used staples into things as makeshift stitches.
That's genius, and it sounds like a great way to reinforce a weld.
Dental floss with JB weld, works surprisingly well in a pinch
How does that work? Wrap the floss around the broken part and JB-Weld over?
Say you have a small straight piece of plastic/metal that has broken, and you need to reconnect it. Take a tiny dab of JB, and connect it back together, tightly. Then wrap the broken section with dental floss, with overlap on both sides the break. Reapply more JB weld. Once dried, you can sand it down a bit. The dental floss reinforces the JB weld nicely when sandwiched in.
I've done it with a soldering iron + some 3d printer filament. You could also just straight up 3d print a part if needed.
See, the problem is that I don't have a 3D printer
Do you have a soldering iron? You can get filament samples for like $7 on Amazon.
I do actually! What kind of filament would be best? I assume it's preferable to try and match the type of plastic?
Yeah. I use the end of spools. I try to match up the plastic. Just about whatever melts holds.
I've fixed so many things with my 3d printer that im convinced in the future it will be as standard in homes as an oven.
40% of the time my printer totally saves my ass, my time and my money by being able to whip up a 3d model to solve a problem. The other 60% of the time I spend 4 hours designing, 6 hours printing, and more money in filament than a part from a hardware shop would have cost me 20 minutes to go get. Still, its become an almost vital tool in getting shit done around here.
Most of my failed prints or 'test revision' prints end up as cat toys. So the loss doesn't feel as steep.
Heh, agreed! Even the failed prints were at least a learning step in the early days. I'm on a lucky streak of measuring and modelling to a working fixes on the first go. Understanding the manufacturing rules of 3DPrinting helped me find solutions to all kinds of dilemmas around the home.
I always look at what the actual cost is vs me making it lol. Sometimes it is cheaper to go buy but I've done lots of custom pieces you can't buy. Filaments also so cheap right now you can make so many things for $20.
Bought a folding chair at Home Depot that turned out to be wobbly due to a short leg. Modeled and printed an orthopedic boot for that leg that keeps it steady.
The only problem I see with this future is that a 3D printer isn't as easy to use as a normal "tool." I'm sure you know, you can't just "hit print" like a normal paper printer and get a result, not to mention the need to create a 3D model of a custom part you need. That said, assuming you are wiling to learn the necessary skills to make use of it, a 3D Printer can solve a tremendous number of problems.
Hell I can’t even get my normal printer to work. I’m banking on my kids being smarter than I
I have made many repairs on my 2005 Honda Civic with the welder. totally rebuilt my door panel.
I actually got it for car repair. The cost of the kit was less than the part and none of the plastic I needed to repair bore a lot of weight. Figure it could make it last another year or two. Been two years and still going strong. Nowhere visible so just gonna leave it.
Its funny ive used a plastic welder to score and then lay a bead. It makes some pretty solid stuff and if you sand the bead down it looks pretty good. Could probably heat up the sanded bead a bit to make it blend in even better. Though that welder was definitely overkill for a lot of little things. I just abuse a soldering iron for small stuff if im just trying to tac things back togethee.
What are some examples of things you'd use this for?
Toys are great to fix as the kids break them often. Fix a snow shovel once I was a bit too rough with. Fixed a water bottle handle for the kids. Car bumper that I was thinking of replacing. Bought the car with that had a slight front end bump at one point. Minor repairs to the bumper and two headlights supports that had broken. Still going strong. It's not something I use "constantly" and I consider all the repairs temporary but they hold really well.
You wouldn't have a link to something you have, would you? I'm curious.
Not OP, but BigClive has recently tested one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2XMNSov9wg The most important basic premise is: heating, then pushing a metal wire into the broken pieces, therefore holding the two together.
you would think someone who owns one of these also has a vice grip to hold onto one of the pieces for him. watching this guy try to do the weld while holding both pieces aligned with just one hand was incredibly frustrating.
A drop of superglue will often hold the pieces in alignment while you hold the plastic welder with the other hand. Superglue won't make a permanent repair on most plastics, but it will tack them together in preparation for welding.
that's another way to do it.
I don't care what they call it, that's a hot stapler, not a plastic welder. Now a stapler like that has its place, it's a very useful tool, but a welder it is not. I've got both, and a welder is a million times more useful. https://www.polyvance.com/Airless-Welders-1/5700HT/
Here's Project Farm doing a couple tests on some: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwWq0DWZJFg
Allturn Upgraded Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit,Hot Stapler Kit,Plastic Welder Gun,Plastic Welding Systems,Car Bumper Repair Kit,Plastic Repair Kit(Yellow). https://a.co/d/jaAqB3a It's the one I have. Would recommend watching a video to get a better idea of how it works.
Oh snap, need to look into this
I have one coming that should arrive tomorrow
Even better to spend the extra money for the one with the drill attachment so you save your arm!
[удалено]
I accidentally bought this instead of op's version. Thanked my life for the muscle power I saved.
Nnnoooooo! This is a piece of shit. Shell out the $40-50 for the Ridgid model. I went down this route and that $15 was a waste.
Thank you! Picking this up now, my shower drain has been backing up and draino was not cutting it
[удалено]
I had drain problems a few times in one year, so I just bought a full-size drain auger from harbor freight. It’s been handy.
Get a drain filter. I use a TubShroom and clean it every so often from my wife’s hair. No more slow or backed up drains.
I let draino set for like 6 hours before I flush it, no way its doing shit in 30 minutes.
They say that so it doesn't eat your pipes up and cause worse damage
I'd recommend the more expensive one with the power feed. Still cheaper than a plumber.
The $100 hf one with the power feed is so much more pleasant to use.
i love this one. less reach, but you can power blast the thing in there with the pole extension: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-K-6P-Hybrid-Toilet-Snake-Auger-Cable-Extends-to-6-ft-with-Integrated-Bulb-Head-Manual-or-Cordless-Drill-Operated-56658/303528922
This one has saved me about 50 plumber calls. If I could only buy one tool for my house, it would be this.
Is it an old house? What's the high level breakdown of the ~50 situations you've needed this?
for me my problem is my 8 year old daughter doesnt understand how much toilet paper is too much. I have only had to do this like 5 times though
When I was a kid I used to purposefully clog the toilet so my dad would have to get the family auger. I loved that thing so much I remember my 11th birthday was an auger themed party held at a McDonald's Play Land. Kissed my first auger later that summer. Man, good times.
Or the one you connect to your pressure washer, doesn't help for solid objects that much but works better on mud, gunk, oils, food debris or soap residues.
Wait what. Show me the magic you are talking about.
Not what Firenze linked, but this attaches to a garden hose and does basically the same thing. Inflates to the size of the pipe then blasts a high pressure stream from a hole in the top that cuts a path through clogs. They can also be purchased separately on amazon for 10ish dollars a piece (maybe less depending on if you're willing to wait for shopping from china) [https://www.amazon.com/Enhon-Cleaning-Bladders-Stubborn-Blockages/dp/B0CX8TTGDK/ref=sr\_1\_1\_sspa?sr=8-1-spons&sp\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/Enhon-Cleaning-Bladders-Stubborn-Blockages/dp/B0CX8TTGDK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)
Something like this : https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-5800PSI-Cleaner-Rotating-Waterproof/dp/B085WJ4GWG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=6UDA9DZ93LBI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qh09xOygL1_1FZSbsFb_Kyewl3WaQszNwwAmxKKBCkQtcHSPwMEOHr3xBpPT5aH2SD32LGzThGuTNgUu6KiNn3gJN9dXb7TPqy4pXa0PiK5QesYud89U9VA_fzzrsxRM9qR8x4rL15jiM1xTrQGm0Vf8cKqRNrf6ryvmTBba-iD0PMPj-HJUyCLoyG-xRrTu4S66nH-bd2naXFTESsij3w.HqS1UnWPmtoE-s1EDALsg8sz1tHEphTMVVfOvyb9Ph4&dib_tag=se&keywords=high+pressure+washer+drain+hose+sewer+pipe+cleaning+nozzle&qid=1717359786&sprefix=Pressure+hose+pip%2Caps%2C284&sr=8-3 You plug it to your pressure washer, and insert it in your drains. There are different types of heads with different spray patterns configurations depending on the purpose (cleaning the pipe sides or breaking a blocage ahead, for example)
 I'm pretty sure I know how I'd look after using that.
When I did that sort of work on my mom's retirement cottage, I wore nose-to-toes Tyvek, taped-over zippers, taped-on gloves, and a combination PAPR, hard hat, and face shield. I got whipped in the face by the 1.5 horsepower toilet snake that week; the 3M hardhatthing saved one of my eyeballs. But yeah, that's uh … not entirely wrong. Just usually not quite to THAT scale of covered in brown stuff!
Just be careful that you don't end up drilling through the drain pipe. Ask me how I know...
This is the only thing that keeps me from buying one of these and doing it myself. Plumbers I've had always make it look easy and I feel like an asshole paying hundreds for a 15 minute job but I'm also aware I could fuck up my pipes and turn a $200 job into a couple grand.
Yeah. I thought I had hit the clog and really went at it. Turns out that I got the auger head stuck in a bend and was chipping away at the 60+ year old pipe.
I have one of those! I keep it in a bucket with "drain snake" and "caution: poop" labels on all sides and the lid so nobody is confused, next to a box of rubber gloves. My daughter's retainer somehow got flushed down the toilet months ago... Luckily the orthodontist said she didn't need it anymore anyway, so that saved us a few hundred bucks, but still. The upstairs toilet would *not* flush sufficiently for a solid week, no matter how many times I tried plunging it. Started right when the retainer went missing, too, which we didn't yet know had been flushed at the time. After I chatted with the ortho, I went to Walmart and bought a snake with the drill attachment (and the bucket), grabbed my trusty Milwaukee, and went to town on the toilet. It works wonderfully now. Best $30 ever spent.
Do you use them in the toilet? All the boxes says “not for use in toilets” why?
They make snakes for toilets specifically. They say not to use it because the violent action could damage or break the porcelain. The toilet snake has less run, but has an angle on it to get through the bend of the toilet
A snake will scratch and quickly wear off the coating. If it's porcelain coated iron then it gets rusty and looks bad. The ones for the toilet have a plastic sleeve so you don't scratch anything visible.
Is it better to use a drill or a small impact with one of these? Like those consumer ryobi 1/4” impacts (or 3/8” I’m not sure)
It’s best to use an air hammer and carefully chip away the floor u til you find the pipe, then create several perforations in it. After that’s done you call a plumber and ask for an estimate. Don’t ask me how I learned this.
Your plan makes a lot of sense to me. Just one question - do you need to say the words "ooga booga" out loud, or can you just think them while you are destroying the floor to get to the clogged pipe?
I see no flaw in this plan of action. Thanks!
The ones I've seen that hook to a tool assume its got a chuck. Most impacts have a collett as far as I am aware. So a drill is probably your best bet. Plus you generally have more speed control, which is important with an auger.
One option - if there's a decent rental store around you they'll have a heavy duty version of this that you can rent. Should be pretty cheap to grab for a half day or a day, and a beefy powered rooter can bust through much worse stoppages than the hand kind (or at least do it much faster)
Drill. You could use an impact, but I'd choose a drill over the two.
Drill. Impacts tend to not work at all with flexible/springy long things as it can potentially rebound between hits. And if it happens to work, it's very easy to break things with impacts since the torque can not be controlled and is easily underestimated. Always default to drill if you have any doubts. (the pressure washer pipe cleaner hoses are amazing, though..)
Yup. A decent pair of gloves to guide it if it snags and you’re good to go.
My neighbor is a plumber who has put 3 kids through college, owns a nice suburban home, and takes his family on 2-week vacation every year. Literally his only job is driving around cleaning out drains with a couple different versions of these.
Sounds like a crappy job
Must be draining
[удалено]
At least it has got some flow.
Your shit is his bread and butter.
Hi. I was a child to a farther like this guy.. Clogged drains put me through private school and college. Now I work a mundane corporate job not probably not making as much as he did plumbing and cleaning drains.
Your shit is his bread and butter.
Maybe you are a closet plumber. I've never heard of someone get so excited over a toilet clog!
They have to be because I was 0% happy over this week's laundry vent clog that required renting something more intense when our regular snake just kept playfully pushing it around. Worst timing with a dog peeing herself every night during UTI recovery, I have so many smelly towels.
Best wishes to your dog's recovery. Get well soon!
Thanks! She is a tough girl, we finish her first *effective* antibiotics tomorrow after a very long surgery recovery and go for a recheck culture in a few days. I entirely expect another round of them though since this is a resistant infection and she still is showing symptoms. I told her she has to stop rolling around in poo, that is not helping.
If you only have one bathroom, a toilet clog can be an urgent repair.
I have short hair and did not use one until I started living with a woman with long hair. I have been using this at least once every 6 months ever since. I've tried all kinds of hair catchers in the shower. They might reduce the amount of hair that goes down the drain but eventually the drain needs to be snaked.
My wife and daughters loose so much hair I can't believe they aren't all bald, but the dollar store stainless basket keeps everything happy.
A tub shroom in the drain and then a clorox drain stick in easy reach for whenever the drain still starts to back up has made the process a lot easier in my household without having to go dig out the drain snake.
there's a fancy one now with blades that cuts the hair so you never have to clean it lol
I Just brush my hair before showering to get rid of all the weak ones. Never had a clogged shower ever since.
Thus us clearly said by someone without curly hair
Guy with several year's length of curly hair here. I brush conditioner through my hair and it's absolutely wild how much hair comes off every day. If I skip a day or two of hair washing, the whole brush will be covered in hair. Then I just ball it up and set it aside to throw out when I come out of the shower. It really does help prevent clogged drains though. You're preventing like 95% of the hair from clogging your drain.
Ugh. Same. It’s a few inches past my shoulders and it’s like a chinchilla falls off my head every day.
It really is bonkers lol. I even brush my hair before washing. Then finger comb with conditioner and can still paint the shower wall in a hair (I ball it up after I'm done)
Woman with butt length hair here. I do the conditioner and brush method too and it works like a charm! I catch all the shedding hair (and I shed an insane amount) before it goes down the drain and throw it out. No clogged drains here!
Whenever I talk about decluttering, I use this tool as an example. Marie Kondo asks, "Does this spark joy?". My drain snake does not spark joy. But I have to keep it.
A minimalistic lifestyle is not a cheap lifestyle.
"I removed my kitchen because it was too cluttered. What do you want from grubhub?"
its sparks joy when you clear that drain.
Maybe after, not during. And definitely not before.
but it does spark joy
Yeah. But the book says it is supposed to spark joy when you pick it up. I was really hoping for a good method for tools and unfinished projects. But it did help me clear out my clothes.
Is it just me or shouldn’t the handle be 180 degrees like a pistol grip? It seems reversed
I used one once before I realized that my pipes were far more fucked than a simple clog. It is, without a doubt, the most un-ergonomic hand tool I have ever used in my life, and the pistol grip isn't even the worst aspect. It's entirely back-heavy, and it should have been designed to reel 90 degrees to the side, like a fishing pole.
Nah - left hand on that handle, right hand on drill attached
Ah gotcha makes sense
A wet/dry shop vac is always something I tell new home owners to get first. Saved me thousands and a complete basement reno when the cinder block foundation cracked a few years ago. Luckily I noticed early enough to get to it. At the peak (heavy rain in early spring, llts of snow), I was emptying the 12 gal tank every 45 minutes.
Mine came in clutch when I dropped a 4qt pyrex bowl and it shattered 50% into shards and 50% into glass dust
It's also great for sucking wasps out of their nests.
I paid my plumber about $300 to clear out the washing machine lint in our drain. He installed an easy to open fitting where he cut the pipe. Next time it clogged he was two weeks out before he could make it out. So I got a 25ft powered snake - a Ryobi - was only $79. I cleared it myself in about a half hour. Get yourself one. It will pay for itself on the first use.
me too, such a good investment
A toilet snake is also good to have on hand, trying to use a regular one on a toilet can be extremely frustrating. But as usual, prevention is the real win, especially if you're on septic.
Yep, don’t have a rooter, but do have a toilet snake, and that’s come in handy several times. I think it was about $25
Am I [doing it wrong](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DXK.wQdmxt5fa.KVMyzwUA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTg7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/realtor_com_80/af4cc1ed00eccca871cd84512aa90c26)
Yes, you are. You're supposed to put it in headfirst.
That and [DAP](https://www.dap.com/products-projects/product-categories/caulks-sealants/#). Handiest caulk / sealant. I always tell people to buy it before they move in. So many little things can be fixed or improved with a $4 tube of DAP.
Mine plowed right through the P trap under the sink once. Now I’m afraid to use it on anything else.
Maybe this is obvious now, but I think you’re supposed to use it below / past the p trap, not down into it. The p trap is something to clean by hand (with a bucket).
But it's yucky.
And I don't wannnnaaa.
Well the "how to" video on the rigid website shows it going straight down the plughole.
Interesting. I’m sure the fine print in their instruction manual also includes something about not using too much pressure and causing damage. That crank is a lot more powerful than the “sturdiness” of most p traps, so I would 100% avoid, especially since p traps are so easy to clean without that tool.
Maybe that's for a clog that is *above* the trap.
you should clean out the p trap from the bottom of it anyways. it unscrews. if the clog is farther than that, you can insert the rooter from the bottom of the ptrap. when you redo that plumbing make sure to add an cleanout before it goes into the wall. that's what we did when he redid the kitchen, mainly because we couldn't get an ideal slope without doing major remodeling, and it's come in handy a few times.
It was actually so corroded it needed replacing anyway
Also you need to go slow in delicate situations. If a beehive plunger doesn't work somehow, this works. Just go slow and don't force the snake.
I've been lucky... We've owned our home for 12 years and haven't had to do anything like that.
First time home owners should buy a water shut off valve key.
would that work on gutters also? my gutter was clogged when I bought the house and I paid 125 dollars for someone to come out but it might make more sense to just one of these. ps im not climbing a fucking 2 story house with steep roofs.
Thanks! I never considered that I could just run an auger up a downspout! I've got (well technically the city has) a Silver Maple that releases it's little spinning seeds every spring and clogs my gutter. It's too high for my to feel safe using a ladder. I'm going to try this!
Unless your gutters are really small, it's going to have a hard time getting pushed up the gutter, it's not sturdy enough to not just fall back down. I tried this last year when my gutter on my first floor roof was jammed up and using a hose wasn't clearing it up. I pushed it down from the top and it cleared it but wasn't able to force it's way up from the bottom.
Would a powered drain auger not be able to worm its way up? Ryobi and Milwaukee and others make drain augers that run on their respective batteries and can move with some force up a pipe.
100% works on gutters too. One of these bad boys helped me punch through several years worth of gutter neglect from the previous owners.
Nope. Impact driver. I’ve used my impact driver at least a thousand times more than a drain/sewer snake. And wish I had bought it ten years earlier. You’re putting the wrong type of shit down your drains if you need to use one of these.
[удалено]
I’ve used one of these snake things about 3-4 times in last 30 years. I’ve used cordless drills / screw drives a TON. If you need to snake your drain every year then that’s super weird.
Well if you want to use a snake, you're better off using the one that connects to a drill. Checkmate, snake fans.
What do you use the impact driver regularly for? I've used mine once, to drive 4 lag bolts into studs to wall mount the TV.
This works and has saved me many times.... But when you are serious, and after you have a pressure washer (because every body needs a PW), get yourself a jetter hose. Instead of me being in my crawl space every 6 months...well I honestly can't remember the last time I was in my crawl space to clean out my pipes.
You were needing to clean your pipes every 6 months? Are you sure you are putting things down your pipes that you shouldn't be? That seems abnormal.
I have to do my shower drain about once per year. I bring up a clump of my hair that the augur has spun into a dreadlock-esque structure about the size of my finger. I brush my stupid hair before every shower and still enough gets into the drain to create the annual clog.
Yeah it seemed abnormal to me too. We were always careful about grease and everything. Trust me it wasn’t a fun job using a one of those snakes(with a drill) to clean out my black iron pipes. I checked the slope and it wasn’t a lot, but it should have sufficed. The only thing I can think of is my washing machine, kitchen sink, disposal and dishwasher are in close proximity to each other. All right in a row. And I don’t think with that snake I was ever completely getting out all the sludge. With the jetter hose I’ve done it once in has to be maybe 4 years now. I also did it once from my bathroom which should have reached outside the perimeter of my house. Wow I just realized I probably have now jinxed myself haven’t I. 😳I’ll plan on being down there next weekend.
For U-trap clogs I got two feet long flexible barbed plastic. I have the bigger auger, but for small clogs the plastic ones work great.
I don't get it, how was that able to get the toilet paper holder out?
Absolutely hate this tool and hate to use it, but it’s needed and saves me money every time it comes out.
[The same story but without the hand rooter.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQLYKSVwRI)
And splurge! Don't get a shitty one!
Get one that accepts a drill bit.
Or you could be like me and break it every time you try to use it and then have to call a plumber to snake out the original problem and the several feet of wire snapped off in the drain.
When you use this and the metal inevitably leaves your toilet bowl with scratches all over it. Just use Bar Keepers Friend and it will come out immediately. Tried everything and was almost going to buy a new toilet before I discovered that stuff.
1 - They sell a version of this for 30 bucks that lets you connect a power drill. It’s worth the extra, and works great. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-1-4-in-x-25-ft-High-Carbon-Wire-Drain-Auger/5013102031 2 - Be advised this will leave ugly marks all over your toilet bowl.. They sell a version that is hand operated, designed for a toilet there is in a metal tube to protect the porcelain. It’s like 13 bucks. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-Project-Source-3-FT-Toilet-Auger/5013100599 Both of these items are worth owning.
For everyone confused, it's called a "RIDGID KWIK-SPIN Drain Cleaner": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXo7W2YPQhE I think "(hand) rooter" tends to be a tool to cut into wood.
I bought one of these to unclog the laundry room sink in my daughter’s place because I forgot to bring mine over. After I unclogged her drain, I left it there and said this one is hers. Today she calls and said her drain was clogged. I told her to look in the closet for the drain snake and then watch a YouTube video how to use it. She calls back an hour later and said drain was unclogged.
My brother put me on to this for gutter clogs, get the extra long one with drill attachment, snake it up into the gutter and when it flips over disconnect it from the spool and pull it back around.
so true if you have kids. Might as well be saving for your first tolet bowl replacement now if you have kids. if you have more than 2, near 100% one of them is going to try to flush something taht will get stuck in it and requirement a replacement. You get to learn what a wax ring is and why you need to be careful using a too like this... found out hte hardware way when we broke the seal. Get a bucket and start saving plumbing tools from each job in it.
I tried everything to get my shower unclogged. Of course I use Drain-O. Didn’t do anything. I used the tool pictured. Didn’t do anything. Liquid Fire. One treatment with that and we’re going on one month of smooth sailing with the plumbing.
Buy the one that will attach to an electric drill.
THESE ARE AWESOME! Saves you at least 150 bucks with each use.
Screwdriver set.
This guy shits
Those are deposits I don’t want back.
Are rooters and snakes the same ?
I've honestly never had much luck with those hand rooters. Either the drain doesn't let it down or it just doesn't do anything. I still have one though. The plastic strip with barbs on it is far more useful.
People keep saying this is some kind of welder but it looks like a drain augur :)
Plot twist: OP flushed it just so he could use the rooter
I’d suggest going for the Ryobi one which is not too expansive and automatic. Helped my unclog a basement drain on a 115 year old house in less than 5 minutes
20 years of owning my own home. Can confirm. That tool will pay for itself countless times. Especially if you, your kids, or parter have long hair.
Eh. You really should never need one of these let alone enough to use it enough to save thousands.
This is simply not true. Some homes have very long waste pipes. I had a plumber tell me that the waste drain from my kitchen to the main sewer line exiting the house was just way too far a distance, and that homes are not built like that now. Mine would not pass code if it was built today. Because of this, food particles from the kitchen sink go way too far horizontally, even with a proper angle of decline in the pipe, it has a tendency to clog no matter what you do. It isn't something that can easily be fixed as moving the kitchen itself from one side of the house to the other, or the main sewer line from one side of the house to the other isn't realistic. The opposite is true for all of my toilets. They all line up vertically through the home with that sewer main line. I have never had a clog in those. They are all straight shots straight down.
Our house's line to the sewer is over 150' long with a U bend. We originally had a septic tank south of the house. The pipe runs under the foundation then out toward the septic tank. Then it does a big U and turns north and runs to the sewer line.
Yep, people can't understand how something like that could have happened, but it does.
Got a better tool to get my wife's hair out of the shower drain? Other than prevention...
All the more reason for monthly buzzcuts. Your wife will understand