Drain Cleaning Snakes

A pipe cleaning drain snake is a flexible shaft used to remove clogs and blockages in pipes that cannot be loosened with a other hand tools or a plunger. Many plumber's snakes are designed with a coiled metal wire flex shaft with a cutting device of some shape at the end. The motor end of the drain cleaner is attached to either an electric or battery powered motor. Even manually powered models can be found in the industry.  

At the end of the flex shaft of the sharp pointed wire digs itself into and tears through the clog like a corkscrew. This in turn allows for retrieval of any debris causing the clog. Finally, the snake breaks up all of the remaining clog, allowing it to pass clearly through the drain pipe. For preventive maintenance, the drain snake is also great at flailing around the inside unblocked pipes to scrape the surface of the pipe. Scraping off accumulated debris in the pipe will help with better drain flow and prevent clogs in the future.