set up

Step-by-Step

Be prepared for a mess. Place a drop cloth and a dishpan below the drain opening. Wearing gloves, remove the trap and elbow (see Dismantling Fixture Traps, Related Projects) as well as the pipe leading to the wall. Loosen the setscrew of the auger, and push the auger cable in until you feel it meet resistance.

screw/crank

Give yourself 6 to 8 inches of cable to work with, and tighten the setscrew. Crank the auger handle clockwise, and push in until the auger moves forward. Once it is past an obstruction, like a bend in the pipe, you may be able to push the cable in without cranking.

push/pull

Augers can pass through soft obstructions such as soap clogs. Use a push-and-pull motion to ream out such clogs. If the auger comes to a place where it will not crank easily, pull it out. Often the blockage will come out with it. Sometimes you can use the auger to clear the line by pushing the blockage through to a larger pipe.