Toilet Auger vs. Snake: What’s the Best Tool for Clogs?

A lot of amateur plumbers and even some pros tend to think a toilet auger is the same as a snake. But the two tools are technically different, and using the wrong one can damage your toilet.

Roy Barnes operates Service Force Plumbing, a multi-employee plumbing and drain service in Maryland. His team includes Tyler Pittenger, a snake specialist who earned a good share of the company’s nearly 400 five-star reviews on Google. As Barnes says, “Drain cleaning is something of an art, and many plumbers aren’t that good at it.” Pittenger is good at it.

However, even an experienced pro like Barnes doesn’t clearly distinguish an auger from a snake. He settled on “snake” as his go-to term, even when he’s clearly talking about an auger. His point: It doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as it works.

Barnes and Pittenger have some interesting and cautionary tales to tell about clearing drains.

Plumbers seldom use an auger exclusively to clear toilets, because it’s burly enough to clear sewer and waste lines up to three inches in diameter. It’s basically a cable that can be six to 100 feet long, with a spiral head on the front and a crank on the back.

The crank may turned manually, have a connection that attaches to your drill, or come with a motor. Cranking spins the spiral head, which digs into the blockage to break it up.

What Is a Toilet Auger?

A toilet auger is a specific type of drain snake designed for toilets. It features a rotating handle attached to a flexible metal cable that clears clogs. It’s basically a cable that can be six to 100 feet long, with a spiral head on the front and a crank on the back.

Plumbers seldom use an auger exclusively to clear toilets because it’s burly enough to clear sewer and waste lines up to three inches in diameter. Plumbers use long, motorized sewer augers to clear large-diameter pipes. “The pro snakes can be surprisingly powerful,” says Barnes. “They can catch and wind up your pants or your shirt in an instant and nearly flip you over, and I’m a big guy!”

You obviously don’t need anything that powerful to clear a toilet. So toilet augers are much shorter, operated by hand or with a drill.

How it works

The crank in a toilet auger may be turned manually, have a connection that attaches to your drill or come with a motor. Cranking spins the spiral head, which digs into the blockage to break it up.

You use an auger by feeding the head into the toilet opening and cranking and pushing until you encounter resistance. Then you keep cranking. The head either pushes the obstruction out the other end of the toilet trap or hooks onto it so you can pull it out.

• Note: An auger is fatter and less bendable than a snake. If you push an auger in too far, the cable can put enough pressure on the porcelain to crack it. So if you have to feed in deeper than a foot or two, don’t push your luck. Get an actual toilet snake.

When to Use a Toilet Auger

Compared to a toilet snake, an auger is stiffer, with enough flexibility to pass the first bend in a toilet’s waste inlet and reach the second bend at the top of the trap. Its sturdy design makes it one of the best tools for unclogging toilets, especially when blockages sit closer to the waste inlet.

Because it’s so burly, it’s an excellent tool for clearing obstructions near the waste inlet. You might be surprised what you find there. Pittenger once cleared an entire Lego set. Whether it went down all at once or piece-by-piece over time is unknown, he says.

What is a Toilet Snake?

A toilet snake is also a type of auger, with a much thinner and more flexible cable. It’s usually only about six to 10 feet long.

If the cable is flexible enough to reach into a sink or shower drain, it’s a drain snake for tough clogs. You can also use it to clear a toilet.

How it works

Instead of a spiral, the head of a drain snake often comes with blades that spin when you turn the crank. That makes it more effective at trapping hair, paper and other organic obstructions so you can pull them out.

Service techs like Pittenger often attach cameras to the ends of snakes and augers to see what’s going on inside blocked pipes. Pittenger likes to tell the story of the time he reconnoitered a mysteriously blocked drain. As the camera went around a corner, he found himself face-to-face with Thomas the Tank Engine, happily obstructing traffic.

When to Use a Toilet Snake

Toilet augers feature manual cranks or attachments that let you crank with a drill. Because the cable is thin, a toilet snake can reach farther into a toilet trap, making it a better tool for clearing obstructions close to the waste outlet.

A thin cable is more likely to break, especially if homeowners have used harsh drain cleaners. “The chemicals weaken the snake cables so that eventually they are working on a job, and the cable just snaps,” Barnes says.

Key Differences Between Toilet Augers and Snakes

According to Orange Coast Plumbing, a Santa Ana, California-based plumbing company, a toilet auger is made just for toilets. It has a short, rigid shaft and a rubber sleeve to protect the porcelain material that toilets are typically made from. It’s built to push through clogs in the toilet trap without damaging anything. On the other hand, a standard drain snake has a longer, thinner cable meant for sinks, tubs and other drains.

Most homeowners can handle a toilet auger without much trouble. But drain snakes, especially the motorized ones, can take a bit more practice and care to avoid making a mess or a mistake.

FAQs

What is the best tool to unclog a toilet?

A toilet auger is the best tool for most toilet clogs. It’s designed to navigate the tight bends of a toilet bowl without damaging the porcelain, and it’s flexible enough to push through or pull out common blockages such as paper, hygiene products or small toys.

What is the best way to unclog a toilet without professional help?

Start with a plunger. If that doesn’t work, use a toilet auger for obstructions near the waste inlet. If you need to reach deeper, switch to a more flexible toilet snake. This type of DIY clog removal is just one of several plumbing fixes you can handle yourself with a few tools and a little know-how.

Is a toilet auger safer for toilets than a snake?

A common toilet auger vs. snake concern is safety. If pushed in too far, an auger can put pressure on the porcelain and crack it. A snake is more flexible but may not be as effective for certain clogs.

About the Experts

• Roy Barnes co-owns and operates Service Force Plumbing in Rockville, Maryland with his partner Hendrik Vandepoll. His highly rated team of plumbers includes snake specialist Tyler Pittenger.

Sources

• Orange Coast Plumbing: “How to Use a Toilet Auger to Clear Stubborn Blockages”