Why does the drain snake keep coming out the other drain?
Drain snakes follow the path of least resistance and slip up the connected branch instead of turning down the main waste line. This leaves the actual clog untouched and prevents the drain from clearing.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a bigger cable or drop head
- 2Cutting the ceiling below to access the pipe
- 3Snaking from the roof vent
- 4Bending the tip of the snake to create a fake drop head
- 5Locating an exterior cleanout
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“when I go in one drain the snake always comes up on the other drain. It's not making the turn to the shared line.”source ↗
“Good luck and I’m also interested in the resolution because I’m in the same boat!”source ↗
“The drain hose for the dehumidifier does’t fit in the same pipe as the washing machine drain hose. Can they both drain in this pipe? If so what fittings do I need?”source ↗