Get matched with top sewer cleaners in Spooner, WI

If your drain doesn’t have metal crosshairs or crossbars, you should use a tub drain extractor. These tools create a grip on the drain so you can turn it using a 1/2-inch ratchet drive, drain key, or wrench. Your drain may not have crosshairs if it's old and broken.

Thankfully, it’s pretty rare to find a rat in your toilet. It’s more likely in larger cities with big sewer systems that can be feeding grounds for rats, but even then, you still shouldn’t fret. 

“I wouldn’t worry too much about rats coming up through the sewers,” Bradshaw says. “I’d say only one out of a thousand rodent customers we get actually have this problem. And of the 20 or some customers that have had this happen, they’ve all only had just one rat come up this way.”

The best practice is to clean the sewer drain lines in your home once a year or every two years. Older homes could require more frequent maintenance. Keeping up on cleaning your sewer lines can prevent severe clogs, help ensure your system is working properly, and prevent expensive repairs.

Snaking a drain can take as little as a few minutes for small, simple clogs, up to two hours or more for tough clogs located further down the drain line. For tougher clogs, a professional drain cleaner can likely get the job done much more quickly because they have the necessary tools and expertise. However, your drain cleaning pro might not be able to give you a firm time estimate until inspecting the clog and its surrounding plumbing.