Draining a clogged bathtub drain is not quite the bathroom emergency that many people think it to be. Usually folks will pick up the phone right off and call plumber. While a plumber certainly likes when you do this, your wallet usually does not. The fact is, most bathtub drains can be easily cleared without the expertise of your plumber. You only need do it yourself information in most situations. Here is how to drain a clogged bathtub drain in easy to understand language:
The first thing you need to understand is that most bathtub drains are not like the ones under your sink. Under the sink, the plumbing pipes looks like a letter “U”. With bathtubs, the shape is more like a “P” so that water will remain and block smelly stuff from stinking up the house. Unfortunately, sometimes that trap will build up with hair, dirt and soap scum instead of water. This is when you are clogged and not getting drainage.
Because of the design of the pipes, you can often clear the clogged bathtub simply by looking in the drain and pulling out what you see. Hair, and other fun stuff tends to clump together, and so it is often easy to simply remove the clog in this manner. A piece of wire from a coat hanger, or long nosed pliers works nicely if you do not wish to touch your old hair.
If you are unable to pull out the clog, or you can not see the clog, then you can get out the old plunger and try that. Remember to cover up the overflow hole or you will simply be moving air from the plunger to the overflow plate. Wet a dishcloth and stuff it into the overflow hole to keep it airtight as possible.
If you still have no luck after plunging, then you can go and purchase a plumber’s snake. This little mechanism is a whole lot cheaper than a plumber, and will be there for future drain problems as well. A snake is a long and winding steel cable that is wound into the drain to weed out the clog. Sometimes it just pushes its way through, and other times the snake will actually wrap the clog and pull it out when you back out of the drain. Either way it is highly effective.
If you follow these steps, then most any bathtub clog will be cleared in no time. While we love our neighborhood plumbers, it just makes no good sense at all to pay them for something so easy. Next time you get a clogged bathtub, try these measures out. You will be surprised at how easy it actually is.
Image Credited To Wikipedia User Stilfehler
A lot of useful information in those links, thanks. I feel that it might even be too much for me to “digest” in just one week.
Comment by Clogged Kitchen Drain — May 19, 2009 @ 10:55 pm