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February 28, 2007
Bathroom drains
Hello Brownstoners,
I am on a quest to reduce the operating costs on my brownstone.
I am ticking through a list one by one, and this reaffirms my belief that I have to do more maintenance myself, rather than make the call to a service. Which brings me to the latest "little" problem with a tenant apartment. The bathroom tub drain is drainnig very slowly. She poured some draino down there with little effect. Before I call my favorite plumber and spend 75-100 bucks for a visit, are there any suggestions you might have to clear the drain. It's a relatively new renovation with new tub, drains, etc.
Also, to save money on an exterminator, I would like to apply some insecticide in my place and tenants. Any recommendations for an effective product / routine.
Thank you as always.
Comments
you could try picking up a small handheld snake from the plumbing dept at home depot or lowes. they're in the $20 range and proove pretty good with hair clogs etc... you're out of luck if the clog is too strong for the snake or beyond its reach.
i've had good luck managing cockroaches using off the shelf pesticides (also bought at the big home centers) and just following the directions on the back. but my vermin problems are very small, i can't imagine this approach working with a real infestation.
If you're hoping to be more of a handyman (ahem, handyperson), finding a few good do it yourself books are definitely helpful. i have my father's from the 70's and they're surprisingly up to date for most common problems (patching walls, basic plumbing and electrical work, tiling etc...).
good luck.
Posted by: benno at February 28, 2007 4:46 PM
it is possible also that whoever did the renovation and relatively new bathroom in the tenants apt also tried to save money and did not properly vent the tub drain. This will cause the water to always go slow no matter how clear it is. When there is no air vent the water will not move quickly. Venting the drain properly involves opening walls and floors unless you can get to that plumbing from the basement, which makes it MUCH easier.
I have a drain like this in a bathroom I have not yet renovated and pour bleach down it about once a month to keep it clear. I let the bleach sit in the drain at least 8 hours before flushing it.
Posted by: tom at February 28, 2007 5:01 PM
If it is a clogging problem, you can use a product called bio-clean, which I've mentioned before on this site recently (and I have no ownership interest in this). It has enzymes that eat away at whatever organic gunk is in the pipes, including hair. To start with, you use it 5 days or nights running and then periodically use another teaspoon full.
Posted by: Anon at February 28, 2007 5:11 PM
We saw a really great episode on Ask This Old House that dealt with this problem. Their solution was to take apart the whole mechanism...the mechanical drain stopper if it's not set at the right place can partially block the drain even when it's open. So you take the whole thing apart and adjust the screw's position by screwing it in or out. Once you take it apart you can tell by the wear on it how far it is blocking the trap. We got a fancy licensed plumber in and they didn't do this at all, just evaluated it by filling up the tub and then releasing the water, and said it looked fine. We intend to do this kind of a fix though when we have some spare time. I honestly don't think the licensed plumber guy knew how to do this or else he would have done that himself. It always pays to watch a lot of TV!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 28, 2007 7:11 PM
God help me. I think I can manage the snake and the goo, but taking apart my whole mechanism - well there are limits to my confidence. Thanks, brownstoners for the info. I will start with the snake.... Muchos gracias!
Posted by: op at February 28, 2007 8:41 PM
One thing that's worked for me is to let it drain all the way, then pour half a cup or so of baking soda down there and then a cup of vinegar. Let it sit for a few hours and then pour a tea kettle full of boiling water down the drain.
Works great on mild clogs.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 28, 2007 11:35 PM
Most likely you will have to pay a plumber to replace the p-trap. Baking soda and other such homespun remedies will not fix the problem. For pests, pay an exterminator, you can find an inexpensive one (less than $100 per visit) and have them come four times a year. Not worth doing it yourself, in my experience the exterminator will know figure out problems you won't be able to. Like any other professional, you're not paying for his time, you're paying for his knowledge.
Posted by: Anonymous at March 1, 2007 4:21 AM
try a plunger on the drain! this almost always does the trick for me. does your tenant have long hair? maybe you can get a finer screen for the drain so hair doesn't get stuck down there.
Posted by: JL at March 1, 2007 7:54 AM
I've tried bio enzymes, baking sodea and vinegar, and idiot plumbers. We had a problem that eventually required a quality plumber and it turned out the idiot tenant was throwing Q-tips down the drain! So I wrote a 'POLITE' note stating that only T-P can be used. No paper towels, tissues, or any other paper products. That if he did so, the plumbing costs would be his own, and he was responsible for his guests too. And we provide all our tenants with small screens for their drains to prevent hairs being problematic. They don't own, so they have no incentive to be careful.
Posted by: AW at March 1, 2007 1:44 PM
AW - That's a trip - QTips! I wondered why the backyard stunk when I first bought the house and found out that the tenant there (thankfully gone) was throwing kitty litter in the rain drain in the back yard. Thanks all for the info. I think I'll start with the snake, then some enzyme stuff. If no luck, I'll revert to the original solution - call my plumber friend.
Posted by: Original poster at March 1, 2007 6:21 PM
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