Clogged Tub Drains
My bathtub drain is severely clogged…again. I don’t want to waste the landlord’s money by asking him to have a plumber come out and snake it. In the past, I had noticed that by dumping several pots of boiling hot water down the bathroom sink drain, the tub drain was flushed clear and the problem…
My bathtub drain is severely clogged…again. I don’t want to waste the landlord’s money by asking him to have a plumber come out and snake it. In the past, I had noticed that by dumping several pots of boiling hot water down the bathroom sink drain, the tub drain was flushed clear and the problem was solved. This time it’s not working. Liquid Plummr and it’s other counterparts have failed to do the job. I suspect that the pipes in my apartment are quite old (I already replaced a portion of pipe under my kitchen sink that had basically rotted and burst) so I’m wary of using extra strong chemicals. Any suggestions (cheap ones!) that I could try and do on my own without asking my landlord to spend $$$ on a plumber?
I would first try the advice you’ve gotten from the pros: MP’s advice for using a plunger, and if no luck, follow with Eman’s suggestion using the HD snake you posted. I would stay far away from using an air compressor on pipes in an old building (especially as a tenant). I once had a recurring problem like the one you’re describing which turned out to be a broken trip lever. That’s what I’m thinking you’ll eventually find yourself, and probably need a pro to fix/retrieve the pieces if they’ve separated. Here are some links that might be useful: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20186457,00.html
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,20205070,00.html
http://search.thisoldhouse.com/search.html?Ntt=clogged+tub+drain&bu=&x=0&y=0
btw the best bet for unclogging the tub drain is to unscrew the overflow and snake through the overflow rather than the drain…way easier
I have not tried the snaking yet, Vinca. Do you think either of those two air products I posted will work? I just don’t know that I have the arm strength for a an auger. I considered getting one that attaches to power drills, but I loaned out my drill and haven’t gotten it back yet 🙁
If no amount of snaking clears your drain, your problem might be a broken trip lever. If that’s the case, you’ll eventually need to involve both your landlord and a plumber.
All you plumbers…any experience with this doohickey?
http://tinyurl.com/kqrjcj
or this puppy?
http://tinyurl.com/ml45of
you need a 25 foot long hand sake and a lot of patience… when you run up against the blockage you may have to move back and forth,,, this is why plumbers are paid professionals.. they know this stuff
Drat! Didn’t notice that.
Snap – That looks fine but site says it’s not available at Hamilton Av.
Any thoughts on this product?
http://tinyurl.com/lqtwon