Clogged tub drain?

[mtemm]

we are having issues with our upstairs shower so while we are trying to get that worked out we are relagated to a never used downstairs one that is a tub/shower combo. Realized today as I stood ankle deep in water that there must be a clog somewhere. Got my handy dandy zip thing, unscrewed the drain cover and tried to use it...can't get it in much at all. So weird. Tried a few times but obviously there is some configuration that doesn't allow for it. Next I tried boiling water/baking soda/vinegar/boiling water. Still seems clogged. Have always heard not to use liquid plumber/draino. I'm about to regardless. Any other suggestions?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

we are having issues with our upstairs shower so while we are trying to get that worked out we are relagated to a never used downstairs one that is a tub/shower combo. Realized today as I stood ankle deep in water that there must be a clog somewhere. Got my handy dandy zip thing, unscrewed the drain cover and tried to use it...can't get it in much at all. So weird. Tried a few times but obviously there is some configuration that doesn't allow for it. Next I tried boiling water/baking soda/vinegar/boiling water. Still seems clogged. Have always heard not to use liquid plumber/draino. I'm about to regardless. Any other suggestions?

I always use liquid plumber/draino on the bad clogs. Once cleared, I use an enzyme product to keep the build up from happening again.

One time I had to treat a clogged drain (in the sink next to my washer) for 3 days with chemicals before it broke loose.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Several years ago I purchased some drain brushes on QVC. About every 3 months I use them on my bathroom drains. You would not believe all the hair it cleans out.

TC

 

[DaisyJ]

Several years ago I purchased some drain brushes on QVC. About every 3 months I use them on my bathroom drains. You would not believe all the hair it cleans out.

TC

Yep...and it is nastay. If anyone in the house has long hair, the clog is probably a hairball.

 

[Gracie09]

snake it

 

[DLgal]

Is the problem in the upstairs shower also a draining issue? If so, you might have a more serious issue in your plumbing like a tree root or something. I wouldn't use Drano on a tub drain that "hardly gets used" because what would be clogging it?

 

[scrhsa]

snake it

Yep! Snake it! Even if you have to go and rent a heavy duty , super long one, snake it! I live with daughters who have LONG hair. We are constantly fighting clogged tub drains! I hate hair.

 

[mtemm]

No the upstairs shower is draining fine but the fixture needs to be completely replaced which requires new tiling as well and we are trying to find someone who can do it. It's a gorgeous fixture the previous owners put in but apparently isn't fixable so it's become an expensive pain in the rear.

I question as to what on earth is clogging this tub, too, but my only thought is the previous owners used it a lot and the clog is from them? We have been here for 11 years but like I said don't use it so it could have just been like this all along

 

[mtemm]

The thing about snaking it is I can't even seem to get the plastic zip thing I have to go down more than half an inch. I don't know what on earth the pipe configuration is...I'm def not a plumber!

 

[BLAZEY]

Baking soda and vinegar, won't harm the pipes but will dissolve gunk in the pipe.

 

[Gracie09]

The thing about snaking it is I can't even seem to get the plastic zip thing I have to go down more than half an inch. I don't know what on earth the pipe configuration is...I'm def not a plumber!

If its a bad clog, the plastic thingy may not be strong enough. Find someone with a snake.

 

[BunsenH]

Is the stopper mechanism working correctly? That may be blocking your access to the drain.

 

[NotUrsula]

I find that the best product for shower clogs is Scotch Hair and Grease liquid drain cleaner. There is lye in it, so you have to be careful when pouring it and careful to clean the tub after the clog is eliminated, but the stuff works. You pour it in and leave it for at least 6 hours, then flush it with hot water. Shower clogs tend to be a combination of hair and grease (from body oils and from hair conditioner), so they get hardened, particularly in a situation where the shower isn't often used.

 

[mtemm]

I ann thinking the stopper mechanism isn't working quite right. Not quite sure what to do to access the drain better.

 

[Gracie09]

I ann thinking the stopper mechanism isn't working quite right. Not quite sure what to do to access the drain better.

search youtube. Seriously. My DH has used that as a resource so many times. Welding, plumbing, electric. He had a basic knowledge of these, but for specific things he would look at a few youtube videos and figure it out.

 

[bcla]

You need a real plumber's snake, aka a "drain auger". There's a good chance that the clog is deeper than you can reach with the zip remover, and in any case they're nowhere near as effective as a real snake. I bought a 25 ft one at a local hardware store for $12 (and that one cost more than at Home Depot) and it's been well worth it for that time. It is getting a bit rusty because I've never oiled after use it like the instructions recommended, but it still works. Something like this:

They work pretty simply. Loosen the little nut and pull out the snake and keep on doing it until it doesn't go. If it hits something like a clump of hair or perhaps a section where it's blocked, you tighten the screw and then turn clockwise to either dig into the clump or get the corkscrew tip past the obstruction. Then loosen to get it further in if needed. There really is no long-term substitute for physically removing a clog. Chemicals (mostly lye based) might work for mild clogs, but if you use them it makes it dangerous for a few hours to overnight to employe a snake.

If it's really bad it's probably going to take an electric auger (aka a "rooter") with a cutting tip. Once my laundry drain was backed up and I hired a local plumber. He wasn't equipped like Roto-Rooter, but he did have a good sized electric auger that plugged into AC power. The hard part was finding the clean-out hole. There was this weird wing nut that I had no idea about the function, but he looked around and figured that was it. It was an expansion plug, and he went through it with the auger. I might have been able to do it myself, but his equipment was probably more effective. He charged $75.

 

[piccolopat]

Drano or Liquid Plumber won't work if the clog is hair. There are products out there specifically designed for hair clogs. My DD is a plumber apprentice and her tub clogged. She couldn't clear it with a snake (old plumbing with a weird drain) and when Liquid Plumber didn't work she knew it was a hair clog. She used the stuff meant for hair (bought it at Walmart) and it cleared right up.

 

[bcla]

I find that the best product for shower clogs is Scotch Hair and Grease liquid drain cleaner. There is lye in it, so you have to be careful when pouring it and careful to clean the tub after the clog is eliminated, but the stuff works. You pour it in and leave it for at least 6 hours, then flush it with hot water. Shower clogs tend to be a combination of hair and grease (from body oils and from hair conditioner), so they get hardened, particularly in a situation where the shower isn't often used.

I've physically removed clogs, and generally what I found in there was nearly all hair, but with a little bit of skin oils and dead skin. Also soap scum. Mostly it's the hair that gives a place for the stuff to hold onto. It's not necessarily even all that hard, but without some sort of physical action to break it up it kind of blocks the drain as gelatinous mess. I've tried cleaning it up before tossing in the trash (because it smells pretty funky) and it's pretty easy to just wash away everything but the hair by just squeezing it under water flow.

 

[bcla]

Drano or Liquid Plumber won't work if the clog is hair. There are products out there specifically designed for hair clogs. My DD is a plumber apprentice and her tub clogged. She couldn't clear it with a snake (old plumbing with a weird drain) and when Liquid Plumber didn't work she knew it was a hair clog. She used the stuff meant for hair (bought it at Walmart) and it cleared right up.

A common chemical drain cleaner might work to clear hair as a preventative, but most people don't think about it until it's too late.

 

[mtemm]

Thanks all! I have a friend with one of those snakes so will give him a call and see what he can do. Might try the draino in the meantime just to see if it does something.