How Do I Fix My Bathtub Drain

Since leaving higher, Paul has worked in a variety of roles, including: painter and decorator, general handyman, and freelance author.

A slow-draining bathtub is annoying and will just get worse if not dealt with. Find out what to do when dirt, hair, and soap blocks the drainage. — A slow-draining bathtub is abrasive and volition merely go worse if not dealt with. Find out what to practice when clay, pilus, and soap blocks the drainage.

Public domain image via Pixabay

In my feel, it's always worth trying to avoid the expense of hiring a plumber if you can help it.

Fixing a slow-draining bathtub yourself oftentimes isn't anywhere near every bit difficult every bit many people think. Most clogged bath drain issues can exist resolved by using some easy, affordable, and straightforward tools and methods.

Once you have fixed the bathtub drain, you should work on preventing or reducing the chances of it happening again—see my suggestions at the lesser of the page.

Six Ways to Set up a Slow-Draining Bathtub

Use baking soda and vinegar (the natural alternative to chemicals).
Use a plunger.
Use a commercial (chemical) clog remover.
Remove the bleed stopper to inspect and gain access.
Utilize a plumbers' snake.
Call a plumber.

I will go into each of the above methods in particular below. Mostly speaking, the list starts with the easier, less-involved, and cheaper methods and progresses to more-involved and expensive methods. Then if in dubiety, offset with #1 and work your mode downwards the list.

In my experience, clearing a chock-full bathtub bleed can ofttimes requires a combination of more than one of these methods.

Before You Brainstorm. . .

Plumbing is messy work. Put on some onetime dress before you start. You lot may want to lay down some old towels effectually the work area to soak up any water that spills. Brackish water is unsanitary, and then a pair of safe gloves will protect your hands from germs.

one. Baking Soda and Vinegar

A more than natural solution than using cleaning chemicals, this method will clear moderate blockages.

How to Unclog a Bathtub Bleed Using Blistering Soda and Vinegar

Pour a one-half cup of baking soda downward the bleed opening.
Follow that with a cup of white vinegar.
Permit the combined ingredients foam for 5 minutes.
Run the hot water for a infinitesimal or so.
Examine the bathtub drainage to determine if it still is deadening.

Annotation: The chief advantages of this method are that information technology is ecologically preferable and won't cause harm to plastic pipes. Information technology is non so constructive on serious blockages, though, and you may even so end up having to resort to chemicals. For other natural remedies, read most v Bootleg Bleed Cleaners for Clogged Drains.

Try using a plunger to dislodge the clog and clear the blockage.

Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons

2. Employ a Plunger

As a method, plunging is e'er worth a effort, equally the time and costs involved are relatively small.

Plunging can be successful, though it depends on the nature of the blockage, the location of the clog, and the design of your drain. The plunger uses suction to piece of work, and then if the clog is deep and fabricated of mainly hair, for instance, this method may not be effective.

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3. Commercial (Chemic) Clog Remover

Widely available at hardware stores and supermarkets, strong chemical cleaners are designed to unblock drains. Follow the instructions on the label or box carefully.

How to Unclog a Shower Bleed Using Chemicals

Read and follow the directions on the packaging, including the correct amount of the product to utilize. The amount you use volition vary.
Use gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes.
Don't combine different chemicals, as this can create poisonous gas.
Pour chemicals down the bleed opening.

Notation: Chemicals should not be treated lightly. They can crusade damage to your drainage pipes, especially if used repeatedly. Nonetheless, using chemicals is typically a fast, straightforward, and affordable method with a fairly high success rate in my experience. You can reduce the demand for chemicals by preventing future blockages from occurring (see the bottom of page)!

Chemic Products Used to Set up Deadening Drainage


Product	Price	Online Rating	Poisonous
Rooto Professional person Drain Opener	$10	4 stars	Aye
Instant Ability Hair & Grease Bleed Opener	$10	4 stars	Yes
Drainbo Drain Cleaner	$x	3.5 stars	Yes
Unique Super Digest-Information technology Rubber Drain Opener	$13	v stars	No, but information technology volition still make you ill if you drinkable it.
Clean Earth Earthworm Family unit Rubber Drain Cleaner	$half dozen	3.5 stars	No, just information technology will still make you ill if you potable it.

four. Remove the Drain Stopper to Audit and Gain Admission

If y'all've tried the to a higher place methods and none of them have worked, it's time to get downwardly and dirty. Y'all demand to unscrew and have off the overflow plate, then remove the stopper.

The stopper works by lifting and dropping a plunger to open up and close the bleed. It is operated by a small lever. If the stopper is not working correctly, it might be stuck in a semi-closed position, restricting water menses. The positioning of the plunger tin can be easily adjusted with the lock nuts that hold the plunger to the threaded rod.

If the stopper works okay, then your trouble is likely to be a clog, and you will need to apply a plumbers' snake. You lot can use the overflow for access.

Note: Hair and lather can often accumulate underneath the drainage strainer, too, so I recommend removing that for inspection and admission. Some strainers can be taken out manually, while others have screws that need to be removed first.

five. Use a Plumbers' Snake

This is another inexpensive method for fixing a dull bathtub drain. The success rate is high if the upshot your dealing with is a clog.

How to Unclog Your Bathtub Drain Using a Plumbers' Snake

You tin gain access to the bleed via the overflow, in one case you've removed the stopper (see above). An culling route is via the bleed opening, after you've removed the strainer. Feed the snake downwardly until the clog is reached.
Turn the handle to bring the snake back up.
Run water to bank check the drain and brand certain that the clog is completely gone.
You lot may need to repeat this process several times.

Annotation: If you need more assistance, read more about how to apply a plumbing serpent. Clogs caused by invasive roots volition crave more than a plumbers' snake to gear up.

vi. Call a Plumber

If you are unwilling to take your bleed apart and don't experience comfy with using chemicals (or they simply don't work), then you volition accept to call a professional plumber. Information technology's apparently the last resort if you are looking to save coin. That said, it is too the to the lowest degree trouble.

What Causes a Tub to Drain Slowly?

Typically the crusade of a slow-draining bathtub is a clog that is restricting h2o catamenia. Clogs are normally made up of knotted hair, dirt, grease, and/or lather. They tin can be difficult to remove considering pilus tin can wrap around parts of the drain.

Clogs happen more frequently in homes where ane or more of the residents has long pilus. Short hair is far less probable to get defenseless in the drain organization.

Causes of Clogs in Bathtub Drains


Cause	How Information technology Happens
Hair	Pilus can combine with soap and dirt and clump together to form clogs. It can also attach to drains and pipes, making it difficult to remove.
Lather	Traditional lather confined are made with grease or fat. The fatty combines with minerals in h2o and leaves a difficult residual that clogs pipes. Lather can also combine with hair and clay.
Clay	Clay can build up and crusade issues. The very nature of bathing means that we are constantly sending dirt downwardly the bleed.
Stopper	If the stopper hasn't been fitted correctly or is out of position, information technology may get stuck in a semi-airtight position, and the plunger may restrict drainage.
Tree roots	Older underground pipes tin can crevice or leak, attracting root growth. One time inside your pipes, roots grow larger, blocking water flow and causing piping damage.
Mineral build up	Minerals dissolved in water tin build upwards over time and create insoluble masses that volition block your drains.

Symptoms of a Ho-hum-Draining Tub

"Slow draining" means that the h2o stays in the tub for an excessive menses of time subsequently you lot accept pulled the plug. The water either takes longer than it should to disappear or, in more serious cases, it remains indefinitely.

The trouble can develop gradually over time and may not be immediately noticeable. It's common for people to disregard the outcome until it has become too serious to ignore.

Unfortunately, once a drainage problem has begun, it will ordinarily only get worse, unless activeness is taken. This is because clogs tend to gather and accumulate more debris (such as hair, dirt, and lather) over fourth dimension and become larger and more firmly fixed. The sooner that you lot bargain with the problem, the easier it will be to resolve.

How to Preclude a Bathtub From Irksome-Draining

Prevention is nigh always ameliorate than cure, of grade. And so once your drainage issues are resolved, don't forget to minimize the possibility of your bathtub drain getting clogged once again. Below are two things to endeavor.

Firstly, you should certainly think well-nigh buying a skilful drain protector, if you don't already have ane. This volition prevent hair, children'south toys, plus other pocket-sized items and droppings from inbound the bleed.
Secondly, a secure lather dish can often assist, every bit soap contributes to clogs forming by binding knots of pilus together into larger clumps. (Soap falling into the tub or onto the flooring tin can also crusade serious accidents due to people slipping.)

There are lots of smashing products out there that volition do the job finer. Comport in mind that there are different types of drain stoppers and the screen you buy will take to have this into business relationship. Common types of bathtub drain stopper include:

Push-and-pull
Lift-and-turn
Toe-touch
Pop-up
Flip-it
Trip lever

If you desire me to make a general proffer for a protector that works with the majority of bathtub drains, I would recommend the OXO Good Grips. This product provides a excellent barrier for communicable small droppings without slowing downwards water drainage and works with both popular-up and regular drains.

The OXO Good Grip is better than most of its rivals as it has a flake of weight to it and so doesn't have the tendency to float upwards and away like some of the cheaper protectors exercise. It's as well affordable and easy to clean.

The other bathtub drain protector that I am a particular fan of is the Tubshroom. This protector fits within the drain rather than sitting on top and is particularly skilful at catching hair.

If your tub is the blazon where you lot flip a switch for drainage, then you can but leave the Tubshroom in place. If it's the blazon that has a removable stopper, then y'all put the Tubshroom in when the tub is draining. Some people complain that information technology is awkward to clean, just I've not had much problem.

This content is accurate and truthful to the best of the writer'due south knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional person.