Calling a plumber for a home blocked bathtub drain won't be necessary.
Sure its an upset in your daily schedule, however hold on... You could be ready to look after.
Have a bathtub full of water not draining? Pour a cup of washing soda down the drain and let it set there for awhile to work its way down to where the clog is. Washing soda is more alkaline than bicarbonate of soda, so be careful using it if you have just employed a commercial drain cleaner, which will tend to be very acidic. Many markets carry washing soda, sometimes with other laundry products.
Drain pipes have curves at the bottom that are called traps. They can get blocked with lots of things Usually soap scum pieces and human hair. They ultimately cover the drain pipe and block the drain.
You can reach into the drain with a wire hook or tweezers and pull out the blockage. If this bothers you - wear cloves, which ate less expensive then a plumber. If this attempt will not work try next to use a plunger - don't first forget to cover the overflow outlet so you're sure to get uninterrupted suction.
Still blocked? Well, you can try a Plumber's Snake. Which is a long flexible steel cable. In a tub feed it thru the overflow opening. You'll feel some resistance when you reach the trap - however you should at about that point be well placed to either loosen or pull out the plug.
If all of the above does not help well now I might call a plumber.
If you call in a professional, they will have 1 or 2 different snakes to select from, some varied tools that seal into the drain line, and put water pressure against the block, and other speciality tools. They may also bring years of expertise in methods to knock clogs loose.
Sure its an upset in your daily schedule, however hold on... You could be ready to look after.
Have a bathtub full of water not draining? Pour a cup of washing soda down the drain and let it set there for awhile to work its way down to where the clog is. Washing soda is more alkaline than bicarbonate of soda, so be careful using it if you have just employed a commercial drain cleaner, which will tend to be very acidic. Many markets carry washing soda, sometimes with other laundry products.
Drain pipes have curves at the bottom that are called traps. They can get blocked with lots of things Usually soap scum pieces and human hair. They ultimately cover the drain pipe and block the drain.
You can reach into the drain with a wire hook or tweezers and pull out the blockage. If this bothers you - wear cloves, which ate less expensive then a plumber. If this attempt will not work try next to use a plunger - don't first forget to cover the overflow outlet so you're sure to get uninterrupted suction.
Still blocked? Well, you can try a Plumber's Snake. Which is a long flexible steel cable. In a tub feed it thru the overflow opening. You'll feel some resistance when you reach the trap - however you should at about that point be well placed to either loosen or pull out the plug.
If all of the above does not help well now I might call a plumber.
If you call in a professional, they will have 1 or 2 different snakes to select from, some varied tools that seal into the drain line, and put water pressure against the block, and other speciality tools. They may also bring years of expertise in methods to knock clogs loose.
About the Author:
This article was written by Mike Marker of Denver Plumbing Company, who have been unblocking drains for many years.
