Unclog a Bathtub Drain | |
Begin with the first easy steps described below. If these don't start the water flowing, then move to the next procedure. Eventually, you will get the drain open. Remove drain plug and check linkage for hair. If your tub has an X-shaped strainer or a drain that you can open or close from a lever just below the water spout, the clog may be caused by hair caught on the strainer or lifting linkage inside the drain pipe. Another type mechanism has an internal plunger. Pull up on the drain plug and some of the hair stuck in the drain should come out. Look inside the drain opening and you will probably see a mass of hair wrapped around the rocker arm linkage attached to the drain plug. Remove as much hair as possible -- a coat hanger bent into a hook may be helpful -- and pull the drain plug and linkage from the drain. With the drain open, try running the water. If the tub drains freely, clean the drain plug and put it back into position. Try Liquid Drain Opener If, after removing all hair buildup, you find that the drain is still clogged, try using a chemical drain cleaner. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. Wear protective gloves and glasses, and use these caustic chemicals cautiously. Your skin and eyes can be burned from contact with them. Don't allow the drain opener chemical to sit in the tub for a long time since it can damage a porcelain finish. Use Plunger to Open Drain Line Another possibility to open a drain line is to remove the drain plug and most of the hair, then plug the overflow drain with a rag. Fill the tub with a few inches of water and work the plunger up and down, pulling up sharply to dislodge the clog, then working the plunger back and forth several times. When the standing water begins to run out of the sink, remove the rag from the overflow drain. Then let the water run for a few minutes to wash the clog completely out of the drain line. Use Trap and Drain Auger to Snare Clog If a plunger doesn't do the trick, use an auger. Run it through the overflow drain or into the drain directly. Remove the cover on the overflow drain. Insert the auger into the overflow drain and push it down as far as it will go. Crank the handle slowly in a clockwise direction and keep pushing it farther into the pipe. Eventually, you should come to the clog; break it up or snare the end of it with the auger and pull the obstruction out. Clean out drum trap If your bathtub has a drum trap, a round plate in the floor or a p-trap behind the wall, here's how to unclog it. If you have a drum trap, use an adjustable wrench to remove the plug. The drum trap might be rusted shut, in which case no amount of effort on your part will open it short of breaking the top cover. If you can't budge the cover and the clog persists, call professional help. If you can get the cover off, run an auger through it back toward the overflow drain of the tub. If that doesn't work, the blockage is in the main drain, and you should call a plumber. Written by the editors of HouseNet Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |