Best Way To Clear Bathtub Drain

S To Take If Youre Dealing With A Hair Clog

How To Unclog A Bathtub

You roll out of bed and make your way into the bathroom. Youre ready for a refreshing shower to start your day off right. But as you lather up your hair, you realize the water is creeping up around your ankles. Before your next shower, you need to unclog that bathtub drain!

Chemical drain cleaner may come to mind first, but this is a harmful way to unclog drains for a few reasons. First, repeated use of harsh chemicals can damage your pipes and lead to trouble later on. Second, pouring toxic substances down the drain pollutes the municipal water supply.

Its much better to use natural methods and home remedies to unclog a bathtub drain. Here are the top suggestions from Mr. Rooter Plumbing, a Neighbourly company.

Tips On How To Unclog A Bathtub

You have a few options for unclogging a bathtub drain without chemicals.

Remove easy-to-reach gunkStart by removing the stopper. If your tub has a pop-up drain plug, insert a screwdriver under the cover, loosen the screw, and remove the plug. As you lift it out, you may find that hair and other debris have accumulated here. If youre too grossed out to remove this gunk by hand, bend a wire coat hanger into a hook using needle-nose pliers. Then, fish out any foreign material from the drain with this handy tool.

Sometimes, simply removing and cleaning these parts will get things moving. Send a blast of hot water down the drain to finish the job. If the tub still backs up, the blockage is located further down, and youll need to try other home remedies to unclog the bathtub drain.

Pour boiling water down the drainBoil a large pot of water and pour it slowly down the tub drain. The goal is to dissolve the soap scum and dislodge the hair buildup. Pouring a cup of baking soda followed by one cup vinegar can also loosen things up.

Use a plungerWith the stopper removed, you can clear the drain with a plunger. First, you should plug the overflow drain to create a vacuum. To do this, remove the cover plate below the bathtub faucet and insert a washcloth or hand towel into the hole so air cant escape.

Next, set the plunger over the drain and fill the tub with a few inches of hot water. Apply several thrusting motions to attempt to get things moving.

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What Causes A Bathtub Or Shower To Become Clogged

As a little bit of background, owning a house means you are going to deal with clogged showers and slow draining bathtubs. The reason this happens is that over time everything that goes down your drain can start to leave residue and build up. Bit by bit a clump of soap, hair, and dirt starts to build and prevents the water from flowing normally down the drain. This makes for a slowly draining shower and if you dont unclog it eventually little to no water will be able to pass through.

Art Plumbing Air Conditioning & Electrics Professional Drain Clearing Solutions

While regular maintenance can help prevent blockages to an extent, sometimes a professional drain cleaning is the best way to keep your drains in tip-top shape. And, if your shower drain keeps clogging, it may be a sign of a blockage in your main sewer line, which if left unattended to can cause serious damage to your home and sewer system. Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric offers a range of drain clearing and cleaning solutions. We use hydro-jetting technology and rooters to clear out blockages, depending on the severity of the blockage. We have years of experience in dealing with drain maintenance, drain cleaning, and main line sewer blockage repair.

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How To Unclog Your Bathtub Drain Some Quick And Easy Methods

Poor maintenance of your drain can lead to either a slow draining bathtub or a complete blockage in the pipes. What causes such obstructions is usually hairs, heavy dirt or other debris that cant dissolve easily. The question here is whether you need to call a plumber to unblock your drain or you can try to fix it on your own. In this article, we are going to share 5 effective methods on how to unclog your bathtub drain in no time.

Start Plunging And Test The Drain

Begin pushing down the plunger and pulling it up in repeating motions. You will notice that the accumulated hair and dirt will start emerging from the drain. Quickly scoop them out of the tub and repeat the entire process several times until you remove all material that comes to the surface. When done, remove the tape and test the water flow.

If that doesnt help, maybe its time for the well-known baking soda and vinegar method.

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How To Keep The Bathtub Clog

Bathroom clogs are never pleasant, as the nature of the bathroom isnât particularly glamorous. However, clogs are avoidable when you take care of your pipe system, and avoid oily substances from going down the drain.

Here are a few tips that can prevent your from having to unclog a bathtub drain:

• Avoid using scrubs with plastic microbeads, coffee grounds, or other similar materials, as these will not easily dissolve down the drain.
• Use sugar or salt-based body scrubs as these will easily go down the drain with no problems.
• Use a monthly pipe maintenance solution to keep your pipes clog-free.
• Use drain stoppers when filling the tub, and skim out any toys, small trinkets, or wax from scented candles that may find their way into the drain before you remove the stopper.
• Avoid using body oils in the bathtub or shower, as the oils can build up in the drains over time.

For any bathroom issues, you can call on our professional plumbers and cleaners in Luce Home to tackle the problem for you. Our experienced plumbers and cleaners can upkeep your bathroom to provide you with a pristine bathroom from top to bottom!

How To Unclog A Sink Shower Or Tub Drain And How To Clean Drains

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Is a slow drain driving you crazy? If you’re wondering how to unclog a drain or how to clean a drain, our plumbing expert has some great tips for you. And you dont even need chemicals to get the job done! Plumbing experts agree that harsh chemicals can damage your pipes and the environment. Doyle James, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing, offered the following sage advice for cleaning and maintaining drains.

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What Causes A Tub To Drain Slowly

Typically the cause of a slow-draining bathtub is a clog that is restricting water flow. Clogs are usually made up of knotted hair, dirt, grease, and/or soap. They can be difficult to remove because hair can wrap around parts of the drain.

Clogs happen more frequently in homes where one or more of the residents has long hair. Short hair is far less likely to get caught in the drain system.

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Boil The Blockage Away

Assuming there is no standing water in your bath, the next easiest solution for unclogging a bathtub is the good old boiling water trick. Pouring boiling water down the drain will help you get to the areas that may be out of reach. Boiling water is ideal for clearing grease and soap that has stuck together the heat will activate it and help get things moving, explains Chris Wootton, Managing Director, of cleaning service Poppies .

Just a liter or so of boiling water should suffice. Once it has cleared, try running the faucet to see if things have speeded up. If not, its worth trying one more kettle full before moving on to step three.

Home Remedies For Clogged Bathtub Drains

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If you still havent experienced having your feet completely submerged in water that youve just used to wash away all the dirt and sweat from your body, you surely will at some point in the future!

Considering all the hair and soap grease that pass through the pipes on a daily basis clogs dont come as a surprise actually, they are somewhat inexorable, especially if you dont maintain your drains!

Therefore, brace yourself for this utterly unpleasant occurrence with these useful tips!

Upon noticing that your bathtub is clogged, its important to observe the water lingering in it heedfully so as to determine whether it is oozing away slowly or remaining in the tub.

Furthermore, bear in mind that the efficiency of clog removers also depends on the nature of the chunk itself, namely whether it is made of soap residue, hair, other types of dirt or a combination of all those things!

If the drain is partially clogged, you will probably be able to break the clog using various liquid cleaners whose preparation or application will be explained in detail in the subsequent chapters.

If you are unfortunate enough to have your drain fully obstructed, youll have to use some tools or, in the worst-case scenario, call the exorbitantly costly plumber!

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Is There A Good Drain Protector That You Can Recommend For A Bathtub

There are lots of great products out there that will do the job effectively. Bear in mind that there are different types of drain stoppers and the screen you buy will have to take this into account. Common types of bathtub drain stopper include:

• Push-and-pull
• Trip lever

If you want me to make a general suggestion 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 catching small debris without slowing down water drainage and works with both pop-up and regular drains.

The OXO Good Grip is better than most of its rivals as it has a bit of weight to it and so doesn’t have the tendency to float up and away like some of the cheaper protectors do. It’s also affordable and easy to clean.The other bathtub drain protector that I am a particular fan of is the Tubshroom. This protector fits inside the drain rather than sitting on top and is particularly good at catching hair.

If your tub is the type where you flip a switch for drainage, then you can just leave the Tubshroom in place. If it’s the type that has a removable stopper, then you put the Tubshroom in when the tub is draining. Some people complain that it is awkward to clean, but I’ve not had much trouble.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

How To Unclog Your Bathtub Drain Using A Plumbers’ Snake

Note: If you need more help, read more about how to use a plumbing snake. Clogs caused by invasive roots will require more than a plumbers’ snake to fix.

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How Do You Unclog A Shower Drain

Step 1:

Unclogging a shower drain is similar to how you unclog bathtub drains. Start by removing and cleaning the stopper and strainer and remove as much drain-clogging gunk that you can using a drain stick or a snake.

Step 2:

Then, use Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Pipeguard. When used as directed, this formula dissolves the toughest drain clogs, eliminates drain odors and helps prevent future clogs with regular use. This drain cleaner is safe to use to unclog bathtubs, show drains and other bathroom drains.

Step 3:

After you think the drain clog is gone, flush the drain with hot water to make sure its unclogged. Turn on the faucet to see if water drains quickly and easily. If there is still a drain clog, repeat the steps for removing it.

If the bathtub or shower clogs persists, it may be time to call in a professional plumber. For more information, check out our article How to Know When to Leave it to the Pros.

And, try pouring two cups of Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Pipeguard down your drain monthly to prevent slow draining showers .

Maintain An Unclogged Drain With Prevention

Visually inspect the drain in your bathroom before and after each time you shower or bathe. If there is anything obstructing the drain, you can use a wad of toilet paper to hygienically remove it. Simply grab a wad of toilet paper, at least fifteen sheets long, and crumple it into the palm of your hand. Use your hand to sandwich the debris into the toilet paper and then flush it down the toilet. This step keeps body hair, and other drain-clogging items, from accumulating underneath the drain cover.

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How To Unclog Hair From A Bathroom Sink Drain

Pay attention to your bathroom sink drain as you let water run every morning. If water starts to drain slowly, you may need to clear the drain. If members of your family often brush their hair or shave over the sink, it’s likely the blockage is caused by hair combined with soap residue. No need to worry, though. First, remove the drain stopper and see if you can remove the clog yourself. We recommend using a drain snake to unclog the bathroom sink drain. If the clog is too far down, try using an unclogging gel from the store. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when handling these chemicals. Or use the natural cleaning solution, below, to clear the drain.

How To Unclog A Bathtub Drain With A Plunger

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

• Working Time: 10 – 20 mins
• Total Time: 10 – 20 mins

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Estimated Cost: $0 to $20

Next to the kitchen sink, garbage disposal, and toilet drains, the tub drain gets the most abuse of any drain in the home. We load it up with hair, soap, and hair care products, along with the occasional shampoo bottle cap. Over time, the drain gradually clogs until you find yourself standing in the tub taking a shower with several inches of dirty water lapping at your ankles.

You can easily unclog your bathtub drain with a standard cup-style plunger, but you have to seal the overflow drain first. Tubs essentially have two drains: There’s the familiar one at the bottom of the tub that you close to fill up the tub with water. But there’s also one higher up on the front wall of the tub in line with the faucet spout and the bottom drain. This is called the overflow drain.

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