Why Should You Not Resort To Using Bleach To Unclog Your Bathtub Drain
We do not suggest pouring bleach down your drain as it will kill both good and bad bacteria. Pouring bleach down your pipes is also bad for the piping and wears them down making them weaker and reducing their long life spans. Look for more natural based drain cleaners to fix your clogs. Enzyme-based drain cleaners work well.
Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Bay Area today to learn more about how to unclog pesky drains. We are happy to do a full inspection of your plumbing system, resolve your plumbing issues, and provide you with advice on how to preserve your plumbing for years to come so repairs will be limited.
Want to learn more about related issues? Check out these other posts!
Using Baking Soda And Boiling Water
How To Clear A Clogged Tub Drain Naturally
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I am sure you are all familiar with that feeling when youre taking a shower and after a few minutes end up having a bath in a half-dirty water, because the drain pipe didnt do its job.
Then you get even more frustrated because you have to clean and try to unclog the pipe.
Now, if people are in a hurry, they tend just to use one of the products meant for cleaning drain pipes, but no matter how safe they may be, they are still based on chemicals, which sometimes can be dangerous to have and use, especially if you have little children.
There are, however, more natural ways to unclog the pipes by using the stuff we all have in our household. In this text, we will present some of those ways to you, so strap in and lets begin!
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How Do You Unclog A Bathtub
Step 1:
To fix a bathtub clog, start by removing the bathtub stopper or strainer from the drain. The strainer is the piece that probably resembles a mini pasta strainer.
All bathtub drains are different, so its best to follow the manufacturers instructions for removing stoppers and strainers. Some drains are easier to pull out with just your fingers. Some may require pliers or a wrench.
You can usually remove the bathtub strainer by either lifting it up with your fingernail or wedging a flat screwdriver underneath it and lifting. But, consult any instructions provided to you by the manufacturer to know the best way to unclog a bathtub drain. If you need to remove some screws, make sure they dont fall down the drain.
Step 2:
Next, run the water to test the bathtub drain flow. You may need to push down through the clog with a drain stick and pull out any gunk or debris you can loosen.
Step 3:
Then, use Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Pipeguard or Liquid-Plumr® Hair Clog Eliminator to dissolve the bathtub drain clog. These two drain cleaners can also be used periodically to help maintain your bathroom and bathtub drains and helps prevent clog-causing buildup.
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 Tell If Your Drain Is Clogged
Clogs can develop in any part of the plumbing system and can be caused by a wide variety of elements. Some clogs are easier to spot than others, but it’s important to know what signs to look for so you can catch and fix the problem before it escalates into a much bigger problem. Here are some of signs of a clogged drain:
- Water or sewage backing up in a toilet, sink, or bathtub
- Gurgling noises as other plumbing functions happen, such as the water flowing out of a faucet
- The shower, tub, or sink drains slowly
- Theres poor pressure in the system, resulting in a weak toilet flush or light stream from the faucet
- A foul odor coming from the drain
- Water-dependent utilities react to one another, such as the toilet malfunctioning when the washer is being used
Although unfortunate and inconvenient, clogged drains are a natural part of, well, modern plumbing. However, knowing what to look for and treating your drains accordingly will help you fend off nasty clogged drains and more serious damage that may need professional attention.
What Kinds Of Hair Clogs Your Drain
There are several kinds of hair that may cause a blockage in the drain pipes. You have to understand that the texture of the hair that grows on different parts of your body is different. Lets talk about the most common kinds of hair that is likely to cause a blockage in the drain pipes.
Moustache Hair
While the hair on your face is not long or thick at all, you have to understand that it is likely to get stuck in the pipes. Its arguably one of the most common causes of a drain clog.
But, what if you dont shave your beard at home and go to a barber regularly? Even then, moustache hair is likely to get stuck in the pipes.
You have to understand that a small proportion of the hair is likely to fall in the drain pipes during the simple act of putting water on your face, or even when you are just trimming the hair.
The moustache hair is incredibly resilient as well, so getting rid of it is going to be quite a problem.
Long Hair
This ones arguably a given. You already knew that long hair would be included on this list. This rings true for women with longer and thicker hair.
Since most women like to wash their hair at least three or four times in a week, you have to factor in its presence in the drains. It doesnt matter just how good your hair is, a few of them are almost always going to break off and fall into the drain pipes.
Dog Hair
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Baking Soda & Vinegar
If the simple stopper check mentioned above isnt effective, you can also use baking soda and vinegar to try and further clean the clogged bathtub drain. Use the baking soda to scrub away any additional build up at the surface of the drain before pouring the mixture into the drain.
- Begin by pouring a pot of boil water down your drain
- Dump 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, wait a few minutes.
- Combine 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of hot water, then pour the mixture down the drain.
- Cover drain to keep reaction below the drains surface and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Flush the drain one more time with another pot of boiling water.
This can help clear the line without having to use a heavy duty chemical drain cleaner. If youre still experiencing standing water in the tub, it may be time to break out tools or drain cleaners.
Combination Of Vinegar Salt And Baking Soda
Using a combination of vinegar, salt, and baking soda for cleaning the drain pipe is considered as a healthier alternative than using the specialized products.
There are two possible combinations here.
First, you can use salt and baking soda. Take half a glass of salt and half a glass of baking soda and spill it into the drain pipe. You should let it stay there for about 15 minutes and then pour the scalded water into the drain. The water, combined with the salt and soda should create a reaction which should unclog the pipe.
Second, you can combine vinegar and baking soda. Fill in a glass of baking soda and spill it into the drain pipe. Then after several minutes fill in a glass of vinegar and do the same. Keep it there for a couple of hours or even leave it for the night and then pour the scalded water into the pipe to clean it.
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How To Unclog A Shower Drain With A Plumbers Snake
Sometimes the best way to unclog a shower drain is with a drain snake, sometimes called a manual auger or electric auger. If it’s electric, you’ll need a power drill to run the plumber’s snake. If it’s manual, you’ll have to turn the handle by hand to operate it.
As you figure out how to snake a shower drain, insert the snake into the drain until it hits the clog. Turn the handle clockwise to hook the clog and continue running the snake down the drain. When you start to feel resistance, that means the snake is picking up clogs. When the resistance lessens, that often means the snake has cleared the drain. Give the handle one more full turn to ensure the clog is hooked. Then turn the handle counterclockwise to back the snake out of the drain. Go slowly, so you don’t lose the clog.
When the snake is completely out, remove the debris. Run hot water down the drain to test that the clog is completely gone and replace the drain cover.
Grab A Plumbing Snake
A plumbing snake or auger is designed to reach down deep into your drain and pull out any clogs. You can buy or hire an auger in a hardware store near you.
Remove the drain stopper using pliers or a screwdriver, then insert the cable slowly into the drain. Push the drain snake in as far as you can until you feel some resistance.
Twist it to grab the clog and then pull it out. Repeat the process several times until all the gunk has been cleared. Finally, run water in the tub and check if the problem has been resolved.
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Slow Draining Tub: How To Fix It With Remedies
Its always a plus when the water drains out of your sink or bathtub at the proper pace. That also makes it a huge pain when it doesnt. There is are a number of ways due to which your sink or tub can have slow draining Clogs, Loose Hair, Build-Up of Food Scraps, or even bath salts.
The internet is rife with home remedies for slow draining tubs and for removing blockages, but these often have little regard for the dangerous chemicals that are being mixed in the process. The end goal is for the water to drain out smoothly you dont want to end up setting your house on fire from a chemical reaction.
A few tried and tested methods should make the unclogging process safe and easy, and all youll need if a few basic ingredients you can find in your kitchen.
Using Soap And Hot Water
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Tips For Preventing Shower Clogs
To keep from unclogging a shower drain in the future, try one or more of these ideas.
- Put a drain screen or tub strainer over the shower drain to catch loose hairs. Empty it regularly.
- Brush your hair before you get in the shower.
- Pour a kettle of boiling water down your metal pipes, a little at a time, about once a week. This will help dislodge materials like grease, soap and debris before they form a clog.
- Mix 1/3 cup of vinegar and 1/3 cup of baking soda in a heat-resistant cup and pour it down the drain once a month.
- Don’t pour dirty mop water or other wastewater that contains dirt and debris down the shower drain.
Unclogging a shower drain can be a DIY project. As you figure out how to unclog a shower drain, start by trying the easiest ways. First, if you have metal pipes, pour boiling water down the drain. Then remove hair from the drain. If that doesn’t work, use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. If the clog persists, use a plunger, plumber’s snake or chemical drain opener.
If you need help unclogging a shower drain, The Home Depot offers plumbing services. Let our licensed, local plumbers fix it for you.
How To Unclog A Shower Drain
Difficulty
Duration
Under 2 hours
If you have standing water in your shower or the shower is draining slowly, your shower drain line is probably stopped up. A clogged shower drain is unsightly and inconvenient. A blocked drain can be costly to fix if you have to call a plumber for help.
Fortunately, there are a variety of DIY methods you can use to try unclogging the shower drain quickly and easily. There is no one best way to unclog a shower drain, but you should try the easiest drain cleaning tools first.
This guide will tell you how to unclog a shower drain, with methods listed from easiest to hardest.
Note: If you see black gunk coming out of your drain, you may have a sewage blockage. Call a professional plumber for help, as this is a serious problem and can be a health issue. Youll probably also need professional help if multiple drains and toilets in your home are draining slowly or backing up.
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Remove The Stopper And Strainer If You Have One
The first step is to remove the strainer as you will need to remove the blockage of hair or soap under the strainer. However, in order to do that you will first need to remove the stoppers cap and unscrew the strainers screws with the right head of a screwdriver. Put the screws somewhere away from the clogged drain to avoid losing them.
Tips On Unclogging Your Bathtub Drain
Next to sinks and toilet drains, the bathtub drain gets the most use of any drain in the typical household. Each day, hair, soap, and hair care products go down the drain. Over time, you may notice that your bathtub is starting to drain more slowly than usual. Thats a sure sign that a clog is developing.
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Use A Chemical Drain Cleaner
Chemical cleaners for your drain should only be used as a last resort when nothing else is working. However, when the time comes to turn to Drano or a similar product, heres what you need to know.