This old house plumbing and heating expert richard trethewey shows how to fix a slow draining tub.
Clogged tub drain snake.
Drain snakes come in a few standard lengths and thicknesses.
Don t call a plumber.
Shopping considerations for a drain snake cable length and thickness.
If your bathtub drain is clogged it s usually an easy fix.
Most of the time bathtub clogs are caused by a build up of hair and other debris in the drain.
How to snake a tub drain block overflow plate.
Do it yourself save.
We ve all seen this happen.
In this video i ll show you step by step how to unclog bathtub drain in 5 minutes.
It s rare for a bathtub to suddenly become stopped up.
What is more when you reach down to solve the issue you are left with a disgusting slimy hairball in your hand.
See below for tools subscribe to this old house.
If neither cleaning the trap nor plunging clears a plumbing clog your final weapon is a drain auger also known as a snake.
To remove the clog start by unscrewing the tub drain stopper.
Depending on the type of stopper you have you can do this by twisting it off by hand or using a screwdriver.
You push the snake into the clog and crank it to drive the snake farther into the obstruction.
Photo by merle henkenius.
This tool a coiled spiral snake that s usually about 1 4 inch thick with a handle on one end works the opposite way that a plunger does.
A clogged bathtub drain can be cleared in several ways.
Tools supplies plumbing sna.
A clog in the tub usually builds up over a period of several weeks with the tub draining more and more slowly each day.
A plunger can clear a clog if the blockage isn t too far into the pipes.
Most clogged bathtub drains can be cleared with a plunger or by removing and cleaning out the tub stopper if after trying both of these your bathtub is still clogged the next step is to use a snake to clear the drain.
A drain stick is effective at clearing clogs in a p trap or s trap caused by hair.
For the average renter or homeowner who needs to unclog a sink.