Bathtub

If you have a drain to unblock, you can work through them in order – and if you still haven’t managed to unclog your drain, it probably means it’s time to call in a professional. Note that these techniques are the same for any kind of bathtub, including walk-in bathtubs, corner bathtubs, freestanding bathtubs and any others. How to unclog a bathtub drain with standing water using a plunger. If you can’t get any water down the drain because the bathtub is clogged so badly no water is getting through, it’s time to use some force. Repeat two or three more times, extending the snake further down the drain each time. Turn on the water and check to see if the tub is draining any better. Work the drain snake down the overflow hole, only this time, allow the water to run while you snake out the drain. With the clog cleared, inspect the stopper at the end of the.

Bathtub Drain Clogged Youtube

It’s a common problem that we’ve all experienced. At first, your bathtub starts to drain more slowly but you tell yourself the problem will go away. Except it just gets worse and worse until one day you find it’s completely blocked.

Bathtub Drain Clogged Youtube

It’s understandable that you don’t want to call in the plumber at the first sign of a blockage – it’s expensive after all – but you don’t need to wait till you have a tub full of standing water to take action. So here’s how to unclog a bathtub drain by yourself.

Bathtub Drain Clogged With Sand

If you want to see a couple of techniques – including one we didn’t talk about using Coca-Cola – check out this humorous video that shows you how it’s done.

Different steps you can take

When it comes to unclogging your bathtub drain, you have several options. Here, we’ll work through them from the easiest and least drastic to the last resort.

If you have a drain to unblock, you can work through them in order – and if you still haven’t managed to unclog your drain, it probably means it’s time to call in a professional.

Note that these techniques are the same for any kind of bathtub, including walk-in bathtubs, corner bathtubs, freestanding bathtubs and any others.

1. Clean the strainers and stoppers

Many drains have some kind of cover that allows the water to pass but prevents larger objects from disappearing down the drain hole. The problem with this is that hair can become tangled up in it, eventually preventing water from passing.

This means the first thing you need to do if your drain is showing signs of being blocked is to clean this cover.

All you need to do is remove whatever strainer or stopper your drain has and clean off any build-up of hair. If the cover is not screwed down, simply lift it off and give it a clean. If it is held in place by a screw, unscrew it and do the same.

Replace it and run some water to test it. If the water drains away as it it should, you have solved the problem. If not, move on to the second technique.

Bathtub Drain Clogged Reddit

2. Drain claw

If cleaning the strainer or stopper hasn’t done the trick, the next thing to try is a drain claw. This is an inexpensive tool consisting of a stick covered in small hooks that is designed for unblocking bathtub drains.

Remove the strainer or stopper as before and push the drain claw into the drain. Push it in as far as you can and then slowly pull it out again. The hooks on the stick will grab hold of any clumps of hair, allowing you to pull them out with the stick.

Bathtub Drain Clogged

You can repeat the process a few times until you are no longer pulling out clumps of hair and gunk. When you are ready, refit the stopper or strainer and run some water to see if the blockage has been resolved. If not, you can move on to the third technique.

3. Baking soda and vinegar

The next technique you can try involves pouring boiling water into the drain with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.

First, boil a full kettle of water and pour the whole lot into the drain. If you are lucky, just the boiling water alone will be enough to shift the blockage.

If not, next, pour half a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar into the drain. Wait for 15 or 20 minutes for the mixture to act.

Boil another full kettle of water and pour it into the hole and wait for the water to drain away. Run some water to see if it has worked. You may like to repeat this process two or three times. If not, you can move onto the next technique.

4. Use a plunger

If the baking soda, vinegar and hot water mixture doesn’t solve the problem, even after a few tries, the blockage is probably more severe and the build-up more solid. This means a bit more force might be required – so the next thing to try is a good old-fashioned bathroom plunger.

Start by filling the bathtub to a couple of inches deep. Using hot water rather than cold may also help a little. Place the plunger over the hole and push it down and pull it up hard several times.

You are trying to shift the blockage with the force of the suction, so the more vigorously you do it, the more effective it will be.

If it’s working, clumps of hair and other grime will start to be sucked up out of the hole. When this happens, scoop them up out of the tub so they don’t go back into the hole and block it up again.

Repeat this several times. It will probably be quite obvious if you are succeeding because you will see the clumps of hair being sucked up out of the hole and into the tub. If it works, once you have removed the blockage, the water will drain away normally.

If it seems to work partially, you may think about trying the baking soda and vinegar again, and then the plunger again several times.

If this doesn’t work, move on to the last option.

Bathtub Drain Clogged

5. Chemical products

If all else fails, before calling in a plumber, you can try a chemical drain cleaner. This should be a last resort as they contain strong chemicals that are bad for the environment and that will also weaken your bathtub’s drainage system.

Choose a product that is specifically made for bathtubs, take all necessary safety precautions like wearing gloves etc., read the instructions carefully and do what it says on the bottle.

Drain

Remove standing water, pour the product into the drain and wait for the time specified on the bottle. After the time has elapsed, try running some water into the bathtub to see if it drains away. If it does, you’re in luck – and if not, it’s time to call in a pro.

Don’t leave it until it’s too late

Bathtub Drain Clogged With Hair

Probably the key to dealing with blocked bathtub drains is catching the problem early. If you take action before the problem gets too bad, it will be easier to solve – but if you let the blockage build up, it will be much harder to remove.

Drain

By following these techniques, you should be able to clear most blockages – but if you still can’t manage to get the blockage to clear, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and call in a plumber.

More From Sunrise Specialty:

Image by Jreshow via YouTube

It sucks to stand in a puddle of dirty water at your feet when you’re trying to take a shower because the drain is taking forever to go down. Jreshow on YouTube demonstrates how to unclog a bathtub drain in only 5 minutes. The bathtub can get clogged easily if you let your hair run down the drain every day, and over time it builds up. It’s a nightmare for me when the bathtub drain is clogged because I feel gross when the water just keeps rising when I’m rinsing off. Luckily, I’m very big on catching my hair and putting it on the side before it hits the drain. So, learn how to save money and try these tips and tricks at home before calling a plumber.

Bathtub Drain Clogged

Supplies:

  • plunger
  • screwdriver
  • Drain Snake Hair clog remover cleaning tool
  • rag and plastic bag

Directions:

First, use the screwdriver to remove the drain and the plate that is under your bathtub faucet. Then, use the snake hair clog cleaning tool to stick down the drain to remove any hair. Plug the hole that is against the bathtub under the faucet with a rag that is wrapped in a plastic bag. Continue to watch Jreshow tutorial on YouTube for full instructions and details.

Next, run hot water down the drain and take the plunger and plunge. Keep running the hot water so everything can flush down. Replace all of the pieces back.

Note: when removing the plate that is under the bathtub faucet, make sure the rubber seal is in place before tightening to prevent water and moisture from getting in. Also, it’s incredible yet gross that you can use a plunger to unclog a drain like a clogged toilet. Now I don’t need to spend extra money on Draino to solve this problem.