Is there a drain opener for the tub that won't cause problems?

[CTyankee]

My plumber friend said not to use them because if I need to call in a plumber he'll have to deal with the problems they will cause in addition to the removal of whatever is causing the drain to clog.

Not sure what he is referring to but I thought I'd see if there is a commercial product out there that will clear my clog without going to the expense of a plumber.

[frazzled]

1. Buy a good quality plumbing snake /nt

[CTyankee]

3. I'll see if I can do that (snaking that is). I am not handy...

however, I will call my hardware store and check. It might not be a problem for me.

[PoliticAverse]

18. Tub drains are usually clogged due to hair. This device is relatively cheap and works well...

[blaze]

26. Yup! These are very effective.

Definitely worth a shot before you call in the plumber.

[Freethinker65]

5. Yep. I was going to suggest a hand crank snake...but make sure you have clear access to the drain.

Wish I had invested in one years ago. It has saved me a lot of money doing it myself.

[GreenEyedLefty]

2. I use plain lye.

If it's just your tub and you're pretty sure it's a hair clog, lye will work. You can get it at the hardware store.

But if it's farther down (like roots in your drain line) you will need it professionally snaked. In that case, lye or products containing it will make it more dangerous for the plumber.

[CTyankee]

4. thanks for the info. I'll contact a plumber.

[LuckyCharms]

6. The first thing I always try is a regular toilet plunger...

Get some hot water in the tub, but not too much in case this doesn't work. Put the plunger firmly over the drain and plunge the heck out of it. Sometimes you get lucky and this works. Next line of defense, as stated above, would be a snake. Good luck.

[CTyankee]

7. I am doing this every day after my shower. It drains slowly anyway.

eventually, it drains out completely but gets scummy with soap scum and I have to clean the tub more often because it is slippery and dangerous.

[LuckyCharms]

9. Yes, sometimes the plunger won't work...

A snake usually does though. they are pretty easy to use. Unscrew or unpop the drain cover and go to town with it.

[Thor_MN]

28. The overflow drain in a tub makes a plunger almost worthless.

It allows the pressure of the plunger to escape. It can be blocked with a wet rag if you have more than two hands to work with.

The plastic strip someone posted above is your best bet to remove hair without causing damage.

A lot depends on the type of drain plug that is installed, the clog is likely clinging to the plug, inside the drain.

The hot water, with dish washing detergent, like Dawn can help break up soap residue coating hair to form a clog.

[Phoenix61]

8. I use a piece of coat hanger

Most of the time hair has gotten wrapped around the piece the tub drain screws into.

[CTyankee]

10. good idea. I'll try it!

[LuckyCharms]

11. Wait, I just thought of something else.

Do you have access to the drain assembly? If it is in your basement, for example, you can get to it easily.

I just had to replace mine.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can take apart the drain assembly with a pair of channel locks. This might enable you to get to the clog easier.

[CTyankee]

12. that would call for a plumber for sure. My plumber friend is retired and i would

never take advantage of his friendship. I'd rather pay a plumber, as expensive as that is for me right now.

[jberryhill]

13. "Not sure what he is referring to"

What he is referring to is that if a chemical drain cleaner - of any kind - doesn't open the drain, then not only does he have to clear the drain, but he has to do it by getting through whatever chemical is at that time backed up behind the clog.

[Kleveland]

14. I used this recently for a problematic sink and tub clog.

We have a very old house, and were calling plumbers once a year to snake.

It was getting too expensive, and a power snake can damage pipes, as can caustic drain cleaners.

We had to sign a waiver last time, and our neighbor a few doors down had her pipes damaged by the same plumber. She needed new pipes put in, which means wall or floor demo, and $$$.

We tried this stuff.



https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Natural-Cleaner-Remover-Treatments/dp/B06XKBRFRZ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1509982185&sr=8-7&keywords=enzyme+drain+cleaner

Also used a plunger.

Keep in mind, you have to plug the overflow valve in a tub to use a plunger, or it won't do anything. You need to create a vacuum.I used a very wet wash cloth, and held it tight over the overflow slots.

Our sink and tub meet at a common point, so the sink affected the tub. The clearing started to clog the tub, so I used a plunger there, and it all came out in the tub, was really gross, but it wall worked out.

I did a detailed review of the process about a month ago on Am at the product page.

You need to treat every motnh or so. The buildup is usually soaps cum and stuff, not just hair.

We have also been using a cheap $3 plastic snake in the tub to pull out hair buildup. Got ours at H Depot, but Am has something similar.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Drain-Snake-Remover-Cleaning/dp/B01DP87IF8/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1509982763&sr=1-4&keywords=plastic+drain+snake&dpID=51hyyVtPE%252BL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

This problem has plagued us for over 10 years, but I am confident we will never have to call the plumber again!

This enzyme stuff is the best $10 we ever spent!

Good luck, and stay away from caustic drain cleaners!

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. Dishwasher detergent and boiling water works well for slow drains too

Not dish soap, but dishwasher detergent like Cascade. I prefer the gel type. Squirt a few ounces of the detergent and pour a kettle or 2 of boiling water to wash it down. Let it work for a few minutes, then fill the tub to the top with hot water and let that drain down.

[shraby]

16. I've found that automatic dishwasher soap works good. It also takes mildew out of

clothing..just don't soak the article(s) in the kind with bleach in it.

[Kleveland]

17. Interesting, and makes some sense considering what it does to the gook on dishes!.

Nice thing about the enzyme stuff is that it continues to work after the clog or slow drain is cleared.

A regular treatment keeps the enzyme busy and working on the progressive buildup in the drain pipes.

I think the stuff that I mentioned is a mixture of enzymes, and a particular bacteria that is hungry for the buildup material.

Oddly enough, this process was recommended to us by a plumber years ago, but we were not diligent about it, and the product we tried was different.

Now that we had undeniably positive and visible results, we will pay more attention!

Which reminds me, I should do a treatment tomorrow!

[Dem_4_Life]

23. That is very interesting and makes sense.

Thanks I will try this in my shower as I have the same problem.

[CTyankee]

29. My plumber friend says that dishwasher detergent is also good because it cuts

grease. He was a plumber with Southern CT State University( and shop steward for his union local) for 30 years and has seen a lot of clogged drains.

[sl8]

19. Can you take the cover off the drain?

My tub drain clogs 2-3 times a year, but the clog is always within a couple of inches of the cover, so I can pull it out with needle-nose pliers or hemostats.

Otherwise, I use generic lye from the hardware store.

[snooper2]

24. you should invest in one of these

[sl8]

30. Thanks.

I'll keep it in mind if I need to pull the whole flange. So far, a few minutes with a screwdriver & needlenose does the trick.

[MarvinGardens]

20. Liquid Plumber or Draino gel formulations always work for me.

Just be sure to wear safety glasses. I also recommend gloves, or be prepared to rinse off any skin contact quickly.

[niyad]

21. I cup of salt in one gallon of boiling water down the drain might help

(note: if you are having problems with the drains, a gallon of boiling salt water down all the drains once a month helps) there is also morton salt pellets.

[Stuart G]

22. If you are getting some flow,just a little, then the most powerful way to clear the drain

is just to run the water. Once there is even a small flow, running the water, will clear it out. Why? that is what running water does.

[jmowreader]

25. Don't try snaking a tub through the drain

Trying to get the snake through the trap is a hard thing to do, and most of the time the clog is in the pipe that runs between the sewer line in the foundation and the vent on the roof.

Instead, remove the overflow cover (it's a metal plate, usually silver, on the wall of the tub right above the drain) and feed the snake through there. If you have a trip lever drain you'll need to remove the internal plunger; it's hooked to the lever with either a cable or (usually) rods. If you have a trip lever drain, you try removing the overflow cover, and the plunger (it looks like a short piece of pipe with a bar running across the inside for the rods to hook to) doesn't come out, your problem is the plunger fell off the rods and is now permanently stuck down there. To fix it, get a metal coat hanger, straighten it out, bend a little hook - 1/2" should be plenty - into one end, and fish the plunger out with it.

Put three or four inches of water in the tub and snake it. When you get the clog out, the water will drain right away.

[Squinch]

27. Pequa drain cleaner. Clears out my long hair clogs and is supposed to not be bad for pipes or

plumbers.

Works for me where Drano and Liquid Plumber don't

[onethatcares]

31. geez, stop overthinking this.

remove the two screws holding the drain plunger into the tub drain assembly. Pull the plunger out of the tub drain assembly being careful not to bend the brass rod and don't change the length of the rod by turning the connector. Clean the hair off of the plunger, run hot water into tub drain until the water runs freely. Re install the plunger assembly, either open or closed. Do not over torque the screws.

You neglected to mention how old the fixture was btw.

[CTyankee]

32. The fixture is not terribly old but the pipes are original and the house was built

in 1941 just prior to WW2.