# Bathtub drains having a filter beyond just the haircatcher

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 3, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954 "2018-03-03T06:11:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954/1 "2018-03-03T06:11:22Z")

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Question for plumber Dopers (kind of need answer fast) :  
Is it typical for the average American bathtub drain to have one or more filters/traps in the drainpipe, some distance beyond what the eye can see? Or is it usually a case of nothing beyond the visible “haircatcher” itself, and once an object slips through that, it’s straight to city water management?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954/2 "2018-03-03T06:27:19Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Question for plumber Dopers (kind of need answer fast) :  
> Is it typical for the average American bathtub drain to have one or more filters/traps in the drainpipe, some distance beyond what the eye can see? Or is it usually a case of nothing beyond the visible “haircatcher” itself, and once an object slips through that, it’s straight to city water management?

They have a trap, like any other drain in your house, but no ‘filter’ to speak of. If you dropped something in there and it’s heavy enough, it’ll be right there. If you can pull the trap off from below/behind, do that, otherwise you’ll have to go in from the drain with something that can grab it.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954/3 "2018-03-03T15:41:01Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> They have a trap, like any other drain in your house, but no ‘filter’ to speak of. If you dropped something in there and it’s heavy enough, it’ll be right there. If you can pull the trap off from below/behind, do that, otherwise you’ll have to go in from the drain with something that can grab it.

Ok, so the trap you speak of is the visible thing right? Not tucked far away.

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**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-drains-having-a-filter-beyond-just-the-haircatcher/809954/4 "2018-03-03T16:08:00Z")

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The wiki image on trap [https://goo.gl/images/b181MW](https://goo.gl/images/b181MW)

This is located below your tub, and unless there’s unfinished space below, generally hard to access.

GaryM