The drain in the bathtub backed up tonight. I thought it was just slow, but the water level had not gone down since my shower about four hours ago. I bailed it out, and the drain is still clogged.
Here’s the problem. The plumbing in this house is plastic “memory pipe”. Supposedly, it expands so that if the water freezes it won’t burst. Can I use a normal drain cleaner with this type of pipe? (Back at my old place, I used that foaming pipe snake stuff.) Or are there types of drain cleaner that would hurt these types of pipes?
It’s pretty cold up here. It had been in the 20°Fs all day today. I saw on the news that it might get down to 4°F tonight. I thought there might be a possibility that the drain had frozen. On the other hand, I was obviously showering with hot water and it didn’t back up that quickly. Then again, I’m using a low-flow shower head. I’m thinking that it’s probably unlikely that the drain has frozen, as the toilet and bathroom sink drain normally.
So assuming it really is a hair clog, is it safe to use drain cleaner with plastic “memory pipe”?
(Incidentally, I’ve turned on a very slow trickle of hot water in the kitchen, deep sink, and bathroom sink. I hope it keeps the pipes from freezing!)
Actually, I may have found my own answer. Drano Max Liquid Clog Cleaner claims to be safe for plastic and PVC. Still looking for a cite on the foaming stuff.
When our bathtub was clogged we never had any luck with drain cleaner. The only thing that worked for us was a metal snake, which produced a new life form made of hair and soap.
My bathtub clogs hardcore on occasion. Last time, I put two bottles of Liquid Plumr Extra Stength gel (I think LP. Whichever one comes in a red bottle). Did nothing. But a week later, it spontaneously cleared. I’m still confused about that.
I don’t know if it’s safe for plastic pipes, but Drano makes this solid crystaline ultra-concentrated stuff that comes in a little metal can. When my tub drain got so clogged that traditional methods did not work, I got some of this stuff, poured a couple tablespoons down the drain and turned on the cold water. I then heard this immense rumbling sound from the drain, followed by grayish gas coming rising up from the drain and noxious, probably dangerous odors. So I opened the window, shut the door and ran the hell out of there. An hour later I checked back and the drain was running fine. (Or the Drano crystals had completely dissolved the pipe and my tub was just draining into the apartment below. Either way, I was happy.)
Ugh. Drain cleaners are the most hazardous household product. They usually contain lye, which can eat through pipes and your flesh. Every plumber’s worse nightmare is when they don’t work and there’s a pool of contaminated water to deal with.
Get a plumber’s snake. It will outlast every bottle of drain cleaner and do a much better and safer job.
Same thing happened to me! Glad to see I’m not the only one. I thought I was nuts. I used some kind of drain cleaner (I forget the brand). It was a bottle with two sides, so when they mixed, it made a foam “to coat your pipes”.
My tub was so blocked that I could only pour a bit in at a time. I managed to get the whole bottle in, but it took about an hour. Nothing. I figured I’d have to call my landlord on Monday. On Monday morning, I realized my shower water just drained normally, though it was almost completely blocked all weekend (It would take hours to drain a shower’s worth of water).
I figured there must have been rats in the pipes. There was just no other explanation why they would unblock DAYS after I used the drainer. Huh. Who knows.
The most common freezing-pipe problem is with the cold water lines. They’re the ones to let trickle.
Some bathtubs have a removable hair trap. Typically it’s combined with the tub drain closing lever. Two screws hold that assembly into the front of the tub above the drain. Remove those screws and coax the assembly out of the tub shell, and see if it has a hair-catcher that’s full of gradoo.
I tried removing the stopper lever. It’s not connected to anything. I stuck a probe (actually, a wire hanger) down the hole. I didn’t feel anything; neither pushrods nor gunk. I tried putting the wire down the drain itself, and doesn’t go anywhere. It’s as if the plug had moved into the closed position. Now, the drain had been draining fine since my friend got the plumbing re-done two years ago. I would assume that if a plumber did not hook up the plug (we take showers, not baths), then there would be no way of activating it. I would also assume it fould fail in the “drain” mode if it’s still there. But there is definitely something there.
I’d hate to call a plumber and have it turn out to be a hair clog. Also, we’re having record cold temperatures here. Plumbers are probably extremely busy with burst pipes. (BTW, I did turn on the cold water taps to a trickle and turned off the hot.)
If the plug is still in the drain and it somehow closed, is there a way of deactivating it without A) crawling under the house (As I said, it’s freezing outside, and I don’t know if I would fit under the house anyway); and B) without having a linkage to the lever? Maybe a dowel and a sharp smack?
Johnny, are you sure your drain isn’t frozen? If you can see your drain lines under your house you can hook your garden hose up to the water heater drain and spray it down.
The drain plug is just that. If the end of the trip lever on the tub plate corrodes to the point of disintegration, or if the adjustable rod connecting the drain plug to the trip lever befalls the same fate, the tub will not drain.
If the drain plug is blocking the waste tee, you should be able to snag it with a coathanger hook. It, and the perhaps invisible linkage will draw out vertically through the hole present for trip lever mounting. (If it’s there)
Usually tubs have access panels in a closet or hallway opposite the bathroom where you can have a look at the whole trip waste overflow assembly and form a better mental picture of how it works.
With a frozen drain last winter, I simply mixed the strongest solution of sidewalk ice melter (calcuim chloride?) that I could get (hot water) and sprayed it as best I could down the drain. It worked a treat. if you can somehow make it circulate, so much the better. Maybe a small hose/bag arrangement?
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BTW, I see your location has changed. Are you now a former Californian like me?
danceswithcats: I found the access panel and opened it. There is a downpipe from the tub overflow (where the lever is). Then there is a T that goes to the drain. I put a crook in the hanger and was able to put it easily down its entire length. I twisted it around, but could not detect any mechanism. I did pull up a little hair, but ot enough to cause a clog. The pipe is black plastic. There is a segment above the T, about three inches long, that has a hex-shaped top. It looks as if it can be unscrewed and slid upwards. I may have to go to the storage unit to get my channel-lock pliers or monkey wrench if I want to open it.
Knowing my friend, I would not be surprised if he told the plumber not to install a plug. On the other hand, the plumber might have installed one as SOP. I still don’t know if that thing in the drain is actually a plug, or if it is something else. Anyone know of a tub drain cross-section diagram online?
hammerbach: Yes, I moved here about five weeks ago. I decided my name was perfect for someone who no longer lives in L.A.
If you couldn’t hook the drain basket, it very likely isn’t there. The hex shaped top above the segment is the slip nut where the overflow tube fits into the waste tee. Your problem is not there.
Go directly down, below where the tub drain shoe fits into the horizontal leg of the tee, and you should see a trap. The blockage is either there or in the lateral connecting the tub drain to the lavatory and toilet at the main drainwaste line.
I was not able to find an online diagram of a trip waste overflow assembly, but I think you’ve proven the problem lies elsewhere.
Try enola’s vac suggestion-but block the overflow inlet with your hand, or you’ll not apply vacuum to the trap. If that fails, I’d go another round with chemistry. Old fashioned lye has worked well for me, but it must be used with great caution, for obvious reasons.
