My bathtub drain is slow. I can pour 1 quart of water in before it is level with the top of the drain. The drain is standard 1 1/2 inches in diameter. How far from the drain is the clog?
Probably not very far, depending on how rapidly you pour in the water.
Have you tried snaking the drain yet? There’s a gizmo called a Zip-It that costs around four bucks at the hardware store that works well on hair clogs in bathroom sinks and tubs. It’s skinny plastic thing about 18" long with barbs along its length. The barbs catch and cut the hair, and with any luck, you’ll get a free-flowing drain without resorting to dangerous chemicals.
not far.
you maybe have a stopper mechanism the levers of which can snap hair and stuff and plug up.
there also is a trap just inches below the tub which can get stopped up and plug.
there are hair snag cleaners, flat plastic strip about 18 inches with barbs on the sides (safe for hands) stick in and remove hair. if no flow then try a plumbing snake.
If you have a mechanical drain stopper and there area couple of screws, one on each side of the operating handle you can remove those two screws and pull all of the operating linkage out through that opening.
There is a spring in this mechanism and that is where most of the hair catches.
Here, is a picture of a couple common stoppers.
And Here is a video of how to do it.
A plumber once showed me how to solve this problem:
- Remove the plate which partially covers the overflow drain. (You’ll probably need a screwdriver)
- Stuff a rag into the overflow drain.
- Use a plunger on the regular drain.
If you don’t plug up the overflow drain while plunging, the pressurized air just comes up and out the overflow. With it stuffed by a rag, the clog is the new weakest link, and it yields under the air pressure.
Good luck!
Eureka! You people are awesome! For an untrained female (IANAPlumber) I usually do pretty well with plumbing. I own two snakes but neither would fit past the cross in the drain. All the plumbing fixtures in this house are very old. I have in the past successfully snaked and properly plunged the sinks; but the tub has always vexed me. After watching the video I realized I was not properly plugging the overflow drain when I attempted plunging it early.
Again THANK YOU!!! The drain is running free WOO HOO! I’m taking a shower!
unless the vent stack is between the drain and the clog. And then it has to be snaked. Had that problem with my sink.
A wet and partially wrung-out rag seals the overflow drain better than a dry rag.