After this thread of mine, I went out and got a Zip It. It took out a small wad of hair from somewhere in the pipes, and my bathtub drain flowed freely.
For about a month. Then it started slowing down again. I tried the Zip It again, and got very little hair out (though that may have been the teeth on one side being stripped out by something) and the slowness still continued.
The reason I created another thread is that the “symptoms” seem somewhat different this time from when there was the hair clog. First, the standing water drains a LOT faster after the faucet is shut off. Secondly, the draining is accompanied by a very audible “trickling” sound. Neither of these were true when it was a hair clog.
Any thoughts based on this info? Could call maintenance, but my place is kind of a mess right now, so I’d prefer a do-it-yourself solution, especially since I could get it done faster than waiting for them to come in anyway.
Sounds like there’s a larger clog in the pipe that the zip it isn’t reaching. Probably a build up of goop and slime. If you’re a tool person, I’d recommend getting a plumber’s snake, preferably one you can attach to a hand drill. My local hardware store rents them out for $8/day. Explain to the person at the store what you need it for, and they should be able to help, if they’re at all competent.
Since you can’t get to the clean out for the tub pipe, you’re going to have to run the snake down the drain, which can be a pain due to the L, S, or U pipe at the end of your drain. (I’ve seen all 3 used in apartments. Much prefer the L, but S and U help keep odors down.) Once it’s in the pipe, simply crank up the drill and let it spin, while feeding it further into the pipe. When you feel the clog break, or don’t meet any resistance once it’s all the way in, slowly back the snake back out of the pipe. Be careful not to run the drill to fast, as you can crack the pipe.
I’d try the plain ammonia method mentioned in post #18 of your other thread first. If it’s a goop build up, that should take care of it altogether. Or the baking soda method mentioned in post #15, if you’re worried about pouring caustic chemicals down the drain.
If you do end up using anything in the drain chemical or boiling water wise, please tell the plumber if you do end up having to call him out. That stuff can sit in pipes, and there’s nothing worse than working on plumbing and getting a face full of what’s basically acid.
Sorry, I was almost zonked out due to meds when I posted last night. I didn’t mean to imply that boiling water can be acidic. To bad I can’t go back and edit my post now.
Update: it turned out the problem was probably a bunch of hair stuck in the drain trap (there’s a new plug on my tub installed the last time I complained of slow drainage, one that covers the trap up). Plus, there was a problem I didn’t anticipate with the baking powder method: it didn’t go down the drain! It just stuck there piling up, so I don’t think it would’ve done much good anyway!
We’ll see what happens when I shower later tonight.
If you have to call out a plumber, you tell them everything you did on your own before you called them out. That way, the plumber doesn’t get surprised when the chemicals he/she uses doesn’t mysteriously blow back in their face.