Unclogging Tub/shwr Drain

IHI

Figured since I'm here I'd post. I'm not a plumber nor care to be LOL, so before I call in one of my subs or a drain guy wanted to see if I'm missing something.

Myhouse was built in '80 so uses all PVC drain lines 1.5" standard for tub/shower. 1 wife and 1 daughter so naturally hair is a problem along with soap scum etc..lately the tub fills up while showering. I initally did the plunger and at first that worked just fine. Then it got to a point that did no good and it still drained slooowly so first tried 3-4 pots of boiling water dumped down the drain-still no difference. Tried Draino a few times and no difference.

So any other methods you can think of? Noticed too the bathroom sink drain has slowed also so assume the 2 are related. Looking for a bone before I call in the big boys.

thanks fellas

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D.C.

Didya try taking out the stainer in tub and pop-up in lav and fishing out the hair with a wire. Girl hair gets caught on them and hangs way down and catches everything and you can't see it too well. Called the big boys once and I got to pay them for pointing this out. Spensive lesson.

IHI

Not to sound too lazy...but you know what it's like doing this crap all day with no motivation to work on your own home at night. The bathroom needs updating once I get my shop built, so currently there is no pop up drain plug...it's just open to the world and we're down to using a push in rubber plug for when the daughter takes a bath.

to answer your question quickly-yes, we've pulled out enough hair to make one think Sasquatch and his family took up residence for bath time LOL!!

Thinking at this point there is no "majic answer" other than calling in the big guns to really hog out the lines, but wanted to make sure I'm not missing a feild tested fix before I do call.

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747

Here is what i would have done. On the bath above the drain is a overflow or the thing that controls the stop in the tub. I would have taken that off. Went to menards bought a hand held snake that turns shove it down that and start turning it. Thats what i do when my drain starts running slow when taking a shower works everytime. Only needs to be done like every 3 months. That hand held snake that turns cost me under ten dollars at menards. The way it works is. The pull the cable out then tighten the bolt then turn. Unloosen the bolt shove down farther tighten bolt and so on.

Ps the draino in the can the crystals is the way to go. Pore a bunch in add little hot water instant sizzling.

IHI

747, just got done snaking out the drain....on one hand I thanks you since I was thinking too outside of the box and missed the obviosu duh LOL. BUT on the other hand I'm not real happy as it reconfirmed why I'm not a plumber, not in the drain cleaning biz since I am now emotionally scarred for life and my sniffer still aint smell'n thigs right.

Man that was friggin gross LMAO!! took 30 minutes of snaking each pull brining up tons of soapy stankey hair balls it gave me enough motivation to now go out and redo my drain assembly to try and twart off future digusting problems...eewww

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sage

I think I just threw up in my mouth!

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IHI

I was like a lil school girl trying not to let that nasty ******************** touch anything on me other than my hands, even the dog breifly stuck his head in and ran to the bedroom to hide. Just wicked I tell ya, I can dig some out and send ya a free sample so you can verify the hell I went through this morning LOL!!

Aint no wonder plumbers are the highest paid trade in the world right under electricians


Ya know, this brought back memories of when my dog was a pup and chewed up one of my socks, let'em out one day and he was all hunched up try'n to poop but could'nt, seen something hangin. Put a plastic bag over my hand and pulled half of my sock of out his azz...this ranks right up there with the drain cleaning...an no I did'nt try to wash and reuse either LMAO!!

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jmic

LMAO
Are you still looking for the other half of your sock?

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Joe

D.C.

That's how I found my missing shoelace once. It was a long pull.

IHI

Yeah, I felt like a circus clown, I kept pulling and pulling and more and more sock was coming out...at first it was funny, then I started getting nervious since it was like a never ending sock I prolly gave the dam dog an intestinal enema as much as I pulled out LOL!! Sure made him happy though, he took off running still hunched over until he realized his guts were clogged anymore and made he was a happy camper

I was able to grab the other sock before ingestion luckily, but it was shredded.

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Steve Unkie

The 2 rules of plumbing: poop runs downhill and don't lick your fingers.

Steve Unkie.

ricks_plumbing

there are three other rules hot-left cold right payday is friday and the boss is an azzhole

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painterman

Theres more....Sh!t falls ....fumes rise....and you can't push rope

Atricaudatus

747,
The next time, and there WILL inevitably be a next time, you can try a commercial chemical treatment. I use a product called "GLUG" from hercules. Its a granulated acid that activates with hot water. don't confuse this stuff with "Draino" or other DIY chemicals available at the grocery store. Look for it at the plumbing supply house.

I have had a lot of success with it as it does a pretty fair job of burning out the hair and soap scum build-up. I have a similiar problem here with two females with long hair in the house, so I treat the drains with GLUG about once every two moths or so. It works great on "slow" drains but isn't so good for busting clogs. I use a little more than the directions recommend and retreat it two or three times in a row. Rinse the drain lines thoroughly for several minutes after your finished. You should notice an immediate improvement.

There used to be a product called "Haymaker" which was a strong acid, and great for buring out grease, soap, hair and danged near anything else; but it's too UN-ecofriendly and we can't get around here anymore.

Try some GLUG about once a month or so and you shouldn't have to resort to pulling out hair balls with your snake in the future.

Good luck.

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-Rhett
Licensed electrician and plumber

IHI

Is GLUG compatable with PVC pipes? Hate to dump some highly acidic junk down the drain and find this black sluge all over the basement....I'd hate to have to burn down the house due to black slimmey stank all over my basement LOL!!

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Atricaudatus

You can put the matches away. GLUG is fine for PVC according to the label. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse the piping with cold water for several minutes after using it. I have been using it now and then for quite a while and haven't had it create any problems.

Works great on grease buildup at kitchen sinks too.

Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.

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-Rhett
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jmic

WARNING:
Glug not to be used for burning socks out of dogs azzes!

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Joe

CGofMP

I too have used some of that highly acidic stuff (again not the crap in grocery stores) with pretty good luck. It is expensive at 30 bucks a gallon.

There has come a time however when even that wouldnt work and the snake was not even making it into the pipe.

I ended up pulling top off of the 1960s era tub drain which had some fantastic twists in it (WTF over?) and using needle nose pliers to slowly teasing out some sort of highly acidic fur/soap/acid/wahteverthehell plug out of the drain little pieces at a time.

Never more glad for thick anti-chem gloves.

Another neat tool that I do not know the proper name for you can put in through the vent. What it looks like is a pregnant hose with a nozzle at the end. You attach this to a garden hose, push it down the vent and turn the hose on. The rubber thing expands and expands itself in the vent pipe closing the vent pipe off. This then builds water pressure below it and pushes the clog down the sewer pipe.

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Atricaudatus

I detect a military background here.

I have two of those, a 3" and a 2". They are ok, but only work if the clog is beyond the point the vent connects to the trap lateral. Unfortunately most clogs are somewhere between the trap and that point. I don't even carry them on my truck anymore.

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-Rhett
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Song Dog

Around here we call it a Blow Bag. Gotta laugh at the name.
I use some stuff called Flow Easy. It reacts in water. They say you can add it to standing water but I ain't gonna do it. I will pour some in the drain and let it sit for a bit. Then I flush it out and if that didn't make it the way I expect it to I add more and let it sit longer.

God Bless,

Song Dog