eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'amarcoplumbing_com-box-3','ezslot_3',123,'0','0']));Considering all the hair and soap grease that pass through the pipes on a daily basis – clogs don’t come as a surprise; actually, they are somewhat inexorable, especially if you don’t maintain your drains! Most bathtub drains have either a strainer or a stopper. If boiling water didn’t do the job, try pouring one cup of liquid dish-washing detergent followed by one liter of hot water after 30 minutes. Even though I am no longer offering my services, my friends and family have been asking me for plumbing advice. Though many homeowners rely on drain cleaners or a combination of baking soda and hot water as unclogging methods, there are more effective ways to clear clogs, like Zip-it tools. Hi, my name is Marco. Helpful 73 Not Helpful 51 Don’t let anyone lead you up the garden path – these preparations can be as effective as the chemical drain cleaners that can be bought in stores! Method 1 â¢Cleaning the Stopper. But before you call the plumber, check to see if ⦠Now I can take showers without worrying about water accumulating. Not to mention that you’ll get more bang for your buck than if you called in a professional! Thank you for the tips! Then, place the screws in a safe location while you unclog the drain. Copyright 2020 by Amarco Plumbing. Remnants of the drain cleaner can seep up from the drain and into your bathwater. I used a drain claw, and my tub is running great again. Cover the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes. To create this article, 42 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. ", you, this was most helpful and greatly appreciated. Simply drain out the water, place the plunger over the plug-hole and pump it about ten times. You most certainly do! Can I use something other than baking soda to unclog a bathtub drain? The simplest version of its use for the treatment of clogged drains is pouring ½ cup of borax followed by two cups of boiling water and letting it stand for about an hour before flushing the drain with water! You have really simplified my work, thanks. Upon noticing that your bathtub is clogged, itâs important to observe the water lingering in it heedfully so as to determine whether it is oozing away slowly or remaining in the tub. Most clogged bathtub drains can be cleared with a plunger or by removing and cleaning out the tub stopper. The water clog happened for the first time, and that, "I first put boiling water down the drain, as you said, then did the soda and vinegar. The first try was 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar which didn't work. Most of the time, bathtub clogs are caused by a build up of hair and other debris in the drain. Flush the Tub Drain With Boiling Water If you removed the gunk to no avail, this is another easy trick you could try. If you still haven’t experienced having your feet completely submerged in water that you’ve just used to wash away all the dirt and sweat from your body, you surely will at some point in the future! To mechanically clear out any type of clog, plungers and drain snakes are your best bet. Flush the drain well with clear water. Hair clogs block many drains. If this method doesn't work, keep reading to learn how to use a toilet plunger or a chemical drain cleaner to solve your problem! You can also use the end of a bent metal coat hanger. Itâs pretty gross to look at and touch, and it can stink pretty bad if itâs been in there a while, but when you remove it with a tool designed for the job, you can be pretty sure that water will flow will be back to normal when you finish. You can use a variety of cleaners, just never use an abrasive scrub pad. Hot Water Heater Leaking from Overflow Pipe, Mixtures Containing Baking or Washing Soda. Forget about drinking it if you are struggling with a clogged bathtub – let it flow down your drain instead! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I am happy. amarcoplumbing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'amarcoplumbing_com-box-4','ezslot_4',107,'0','0']));Both sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate can eradicate any type of dirt! Privacy Policy | Disclaimer, 7 Home Remedies for Clogged Bathtub Drains, Best Handheld Shower Head for Low Water Pressure, Best Rain Shower Head with Handheld Reviews, Best Ionic Shower Head: Filters for Hard Water. If you should use a liquid drain cleaner, wait a few hours before you decide to take a bath. This method is usually effective on small clogs, so if your drain is badly clogged, it may not be as effective. Turn each screw surrounding the strainer until all are loose. Work the drain snake down the overflow hole, only this time, allow the water to run while you snake out the drain. Just pour ½ cup (90 g) of baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar. A clogged bathtub may be a little higher on the difficulty scale than a clogged kitchen drain or toilet, but most homeowners should be able to fix this problem using basic repair tools and commercially available chemical drain openers. Fortunately this is an easy fix â for anyone. This is the second time I, "Filled the tub with hot water a few inches. Thanks!! If you use a liquid drain cleaner, and the drain is still clogged, be sure to tell your plumber, so that they can take the appropriate precautions. Unlike many household problems that happen suddenly and unexpectedly, like storm flooding or a pipe pierced by a root, this draining difficulty often results from the gradual build-up of material in your drain over time. Happy to say I have my tub back again. Apply it in the following manner – ten minutes after pouring a cup of baking soda, add a cup of it into the drain leaving it for a couple of hours to bubble. Unscrewed the drain cap, which was difficult to do because, "Incredible! Used the plunger about 4 times. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. If you start to smell a pungent odor coming from your bathtub drain along with water backing up it means youâve got a clog. Overflow from the tub drain when you flush the toilet can be unpleasant, but it's a problem that is usually easy to fix. Wooden vs Plastic Toilet Seat: Which one to Choose? And rest assured – your efforts won’t go down the drain but the clog definitely will! Wear gloves at all times when handling any chemicals. There are actually several simple and affordable ways that often don’t involve visiting either online or brick-and-mortar stores, heaven forbid calling the plumber, because you probably have all the ingredients at hand! A clogged bathtub drain can be cleared in several ways. For the best results, opt for this alternative - pour ¾ cup of baking soda first, then ¼ cup of salt followed by ¼ of hydrogen peroxide and, lastly, ½ cup of vinegar. Push it all the way down the drain or until only the top tab is visible. As with a sink clog, start with the plunger. Baking soda is alkaline. All the long hair that goes into the drain gets stuck and clogs up the bathtub/shower drain way too often. ", shower right now. I didn't know that all you had to do is unscrew the, "I was told by many people to get a plumber and not to do this myself, but I'm glad I did. It uses high pressure air to naturally unclog your tubs and toilets, without the need for harmful chemicals. Clothes washer to bathtub is a common symptom, because the clothes washer drains a lot of water up high (it has a pump) and the tub drain is down low. ", "I never had any idea on the chemical drain cleaners. Learn more... A clogged bathtub is frustrating, especially when you want to hop in the shower or take a bath. We know ads can be annoying, but theyâre what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Unclogging a clogged drain in a bathtub has to be one of many frustrating tasks to do in the house. So I guess it worked. I did it three, "Thought it was just a buildup of hair, soap and gunk. This would cause a large chunk of waste getting deposited over time. Make sure the product is intended for your system; on the back of the cleaner, it will say what types of pipes it is suitable for. Slowly pull it out to keep the hair or other blockage from dislodging. Clean off any gunk in the stopper and linkage, then run water down the drain to flush out anything thatâs left. Heavy wire or coat hanger to bend into hook. A clogged drain, typically caused by a backup of hair and soap scum that has been accumulating for some time. The center strainer is held in by spring clips, so you have to put a hook through the mesh and pull to pop it out. How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain With Standing Water How To Unclog Your Bathtub Drain With Baking Soda and Vinegar We get a call every month about a pesky bathtub being clogged with too much hair. Yippee! To fix a slow draining bathtub, you can take the following steps; 1. times in a row. How to fix a slow draining bathtub. ", "Thanks, all this article is so helpful. I'm giving it a big test and taking a, "Thanks to this article, I was able to unclog our tub and save money. You can also blend 3 cups of hydrogen peroxide and ¾ gallon of cold water and use that solution instead! The power of baking soda and vinegar combined into a mixture is a solid way of getting rid of any clogs you have in your home, especially when it comes to bathtub drains. Believe it or not – phosphoric acid which these drinks contain can deal a great blow to the sludge in your drains so feel free to use them as clog prevention too! Buy a product intended specifically for bathtubs. The bubbles indicate that the problem is likely due to a plumbing problem further downstream in the pipes, likely between the house and sewage (rather than within the house). I tried running just really hot water and the bathtub is just filling ⦠5 Ways To Clear A Clogged Bathtub Drain Read More » ", "The baking soda and vinegar method is the best - safe and clean for me and for the environment. To create this article, 42 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. If you donât find a clog underneath the stopper, it may be deeper in the drain. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 4,306,768 times. The volcanic eruption that happens in classroom experiments happens in your drain, eating away at hair, dirt, and grease. This article has been viewed 4,306,768 times. Moreover, they are less harmful to your pipes, respiratory or the ones in the drainage system and more environmentally friendly because they don’t emit any toxic fumes! Hot water can melt any hardened grease which makes it an incredibly efficient drain cleaner! About 80 percent of the time, you can fix slow-draining or clogged tub drains in about five minutes, without chemicals and without a $100 plumber bill. Soap residue has the tendency to attract more hair and other waste together. Saved myself $75.00 service, "The article was easy to follow and I was able to share the information to help someone who was having a similar, "Boiling water down the drain = instant fix. And if you still have some lemons left – do make that lemonade to refresh yourself before having a shower in your unclogged bath! Avoiding mixing many chemicals together. Thanks a bunch! The strainer may be two pieces. Use care when handling any liquid drain cleaners. This may need a professional consultation. References ", was a mild one. If you should use a liquid drain cleaner, wait a few hours before you decide to take a bath. Baking Soda and Vinegar. Use dish soap to loosen stubborn clogs, or choose vinegar and baking soda for a potent way to break up debris and get your bathtub drain working again. Remedy this by using a teakettle of hot water, 1 cup of vinegar, and ¼-cup baking soda. We recommend you check out the Clog Demolisher. If after trying these all the tub is still clogged, then use a Snake to remove the drain. Then I did it twice, each time 1 cup of baking soda and 4 cups of vinegar. The downside: I may waste water by taking a longer shower. ", water, baking soda, and vinegar. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. ", "Borax, baking soda and vinegar. Known as sodium tetraborate to the ones knowledgeable about chemistry, this is an organic compound that is generally very versatile! If this method doesn't work, keep reading to learn how to use a toilet plunger or a chemical drain cleaner to solve your problem! I used a zip-it and followed it with boiling, "The first article helped. In most cases, youâll only need a screwdriver and a stiff wire or a bent coat hanger. Pay attention to use 3% hydrogen peroxide because higher concentrations can cause chemical burns! This article has been viewed 4,306,768 times. This process can also be repeated as many times as needed because it doesn’t do any harm! This item: DrainWig- Bathtub Drain (2Pack), Never Clean a Clogged Drain Again, Hair Strainer, Hair Snare, As⦠$24.99 Only 4 left in stock - order soon. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Fortunately, you may not need to call a plumber to fix your problem. Keep plunging until the water drains when you remove the plunger. Letâs explore these steps in detail. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Over time, the drain gradually clogs until you find yourself standing in the tub taking a shower with several inches of dirty water lapping at your ankles. The best ways to unclog bathtub drainpipes is with vinegar, baking soda, and scalding hot water. Firstly, use strainers and stoppers and clean them regularly!