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Slow Drain in Bathtub

Started by ss400k
over 13 years ago
Posts: 405
Member since: Nov 2008
Discussion about
Drano, and some other poweders that the Super used didn't work... he mentioned possibly hiring a plumber to "rip up the tub" to see what was underneath.. ermm, don't wanna pay $5k (how much would this cost?) just to rip up tub to fix the drain.. any suggestions? many thanks
Response by Isle_of_Lucy
over 13 years ago
Posts: 342
Member since: Apr 2011

Have you tried snaking it out?

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Response by ab_11218
over 13 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009

i second snaking.

i would also buy the drano myself and follow the instructions. they want you to leave it in the drain for a while before flushing it.

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Response by Snuffles
over 13 years ago
Posts: 173
Member since: Apr 2010

Use Drano, let it sit for like 1 hr, and then use a toilet plunger and start plunging (WATCH your eyes from the splash back!!)

If not try the snake. Thats 1 lazy super if he didn't snake it.

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Response by bramstar
over 13 years ago
Posts: 1909
Member since: May 2008

Drano is murder on pipes. Surprised your super even used it--he should have gotten off his lazy behind and snaked the thing.

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Response by miriamg
over 13 years ago
Posts: 12
Member since: Jan 2012

Drano can eat the pipes and cause a major leak to the person living below you. use wisely

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Response by yikes
over 13 years ago
Posts: 1016
Member since: Mar 2012

go the snuffle route--will likely work--do it a couple of times.

If not, snake it, either yourself with a powerful drill and snake from home depot, or get a plumber to do it

betcha, if you snuffle it, it will be fixed--you likely have a serious clog of hair soap and god knows what else, down there

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Response by KeithB
over 13 years ago
Posts: 976
Member since: Aug 2009

There is an acid plumbers use that will work better than any OTC product (not great for the environment/pipes-but works). I had this problem in a brownstone I lived in, when they put the tub in they did not pitch the drain pipe correctly, neither snake nor acid would do the trick.

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Response by saiyar1
over 13 years ago
Posts: 182
Member since: Jun 2010

Had this issue. Super Hired a plumber who came with something that looked like a jackhammer. It snaked the drain and was some heavy duty machinery. There was a bunch of rotten long hair from the last owner. I followed up woth acid (ask any hardware store) and it's clear as the day they build the building.

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Response by alanhart
over 13 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&keyword=zep%20drain&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=SEARCH+ALL

... use the first product, Zep Drain Care, regularly to prevent clogs ... it uses enzymes to break down the agglomeration of soap, body hair, and dead skin.

Zep products are usually very good, so consider the other ones for slow/clogged drains.

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Response by alanhart
over 13 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
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Response by azemaitis
over 13 years ago
Posts: 21
Member since: Jul 2010

Depends on the type of drain mechanism you have, but I have a Kohler and if you have one like mine (that has a couple of pieces screwed into tub), you can unscrew the mechanism and pull forward and up the long spiral metal "hair catch", clean, and replace. I do it once every couple of months.

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