I just moved into a new place. The water backs up after a bit when
showering. I hate standing in dirty water. I gave it 4 doses of lye over
3 days. It's a tiny bit better but it still backs up. Is this something
a plumber can fix easily?
Thanks for any advise,
Bonnie

rosebud wrote:
I just moved into a new place. The water backs up after a bit when
showering. I hate standing in dirty water. I gave it 4 doses of lye
over 3 days. It's a tiny bit better but it still backs up. Is this
something a plumber can fix easily?
Thanks for any advise,
Bonnie

I would suggest checking to see if you can remove the stopper and see if
there is hair caught in some part of the drain that is blocking the
draining. I suggest not using lye. Some plumbing parts don't like it and
it seldom really fixes the problem.

You may be able to clean it out right there, or you may need to "snake"
it out. You can purchase a small "snake" make for that use. However they
can be a little tricky to use in a tub drain.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

I'd suggest trying a plunger. It may not work, but it might, and is
quick and easy. Fill tub, blocking drain if necessary. Block
overflow with duct tape, or stuff wet rag into it. Unblock main
drain, put plunger over it, then pull plunger with short, sharp
strokes for a minute or two, alterenating pulling and pushing, really,
but more pulling. I've cleared a few like this, but wear boots if you
don't like standing in dirty water, because you will be..

i take a number 12 electric wire cut to about 8 inches and bend a hook
on the end. i work it it the tub drain and pull out the hair..its quite
icky..lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

wrote:
i take a number 12 electric wire cut to about 8 inches and bend a hook
on the end. i work it it the tub drain and pull out the hair..its quite
icky..lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Yeah. Once I fished somebody's old washcloth out of a tub drain after I
moved in. Improved things quite a bit.

I couldn't believe the stuff that came out of my bathtub drain the
first time I "fished" it. In addition to the usual gunk, there were
chunks of, apparently, cardboard, horseshoe nails, old rusty pieces of
small springs, wires of various kinds, even a few small rocks. I don't
quite understand how you drop a horseshoe nail down a drain and don't
try to get it back out...or, for that matter, what your horse was doing
in your bathtub.

Jo Ann

wrote:
I couldn't believe the stuff that came out of my bathtub drain the
first time I "fished" it. In addition to the usual gunk, there were
chunks of, apparently, cardboard, horseshoe nails, old rusty pieces of
small springs, wires of various kinds, even a few small rocks. I don't
quite understand how you drop a horseshoe nail down a drain and don't
try to get it back out...or, for that matter, what your horse was doing
in your bathtub.

Jo Ann

I feel sorry for all the people who would end up snaking the bathtub
drains of all the places I rented when I had a large dog who would need
a bath now and then.....

off topic, but i saw an interesting idea yesterday;
put a gate valve in the drain line, then below it run a line through a
valve to the cold water supply; so in case of a clog, shut the gate
valve, open the supply valve, and let the water supply blow the clog
downstream and out. from a 1952 mechanix illustrated mag.


rosebud wrote:
I just moved into a new place. The water backs up after a bit when
showering. I hate standing in dirty water. I gave it 4 doses of lye over
3 days. It's a tiny bit better but it still backs up. Is this something
a plumber can fix easily?
Thanks for any advise,
Bonnie

On 21 Apr 2006 07:34:10 -0700, "z" wrote:

off topic, but i saw an interesting idea yesterday;
put a gate valve in the drain line, then below it run a line through a
valve to the cold water supply; so in case of a clog, shut the gate
valve, open the supply valve, and let the water supply blow the clog
downstream and out. from a 1952 mechanix illustrated mag.


DWV systems are not normally designed or tested to high-pressures.
You could easily pop a joint someplace hidden, trying that trick.

Perhaps more to the point, if you're adding extra bits to the
system to deal with clogs, just sticking an extra cleanout 'Y'
wherever you can't get a snake is cheaper and more reliable.

Goedjn wrote:

On 21 Apr 2006 07:34:10 -0700, "z" wrote:


off topic, but i saw an interesting idea yesterday;
put a gate valve in the drain line, then below it run a line through a
valve to the cold water supply; so in case of a clog, shut the gate
valve, open the supply valve, and let the water supply blow the clog
downstream and out. from a 1952 mechanix illustrated mag.



DWV systems are not normally designed or tested to high-pressures.
You could easily pop a joint someplace hidden, trying that trick.

Worse, such a setup invites contamination of the drinking supply
and is a prohibited "cross-connection".

Jim