Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?


Thanks in advance!

JH wrote:

Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?


Thanks in advance!

Block off the overflow with wet rags stuffed in.

Use a Shop Vac to suction at the drain opening.

Beyond that, you will probably need a professional-size
drain/snake machine.

If there is a trap which can be accessed AND opened,
that may help get a snake in.

Tub drains are often the most difficult to clear.

Jim

On May 26, 6:40 pm, JH wrote:
Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water

None are working! Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance!

I've had this problem and called plumber. TOH showed diagram (not
sure it is in link) but check it out. Snaking should work but it is
not as obvious as I recall drain goes in differen direction as I
expected.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/know...3799-4,00.html

Frank

"JH" wrote in message
...
Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?

I've had some luck with the garden hose. Stick the end down the drain.
Wrap it with a rag to form a seal. Cover the overflow with another rag
and hold securly. Turn on the water and see if it clears the
obstruction. There is some risk of overpressuring the drain and
causing a leak if the pipe is weak somewhere.

Bob

JH wrote:
Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?


Thanks in advance!


Unscrew the stopper and take out the gigantic wad of hair and soap
that's caught on the little cross-shaped thing in the center where the
stopper screws.

If you don't have a teen-aged daughter with long hair, you can probably
ignore this.

Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
JH wrote:
Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?


Thanks in advance!


Unscrew the stopper and take out the gigantic wad of hair and soap that's
caught on the little cross-shaped thing in the center where the stopper
screws.

If you don't have a teen-aged daughter with long hair, you can probably
ignore this.

Older women shed too, as do males. The clogging just happens quicker with
long hair, which usually goes bye-bye after the first kid, for some reason.
But yeah, that is my first thing to try on slow tub drains- some are a real
PITA to get apart, especially since the drain is in the blurry zone between
my reading classes and regular glasses.

aem sends...

Ooops...2) Should have read that I took that I
took the stopper out.


I tried the garden hose...didn't work

I'm trying the shop vac thing...so far it doesn't
look too promising...




On Sat, 26 May 2007 22:40:55 GMT, JH
wrote:

Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water


None are working! Any other ideas?


Thanks in advance!

On May 26, 8:39�pm, JH wrote:
Ooops...2) Should have read that I took that I
took the stopper out.

I tried the garden hose...didn't work

I'm trying the shop vac thing...so far it doesn't
look too promising... *

On Sat, 26 May 2007 22:40:55 GMT, JH



wrote:
*Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
bit. I tried the following and none worked;

1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
hole)
2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
to tub mode
3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
and the overflow hole
4) vinegar and baking powder
5) boiling water

None are working! Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

it depends on where clog is.....

if its far downsteam a small hand snake wouldnt work.

did you snake down the opening where the drain shut off goes?

On May 26, 7:39 pm, JH wrote:
I'm trying the shop vac thing...so far it doesn't

What are you trying to do with the shop vac?

I shop vac standing water out, and run the faucet for a bit. Once
water pools again, I vac it out. Takes 3-4 iterations, then it opens
up. Sometimes I'll put crystals or drain opener after a vacuum, let it
sit, then run the faucet and wait a bit before vac it out, but this is
when I'm feeling adventurous or desperate.

JH wrote:
Ooops...2) Should have read that I took that I
took the stopper out.


I tried the garden hose...didn't work

I'm trying the shop vac thing...so far it doesn't
look too promising...


When our shower drain seemed a little slow, I got out the old coat
hanger...straightened it out and bent the tip into a very small hook.
When I put it into the drain, it seemed like it hit something soft - I
was worried the pipe was broken and I was hitting dirt. It wasn't dirt
- it was an amazing, huge, disgusting glob of hair. Probably 35 years
worth (

I realize a hanger could be dangerous, but I had no intention of
inserting into the bend in the pipe. In another home, the plumber got a
tub drain cleaned out, and could tell there had been only two people
who had used that tub. He was right, and he knew their hair color. Yuck!

Tub drain clogs are often hair and grease. To clear that
chemically, you need dry crystals of hydroxide.

Drano crystals come to mind.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to...in-repairs.htm

Let us know what works.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"JH" wrote in message
...
: Today the tub refuses to drain, even a little
: bit. I tried the following and none worked;
:
: 1) plunger (while trying to block the overflow
: hole)
: 2) taking the thingy out the switches from shower
: to tub mode
: 3) snaking the drain by hand, both from the drain
: and the overflow hole
: 4) vinegar and baking powder
: 5) boiling water
:
:
: None are working! Any other ideas?
:
:
: Thanks in advance!

jh, if you think its plugged in the trap at the drain,what i try is a
foot of # 12 elec wire bend a hook on the end and fish out the hair
clog. lucas

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