How To Unclog A Bathtub Drain

It can get very annoying when your bathtub gets blocked due to hair, dirt, foam or other particles. You can follow some simple unclogging steps to get rid of the blockage and ensure the plumbing is in good working order.

Here is a list of steps to help you unclog a bathtub drain 

Unclogging the bathtub 

Remove the stopper and look for residual hair follicles and other debris that are blocking the drain. Clean out all the debris manually and quite often this should resolve the issue. You can either use coat hanger or a pair of tweezers to scoop out the debris in case you don’t want to touch it by hand. There are different kinds of stoppers that are fitted in bath tubs.

The most common form of stopper used in most bathtubs is the drop stopper. It comes with a screw that can be located under the cap and all you need to do is to lift the cap and unscrew it from the shaft gently. Remove the stopper from the shaft and you will notice almost 80 % of the time the blockage is due to accumulation of debris caught at the cross bars of the bathtub drain.

Another type of stopper used is the Push-Lock drain stopper. The stopper can be locked by pushing or pressing it and can be released by pressing it again. In order to remove them during cleaning, hold on to the stem of the stopper and unscrew the cap.

Once the stopper has been removed you can use a wire with one its ends bent to create a hook. Scoop all the debris with the help of the wire and nicely rinse the drain to check for any more blockages.  Sometimes the debris would be unreachable and you need to get more hands on to clear the bathtub drain.

Using a Snake 

When the debris is unreachable through a normal bent wire you can use a pipe snake to clear the drain. The snake is a flexible piece of metallic equipment which can reach far away corners because of its length. Lower the snake in to the drain to reach the debris and poke around to clear the clog. It’s normal to experience a some level of resistance while prodding at the clog. Keep turning it with the snake and soon you should be able to scoop remnants of the debris. Scoop it up and keep breaking up the debris which will help clear the bathtub drain. The process may have to be repeated again and again until all the debris has broken up.  Once you have done that, test to see if the results are satisfactory.

Use of chemicals

Sometimes the clog can be very persistent and might require harsher methods to get rid of them. The use of chemicals is one option but should generally be used as the last resort considering how sensitive they can be on your skin when you use the tub. You can acquire drain cleaners from stores and create your own simple homemade concoction. Take the cleaner and pour it into the drain and allow it to rest for some time. It will act on the clogging debris and break them up. You can check this by pouring some water to see if it drains quickly. Quite often you will notice that the cleaner was successful in breaking up the residue, which you can later clear out with the help of the snake.

Eco-friendly homemade cleaners for bathtub drain

Empty a cup of baking powder down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar. You will notice that the mixture starts to foam and let it remain for 10 minutes when it begins to act on the clog. Rinse it down with hot water to wash it away and check if you have been able to unclog the bathtub drain. You can also use the snake to clear out leftovers.

Removing the bathtub drain tap 

Finally this is the only option for the most stubborn form of blockages where more simpler methods have not been successful. You will have to remove the drain trap to get better access to plumbing mechanism of the bathtub.  In most tubs you will find that the traps are usually connected with the help of plastic or chrome coupling nuts which are usually located below the drain. Remove the drain trap and smoothly clean out all the debris. Replace the trap and make sure that it is not secured too tightly which may later on result in a leak. Call your plumber in case even this method fails to get you results.

 A few tips and pointers to help get you long term results:- 

• Do not shove small pieces of soap down the drain assuming they would just dissolve and get washed away. They may form part of the debris and dissolve very slowly leading to blockage of the bathtub drain. 
• Once a month pour a couple of liters of boiling water down the drain to remove stubborn particles like hair, grease and foam. Make sure to not make the water come in contact with the porcelain which may affect the bath tub. 
• Use the home made drain cleaner ever four months to maintain a healthy state of plumbing.