plumber ?

[300wbymann]

well, i can usually fix house hold problems myself( i build them for a living) but i got a little issue on my own house that has me a little stumped---

my bathtub is plugged-

to fix it, first i got a big ol' jug of liquid plumber, to burn through the wife and daughters hair that goes down the drain( and to think, they ##### about my lab shedding...) that didn't work, then i used my powered drain snake but i can only get it 4 feet down the drain.

i'm sure i'm just hung up on a corner in the pipeing, but not sure what else i can do?

even if i call my plummer, i'm not really sure what he can do?

he's just going to try and run his power snake, which he'll use the one i borrowed from him
, down the drain- but it just seems like it's not going to make this corner? any ideas?

 

[foundation]

I had the same deal at Thanksgiving only with the kitchen sink . I was doing all the same stuff and tried a couple of different snakes with out getting any results .

I finally gave up and called a plumber , and he had it fixed after a few minutes with the same type of power snake . I don't know what he did any different then what I did . Guess I wasnt thinking positive thoughts or some thing .

Good luck with it . I know its frustrating .

 

[300wbymann]

did he go right though the tub drain?

 

[foundation]

With my kitchen sink I started at the vent on the roof , then went from under the sink , then went to clean out in the basement .

The professional plumber started right under the sink and made it look easy . When I was doing it I could feel it hitting or getting caught in a bend or some where . I was watching him and he said he felt a little pressure , but it couldnt have been any thing like I was hitting .

I really dont know what he did any different than I did .

 

[sageadvice]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-30-11 AT 01:59AM (MST)[p]Blockages like that are usually in the p-trap or at the 3x2 "Y" where the tub line joins the 3" toilet main. Sometimes it's really hard to get a small snake to make the turns thru the p-trap but that is the easiest way, accessed thru the Overflow hole once you remove the cover and pull up and out, the plunger plug in there.

Sometines i use a small rubber water pressure ball attached to a garden hose. Once you have it down in the piping thru the waste and overflow hole, turn the water on and the rubber ball will fill until it seals the pipe and cause water pressure to blow out and remove the blockage. Going this way, you'll need to somehow keep the water pressure from coming up in your tub and may even need to cap off the tub-shower vent on the roof. Or, you can put the ball in the roof vent, make sure your tube drain is closed and blow out the 2" line from the tub.

If you have a decent sized crawl space, you can just cut the p-trap out and go from there, either clean the p-trap, snake up or down the the line to remove the blockage.

If you have a slab floor, sometimes you can access the p-trap from opening a wall access directly behind and down near the floor of the tub. I don't recommend this way as you probably will need a plumber to put stuff back together and it's a PITA job..

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[ShowThemToMe]

How Old/New is the House?

Old Galvanized & Cast Iron?

Or?

Newer ABS or PVC?

If it's old enough to be Galvanized which was used once upon a time, you might be trying to get that snake around a Sharp Turn 90?(A 90 that doesn't have much sweep to it!)and if there's one,there'll be more!

Even with Modern Day Plumbage I've seen So-Called Plumbers use 'Vent Ells' which are short turn 90's made out of ABS/PVC or Sanitary Tee's rather than Wyes & Comnbinations!(Against Code but they still Sneak em in sometimes!)

Don't ever Doubt a Good Plumber,He might Rip your House apart but He can Usually Fix the Problem!

Some of the Better Drain Cleaner Boys that have Top Notch equipment can also run a Camera Down Stream to take a Peak,they can also mark the exact spot if a Slab Floor needs to be cut out when there's no other choice!

I like sages Reply on this:"""If you have a Dencent Sized Crawl Space"""!Ya,that always helps!

Quit being so damn Cheap & Hire a Plumber!






Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can

 

[grizzlyplumber]

Many times with the tub it ends up being in the shoe, basically the first 6 inches or so inside of the drain, before it even hooks up to the overflow and into the ptrap. You have seen the infomercials for the Zippit, they sell them at Home Depot for about 3 bucks and they really work. I bill it as a "tub auger" or "sink auger" and its an easy $75 every time.

http://zipitclean.com/

 

[RMK_800]

We have a really old house and our sink clogs up about once every 6 months or so... I usually buy some liquid plumber pour it down the sink at night and then in the morning if it hasn't come unclogged I will get the plunger from the bathroom and put a little water in the sink and then plunge like hell until the water starts to drain. We have been in the house for 2 years and it always comes back, I am guessing the pipes are lined with corrosion and everything else for 60 years that it only takes something small to clog it. But if you plunge like hell it always seems to solve the problem.

 

[bucklover]

I'm not a plummer but I gave up on Liquid Plummer type products long ago. I go striaght for the sulfuric acid, sitting right next to the other drain products. You've got to be careful with it but it works.

 

[BuckSnort]

An M80 with a waterproof fuse should do the trick..

Disclaimer:
The poster does not take any responsibility for any hurt or bad feelings. Reading threads poses inherent risks. The poster would like to remind readers to make sure they have a functional sense of humor before they visit any discussion board.

 

[tylercreek2]

>>>Sometines i use a small rubber water pressure ball attached to a garden hose. Once you have it down in the piping thru the waste and overflow hole, turn the water on and the rubber ball will fill until it seals the pipe and cause water pressure to blow out and remove the blockage<<<

+1 this has worked every time i have used it

 

[Snuffy]

As a Commercial Plumber/Pipefitter I seldom do service work so I recommend a complete repipe of the whole house.
Thank You
Rick

 

[Gator]

and here I was think new house.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[300wbymann]

well, just got off work-

this morning before i left for work, i dumped 1 giant bottle of drano down the sink, and 1 giant bottle down the tub.

the clog went away, and she let the shower and sink run for 30 minuts and it drained great;

HOPEFULLY that fixed the problem-

unfortunatly it is all galvinized pipe. i just hope that it "fixed " the problem and didn't just put a bandaid on it.

thanks for all the info guys!

 

[ShowThemToMe]

Easy with the Chemicals on the Galvanized pipe!


Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can

 

[300wbymann]

this stuff said "safe for all types of pipe". Now if it really is, i dont know?

also it said "money back guarantee" , "if this product does not un-clog your pipe, take it back to the store you purchased it for a full refund"

SOOOOOOO- i'm a sucker for a sales pitch plus I had to work a long day so i was really hoping something would get it un-clogged while i was gone. so far , so good

 

[Snuffy]

I was being a smart azz before but any drain cleaner can hurt your system down the road not so much on PVC or ABS pipe.
If you use a drian cleaner this can cause more damage in the future on galvanized, cast iron and copper waste systems
If you add a cleaner and still have to call a service plumber tell him what you put in.
Most will wear protective gear safety glasses, rubber gloves ect,. But if you get joe blow that says he can fix it for a 12 pak and pulls a trap off full of drain o you are going to the hospital.
Thank You
Rick

 

[elkantlers]

lots of boiling water will clear alot of plugs.