Home Repairs: How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain
Water is supposed to drain out of your bathtub and disappear. When this does not happen, it creates problems for you. Fortunately, most bathtub drain problems are caused by soap residue and hair. Neither of these is too tough to resolve as a do-it-yourself project.
Begin with the easy fixes and move up a step at a time until the drain flows.
The following these steps in order should fix your clog. At the end of each step if the drain is not open, go on to the next step. When it frees up, you are done.
Start with the plunger.
The plumber’s helper is the first line of attack for all home drain problems. This handy gadget has disposed of many annoying clogs. You need a couple of inches of water in the tub. In some instances, you might have to find a way (like duct tape) to seal off the overflow drain.
Place the plunger over the tub drain and pump it up and down.
Try to keep a good seal against the bottom of the tub with the working end of the plunger. Pull the plunger up and away from the drain with force after 15 or 20 seconds of vigorous pumping. Most of the time, this will dislodge the problem. You may have to repeat this several times for the best results. If nothing changes, you need to head for the next step.
Use a drain cleaner.
Some people may prefer this as the first step. However, if you already own a plunger, it costs you nothing to use it. Drain cleaner can be expensive. Follow the directions for using the cleaner. Generally, the instructions are to open the container and pour about half of it over the drain where the clog is. Wait about 30 minutes.
Repeat this if the drain is still stopped.
Add to these instructions that using a plunger after each attempt will enhance the chances of success. Be careful not to splash the water into your eyes because it can be caustic with the drain cleaner mixed in. If after a few tries there is no improvement, go onto the next step.
Remove the drain cover and see if there is anything obvious.
If there is still water in the tub, you may have to bail or pump it out before you can do this step. Use a screwdriver to remove the screw(s) that hold the drain cover in place. Lift the cover off of the opening. Often, you will be able to see what is creating the clog. Use some needle-nosed pliers or a piece of wire to fish out whatever is preventing the water from flowing through the drain. With the cover off, do another round with the plunger if the drain is not open before going to the next step.
Open the access to the bathtub plumbing.
Behind the plumbing of your bathtub, there should be an access panel that can be removed without remodeling the house. Open it. You should see the trap under the bathtub drain. If you have a basement or crawl space, this might be where you will find this. Use a container to catch the water. Take the trap apart. You have to unscrew the fitting at the beginning of the trap. When this fitting is loosened, water may start to drain from the tub. If not, the blockage is between the trap and the tub.
If no water drains, use a piece of stiff wire like a clothes hanger to reach up inside the drain to break up the clog.
This almost always works on this type of clog. You can also use the plunger from the top and sometimes loosen up the blockage easier with the drain separated. If water runs out, use the wire to slip into the trap and break up anything that may be lodge there. If you cannot get the wire through the trap, remove the trap and either clean it or replace it.
If the clog is beyond the bathtub drain trap, you may need a plumber.
With any luck, you will not reach this step. Unless you are skilled at opening sewer lines and vents, you should just call in the plumber. Most of the time, a bathtub drain issue can be solved without this step. If you have to call in the plumber, it probably means that the bathtub just happened to be the spot where a much more difficult sewer blockage was first discovered.
