Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So i went to Home Depot and bought a ridgid snake. i also bought this handy plastic tool that's maybe 2-3 ft long for the sink. worked very well on the sink.
then i tackled the shower. our standing shower has a huge hair clog. i got a huge chunk out of it with just opening up the drain plate and getting the stuff right there on the surface.
my question - i stuck the snake in the drain and started snaking, and it feels like i'm hitting another bunch of something maybe 2 feet down. also - the water seems to be draining now, but there's still water visible about 8-12 inches down.
i read online that drains have traps to trap water in the pipe and prevent sewage gases from coming back up. so is it normal to see the water in there still?
i also poured some product down there. guy at home depot said it's better than draino or liquid plumber. it called for 16 ounces for a bad clog, and i poured all 32 oz down. probably a waste but better safe than sorry.
anyways, is there anything else i should do? did i get anything wrong? i might go up with a hanger and see if that resistance i felt with the snake was another clog further down the pipe.
Cover the overflow with a wet towel, you'll probably need to remove the overflow cover. Then take a plunger and plunge the main drain over and over. You want to be able to apply pressure to the drain line.
i'm not sure i understand what you mean by cover the overflow?
i did read that about plunging. i am going to do that as well, but i need a regular plunger. i have one of those accordion ones that have gotten more popular.
I just opened up my drain the other day for this reason---eeewwwwww! It smelled!
I got a good bit of hair, and was using a hanger like my Dad showed me, but, like the OP, it seemed like I hit something a ways down. I thought that was just as far as the hanger would go.
I didn't think to look for water down there, what, do you use a flashlight??
Anyway, nice to know I am not the only one around here with the pleasure of unclogging bath drains!!!!
When I've used a snake on the bathtub, sometimes I had to go 5-10 feet or more down before it caught the blockage. Of course it depends, since the blockage could be anywhere. It was definitely a lot easier using a Rigid snake with power tool attachment.
Depends on the age of the place. Google "hair trap." It was common to have a can that collected hair and crud from a shower or tub. Not really sure why this was so important, but older houses commonly had these. Now it is a P trap and things go slip sliding away. If you got the hair out of the grid under the face drain cover, you got the problem stuff.
i read online that drains have traps to trap water in the pipe and prevent sewage gases from coming back up. so is it normal to see the water in there still?
Yes. Its a U in the pipe.
Quote:
i also poured some product down there. guy at home depot said it's better than draino or liquid plumber.
Wouldnt recomend doing it since it may back up and give you a corrosive on your feet.
Quote:
Cover the overflow with a wet towel, you'll probably need to remove the overflow cover. Then take a plunger and plunge the main drain over and over. You want to be able to apply pressure to the drain line.
Sounds like he's describing a shower/bathtub combo which sometimes does have one.
As to the plunger. Turn the shower on and plunge the wet drain the same way you'd do a toilet. The plunger creates an air pocket and pressurises the water the same way it does to a toilet.
I just opened up my drain the other day for this reason---eeewwwwww! It smelled!
I got a good bit of hair, and was using a hanger like my Dad showed me, but, like the OP, it seemed like I hit something a ways down. I thought that was just as far as the hanger would go.
I didn't think to look for water down there, what, do you use a flashlight??
Anyway, nice to know I am not the only one around here with the pleasure of unclogging bath drains!!!!
i commend you. i almost didn't make it through that smell and my wife never would have. lol
i just saw the water. father in law says it's normal, due to the "P" trap common in tubs/showers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by f_m
When I've used a snake on the bathtub, sometimes I had to go 5-10 feet or more down before it caught the blockage. Of course it depends, since the blockage could be anywhere. It was definitely a lot easier using a Rigid snake with power tool attachment.
i bought the one you can attach a drill to. didn't use it that way though. but might in the future. def a nice feature for only 10 bucks more.
thanks everyone else for the tips. will def try the plunger method when i get an old fashioned style plunger.
I used to average a bad hair clog about every 3 months. Now I use one of these Find Mesh Sink Drain Traps from FAMOUS PLUMBING SUPPLY I have not had a hair clog since I started using it in 2008. You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot and they are not expensive.
I used to average a bad hair clog about every 3 months. Now I use one of these Find Mesh Sink Drain Traps from FAMOUS PLUMBING SUPPLY I have not had a hair clog since I started using it in 2008. You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot and they are not expensive.
i was thinking about this. so i have a standing shower with a square plate. i guess i could put this mesh trap under the plate, and just clear it out once every 2 weeks or so? or just ditch the square plate altogether and get this?
it happens in our sink too. it's really gross. gotta have the wife start brushing her hair outside of the bathroom to limit the onslaught of hair!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
