Printable View
So anyway, I seem to have made a bad situation worse.
The scenario: a slow draining bath tub.
The tools: a plunger and a snake.
The results: a non-porous super-clog impervious to my manipulations with said snake; a bathtub filled with a brackish, black liquid that once resembled water.
How much is a plumber going to set me back to fix this?
Could you tell how far down the blockage was? Is it in the trap? Do you have access to the plumbing from below?
Try chemicals yet? They can work pretty well...
Just buy some drano or something like that. But if you can access the plumbing from below, just do that.
The blockage is maybe 10 ft. in or so--I assume in the trap, which is on the floor of the bathroom. No access to the plumbing below. Haven't tried chemicals yet, but given my past experience with problems of this nature I'm not optimistic in this regard.
Well, you can try a bottle of draino for $7 or you can pay a plumber $75 or more just to show up, plus whatever he charges per hour.
If it's $100, I'll dance in the street. I had a roto-rooter guy come out last night; he looked at it for about 5 seconds and gave me an estimate of $300. I told him to go away.
bathtubs are a pain in the sphincter.
snake is obviously the best way but snaking through the trap is not too effective and often it wrecks the trap. if you have an access panel then take that off and remove the trap and then snake.
IF IT'S DRAINING ! ! ! you can use some liquid Drano or something like that. THere is some stuff called "Strike" it's sold at proper plumbing wholsale shops. This is wicked stuff. it is acid and it will burn you, eat your clothes and can be pretty deadly but... it works like you wouldn't beleive.
pour about 1/2 a cup of this strike in the drain and wait a bit. after about 2- 3 minutes run the cold water very slowly. The reaction that takes place creates heat and the pipes will bet very hot, running the cold water cools this down a bit and prevents worse problems from occuring.
repeat as required until it drains properly.
if it is draining slowly I have no doubt the strike will take care of it. DO NOT USE IT IF IT"S NOT DRAINING. You have been warned.
Drano, liquid plumber, can't comment I don't use the stuff but I hear it does work.
I asked a plumber friend of mine aboot my slow moving drain in the tub. He said before he comes over try Drano. Drano did the trick. No more showers in ankle deep water.
He said he makes a lot of money off of Drano calls.