Any Plumbers In The House?

[Tourershine]

This place wouldn't be as interesting without at least one of my 'none-T6' questions a month.

My bath has an issue with draining, in that it doesn't.

It's been like this for nearly a year now, and i'm only just getting worn down by my wife and kids relentless nags about the the bath not draining, and the big hole in the kitchen where the dishwasher used to be, but one job at a time is my ethos

The bath...
You can fill it up, use it quite readily, but it takes literally about 2 days to finally empty.
I've tried all the normal chemicals and plunger, and even invested in a 'plumbers snake' this week, which arrived today, but after slightly modifying it to fit into the plug hole, it still doesn't drain.
The snake will go in quite far, indication the blockage is quite deep, but it gets stuck at something, which I assume is the foreign body, or hair from my wife and daughters heads. How they are not bold is beyond me.

Anyway, does anyone have any better solutions to this? I'm wondering if there is a magic plumbers trick, or product.
Yes, i've checked the u-bend and it's totally clear, and i've tried boiling water to see if it's soap or one of my youngest daft bath bomb things that's blocking it, but nothing is shifting it.

There's some really knowledgable people on here, and i'm hoping for some fresh inspiration.

 

[Peatey]

How close to the stack pipe is the bath, Is it on the ground floor or 1st floor and more importantly have you checked your surface drains ie manholes. Tphis can make a difference as to where your bath joins the run. Its usually at the end of the run

 

[Fish]

Has it always been slow to drain and now even worse?.
Can you remove the side panel to can access to waste pipe?.
Maybe clogged with hair etc..

 

[Tourershine]

How close to the stack pipe is the bath, Is it on the ground floor or 1st floor and more importantly have you checked your surface drains ie manholes. Tphis can make a difference as to where your bath joins the run. Its usually at the end of the run

It won't be close, it goes the length of the garage before it drops into the stack, and it's all hidden.
First floor, and yes had the manhole up to eliminate which pipe is which. We have loo upstairs and down, several sinks, and a huge wet room, all drain perfectly.

Has it always been slow to drain and now even worse?.
Can you remove the side panel to can access to waste pipe?.
Maybe clogged with hair etc..

When we moved into the house years ago, it was still in the 1970's, so we upgraded everything with over-engineered and frankly crap expensive components that have all failed at some point, but it did all work fine when installed.

Nothing is accessible to a layperson like me, and I do suspect it's hair, but I don't get why it won't budge.

 

[Jason Stancliffe]

This place wouldn't be as interesting without at least one of my 'none-T6' questions a month.

My bath has an issue with draining, in that it doesn't.

It's been like this for nearly a year now, and i'm only just getting worn down by my wife and kids relentless nags about the the bath not draining, and the big hole in the kitchen where the dishwasher used to be, but one job at a time is my ethos

The bath...
You can fill it up, use it quite readily, but it takes literally about 2 days to finally empty.
I've tried all the normal chemicals and plunger, and even invested in a 'plumbers snake' this week, which arrived today, but after slightly modifying it to fit into the plug hole, it still doesn't drain.
The snake will go in quite far, indication the blockage is quite deep, but it gets stuck at something, which I assume is the foreign body, or hair from my wife and daughters heads. How they are not bold is beyond me.

Anyway, does anyone have any better solutions to this? I'm wondering if there is a magic plumbers trick, or product.
Yes, i've checked the u-bend and it's totally clear, and i've tried boiling water to see if it's soap or one of my youngest daft bath bomb things that's blocking it, but nothing is shifting it.

There's some really knowledgable people on here, and i'm hoping for some fresh inspiration.

Hi, I know you said you tried some chemicals.
We used Mr Muscle drain cleaner
Left it overnight

This place wouldn't be as interesting without at least one of my 'none-T6' questions a month.

My bath has an issue with draining, in that it doesn't.

It's been like this for nearly a year now, and i'm only just getting worn down by my wife and kids relentless nags about the the bath not draining, and the big hole in the kitchen where the dishwasher used to be, but one job at a time is my ethos

The bath...
You can fill it up, use it quite readily, but it takes literally about 2 days to finally empty.
I've tried all the normal chemicals and plunger, and even invested in a 'plumbers snake' this week, which arrived today, but after slightly modifying it to fit into the plug hole, it still doesn't drain.
The snake will go in quite far, indication the blockage is quite deep, but it gets stuck at something, which I assume is the foreign body, or hair from my wife and daughters heads. How they are not bold is beyond me.

Anyway, does anyone have any better solutions to this? I'm wondering if there is a magic plumbers trick, or product.
Yes, i've checked the u-bend and it's totally clear, and i've tried boiling water to see if it's soap or one of my youngest daft bath bomb things that's blocking it, but nothing is shifting it.

There's some really knowledgable people on here, and i'm hoping for some fresh inspiration.

Hi
You said you tried some chemicals.
Have you tried Mr Muscle drain cleaner?
It worked for us after leaving overnight.

 

[Tourershine]

Hi, I know you said you tried some chemicals.
We used Mr Muscle drain cleaner
Left it overnight

I tried the crystals first, but they just sat in the plug hole. Then the thicker liquid type, but not over night, just several hours as per the instructions.

 

[Jason Stancliffe]

I tried the crystals first, but they just sat in the plug hole. Then the thicker liquid type, but not over night, just several hours as per the instructions.

Didn’t mean to tell you twice !
Internet problems!

 

[Pauly]

I get the same issue periodically (wife and daughter too) and when it starts to slow down I give it a taste of caustic soda and it all works fine again but I have never got to the point when it drains excessively slowly though ?

 

[Peatey]

When we work on commercial bathrooms and Army accommodation blocks where crystalation is very common in urinals,we use this to clear blockages Dam Buster for the short term.
But for best results i think you might have to do some investigation works to see if you can reduce the bends and check for back fall, and if its has a long run to the stack, increase the waste pipe size because of the length

 

[Phil_G]

Pol once lost a precious earing down the shower drain, it was well gone but
I tried sealing the wet-vac hose to the drain hole, switched on and in a few seconds
managed to retrieve the earing, several other earings, some broken bits of throw-away
razor, loads of paper shampoo labels, a birds-nest of hair, and a disgusting slug of
unknown waxy stuff... try the wet-vac, get a good seal and it might just clear it.
Cheers
Phil

 

[Tourershine]

I get the same issue periodically (wife and daughter too) and when it starts to slow down I give it a taste of caustic soda and it all works fine again but I have never got to the point when it drains excessively slowly though ?

2 days wasn't an exaggeration, it actually takes 2 days.

When we work on commercial bathrooms and Army accommodation blocks where crystalation is very common in urinals,we use this to clear blockages Dam Buster for the short term.
But for best results i think you might have to do some investigation works to see if you can reduce the bends and check for back fall, and if its has a long run to the stack, increase the waste pipe size because of the length

The issue is access. We live in a 1970s house where it's a nightmare with anything like this. The pipe is all hidden away under floor boards. We don't even have a bath front with a stupid fan dangled modern bath that's designed to be tiled in place and not show anything. It doesn't even have a plug, it's a gadget on the side of the bath that you twist, which lifts a cap enabling it to drain (or not)

 

[Surfer99]

Can you access the point where it connects into the stack?

If so you could cut a hole opposite and rod back, once done you could block the hole with a blank saddle.

 

[Tourershine]

Can you access the point where it connects into the stack?

If so you could cut a hole opposite and rod back, once done you could block the hole with a blank saddle.

No. I've already looked at going in from the other end, but it's all boxed in.

 

[Surfer99]

Probably not what you want to do, but can you open up the boxing, even if it means a bit of decorating after?

How is the pipe routed between the bathroom and the stack?

 

[Lord Mfwic]

Try this --- melpass-clear-a-drain-caustic-drain-clearer

If that fails then try an acid based cleaner but you will need to make sure the previous chemicals are washed away first. Don't mix chemicals.

 

[Tourershine]

Probably not what you want to do, but can you open up the boxing, even if it means a bit of decorating after?

How is the pipe routed between the bathroom and the stack?

That would be a last resort, but it does need fixing.
The bath waste goes under the floorboards along the length of the house, and I assume into the stack, but as the stack isn't visible, I'm only guessing from the natural route of the pipe.

I was kind of hoping this would be an easy fix, because I'm no plumber.

 

[Surfer99]

That would be a last resort, but it does need fixing.
The bath waste goes under the floorboards along the length of the house, and I assume into the stack, but as the stack isn't visible, I'm only guessing from the natural route of the pipe.

I was kind of hoping this would be an easy fix, because I'm no plumber.

How about lifting some carpet and a few floorboards and cutting into the pipe?

 

[DaveyB]

@Tourershine initially I wondered if it were possible that the fall on the soil pipe was none existent causing the issue, but then read that it hasn’t always been like this.
Certainly sounds like a fur ball, have same issues with Wife and daughter. Crystals won’t work as you need a heavy liquid to get down to the blockage. Best suggestion is a thick liquid Mr Muscle or Buster product. They are all caustic soda based. You may need more than one treatment.
You could also unscrew the waste from the bath to enable a wider probe to be pushed down the pipe to force the hair ball into the main soil stack, where it will fall and no longer be an issue.

 

[Tourershine]

How about lifting some carpet and a few floorboards and cutting into the pipe?

Yeah the route the pipe takes is all ceramic tiled. Nothings easy in my house mate.

@Tourershine initially I wondered if it were possible that the fall on the soil pipe was none existent causing the issue, but then read that it hasn’t always been like this.
Certainly sounds like a fur ball, have same issues with Wife and daughter. Crystals won’t work as you need a heavy liquid to get down to the blockage. Best suggestion is a thick liquid Mr Muscle or Buster product. They are all caustic soda based. You may need more than one treatment.

I will go and grab some of this tomorrow and maybe leave it in a lot longer.

And yes, everything worked perfectly for the first 5 years.

 

[Base1388]

I'm a Plumber
Happy to come look if needed Sir

Try COKE full fat.
Scoop as much water out way as you can
Pour two liters of COKE in and leave for a couple hours

Works to unblock toilets too !

If not
Fairy liquid original
Remove as much water as possible, pour half bottle fairy liquid down plug hole, leave for 1 hour, then boil three kettles of water into a bucket and goosh it down plug hole
hot water expands fairy liquid
Jobs done