New bath tub won't drain, air vent problem?
Our recently installed bathtub (plus shower) drains very slowly (you get about 3-4 inches of water during a fairly short shower). We've snaked it & poured zonk (way more powerful than draino) many times. It made little or no difference. The drain seems to drain just fine when there's only a bit of water in the tub, it's only when it gets full that it stops. We had someone take a look and he said the plumber failed to install an air vent.
We will try to get the contracter who installed it to fix it but that could be difficult. (We had some issues with him and I think the plumber he charged us for didn't exist since we never actually saw him and he probably just did the work himself - there were a few other relatively minor screwups I doubt a legit plumber would have done that we had to get fixed as well).
But anyway, we have new tile around the tub and on the otherside is another bathroom that is tiled halfway up the wall, making it difficult to open up the wall (and the room below is finished).
Are there any solutions for what appears to be a missing air vent that don't involve tearing out the wall? Or, are there any other possibilities for why the drain is slow? The house is a 1959 2-story house, and I don't know if the drain in the original tub worked since we never used it. Thanks.
