Ask Me Help Desk - Slow drain in bathtup

We are renting a house for 2 years now and have had this problem since we moved in.
The drain in the bathtub is slow. We have had plumbers over to look at it. A couple times it has been extremely slow or clogged and the plumber has removed the clog. This makes it drain but it is still slow the plumber says it is working properly because it does have a whirlwind or tornado looking suction at the drain. At one point we were told the house needed to be replumbed but when they crawled under to do it they said it had all new pipes under it. I am at my witts end, and the plumbers just act like it is something we are going to have to live with. If we cannot figure something out we are going to have to move. It is the only bathroom in the house and the tub draining slowly even when it is working "properly" is causing the tub to stop up quite often. My landlord is an elderly woman and I feel that these plumbers are taking advantage of her and charging her every time they come out when all they do is bring in a plunger and leave. So we have just quit calling her about it and started plunging it ourselves. On a good draining day the tub is a quarter full at the end of a shower. All the other drains in the house are working properly aside from the occasional clog. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

"all they do is bring in a plunger and leave."
This is not the best way to clear a clogged tub.

" On a good draining day the tub is a quarter full at the end of a shower."
Way too slow!

Let me tell you the way it should be cleared.
Unscrew and remove the overflow plate,(The one with the drain lever) and pull out the tub stopper. You now have a clear shot at the trap. Now feed the snake( 1/4" best or 3/8" with a small tip into the face plate opening. About 2' down you will run into the bend of the trap. Crank and push at the same time to work around it. Your blockage will be found in the lateral pipe going to the stack. You shouln't have to put out more then 10 or 12 feet. I have found tub and shower clogs to be mostly hair and the worm should auger into it and pull it back. Hope this helps, TOM

Follow up on the previous reply to my slow tub drain. They have snaked it before and it does drain much more quickly than it did when we first moved in but even when it is draining well it is slower than most peoples drains. Immediately after he snaked it the water would cover the bottom of the tub after a shower but he said that it was giving proper suction, that is was doing all that it could do, and at that time was when he said the pipes or something probably needed to be replaced because of the age of the house whatever was under there was not sufficient. This was a relative of the landlord. When I told her what he said she had a large plumbing company sent over and they said that he was probably right and set up an appointment to fix it under the house. On that day they came back to me and said that everything had already been replaced. Both of these people are professional plumbers. I am not sure if he snaked it or plunged it that day. But after all that now what do we do? Is there a bigger problem going on? Someone mentioned the septic tank may need to be pumped or something out side need to be cleaned out. I don't know but I was just trying to get some more options I am willing to have it done and my landlord will take it off my rent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahp7491

We are renting a house for 2 years now and have had this problem since we moved in.
The drain in the bathtub is slow. We have had plumbers over to look at it. a couple times it has been extremely slow or clogged and the plumber has removed the clog. This makes it drain but it is still slow the plumber says it is working properly because it does have a whirlwind or tornadoe looking suction at the drain. At one point we were told the house needed to be replumbed but when they crawled under to do it they said it had all new pipes under it. I am at my witts end, and the plumbers just act like it is something we are going to have to live with. If we cannot figure something out we are going to have to move. It is the only bathroom in the house and the tub draining slowly even when it is working "properly" is causing the tub to stop up quite often. My landlord is an elderly woman and I feel that these plumbers are taking advantage of her and charging her every time they come out when all they do is bring in a plunger and leave. so we have just quit calling her about it and started plunging it ourselves. On a good draining day the tub is a quarter full at the end of a shower. All the other drains in the house are working properly aside from the occasional clog. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Follow up on the previous reply to my slow tub drain. They have snaked it before and it does drain much more quickly than it did when we first moved in but even when it is draining well it is slower than most peoples drains. Immediately after he snaked it the water would cover the bottom of the tub after a shower but he said that it was giving proper suction, that is was doing all that it could do, and at that time was when he said the pipes or something probably needed to be replaced because of the age of the house whatever was under there was not sufficient. This was a relative of the landlord. When I told her what he said she had a large plumbing company sent over and they said that he was probably right and set up an appointment to fix it under the house. On that day they came back to me and said that everything had already been replaced. Both of these people are professional plumbers. I am not sure if he snaked it or plunged it that day. But after all that now what do we do? Is there a bigger problem going on? Someone mentioned the septic tank may need to be pumped or something out side need to be cleaned out. I don't know but I was just trying to get some more options I am willing to have it done and my landlord will take it off my rent.

Does the tub "gurgle" when drained? What size are the drain lines 1 1/2" or 2"? Something's not right, a bad design, a blocked vent or a partial blockage the plumbers haven't cleared yet. I don't know but they should. Regards, Tom