[Bob6831]

Hi.
New to forum, maybe someone can help me.
I have noticed that my tub drainage has been slowing down again. Just had cleaned it (using a plastic piece with hooks that got through mail, worked fine) a few weeks ago, but my wife said MY hair was clogging it up again.
Had not gotten to it yet... my wife took a bath last night, and filled up to almost top of tub (past the overflow drain holes).
But when she went to drain tub, water did not drain!! So I figured would leave it overnight and it would drain out, then I would clean that darn drain again.
But... when got up this morning, there was more water in tub than last night, and was overflowing onto floor!!
I drained the water from the tub and cleaned out the drain somewhat... but water (mostly clear now) keeps seeping out, I would say about 1 gal per hour or more!!
What could be the problem??
Note that this was a refitted bath over old tub, and we have community sewer, and checked with neighbor, no problem with their drainage. Also toilets seem to be flushing OK.
Thx for any help.
Bob

[speedball1]

Sorry Bob,

If you put that "plastic piece with hooks" down the drain you removed some hair but you just scratched the surface. The tub branch is clogged and the only way to clear it is to remove the front plate and snake the drain from the tub waste and over flow. Remove the chrome front plate and the trip lever assembly. Run the snake down the open hole, you will hit the trap return bend about 18" down. Crank and push your way around it and put out about 8 foot more of snake. Afterwards pour 1/2 gallon of bleach down the drain and let it work over night. Next morning, (and this is important ) pour two large pans of boiling water dow to flush the line out. The bleach will desolve any hair and the boiling water will melt thye grease and flush it out. Good luck, Tom

[Bob6831]

Thanks Speedball, will try that, but are you saying about 2 gallons of hot water after? And why not just turn tub faucet on for it?
Also, where the heck is all this water coming from - I mean gallons of water??
Bob

[speedball1]

Thanks Speedball, will try that, but are you saying about 2 gallons of hot water after? And why not just turn tub faucet on for it?
Also, where the heck is all this water coming from - I mean gallons of water????
Bob

Unless your tub puts out boiling water it my loosen the grease but won't melt it. You may have a partial blockage downstream from where the tub branch connects to the main. But let's clear the tub first and we'll go from there.
Cheers, Tom

[Bob6831]

OK, understand speedball. But what about the source of all the water?

[theBigkill]

Depending on the design of the plumbing system in your house, your lavatory, kitchen sink etc. could be connected to the same clogged branch/stack as your tub. Your tub commonly has the lowest "flood level" of all the fixtures in your house, and due to the clog any fixture discharged on the same storey or higher might fill and overflow the tub even though they seem to be draining fine.

[Bob6831]

Ok, thanks for your help.
I did what Speedball said, and as soon as the snake was in... about 8 feet, water stopped coming out.
I did not look forward to pulling the snake back out!! :D
But I did... and looks like was mostly my hair in the gook that came out with the snake head.
Put bleach and hot water in drain as directed, and looks OK now.
Again thanks.
The thing that gets me is how much water that was seeping up! I am talking about 1 gallon plus per hour! Could this be from the R.O. Water Unit I have?
I read somewhere that those units waste about 2 gallons of water for each good gallon of water.
Bob

[speedball1]

Hey Bob,
Glad you got the line cleared. You ask," The thing that gets me is how much water that was seeping up! I am talking about 1 gallon plus per hour! Could this be from the R.O. Water Unit I have?
I read somewhere that those units waste about 2 gallons of water for each good gallon of water."

Whatever drains back into the tub has to have its source upstream from the blockage in the line other wise it wouldn't be draining back into the tub. Regards, Tom

[Bob6831]

Sorry Speedball, but I do not understand your response to my question of where all the water was coming from.
So, could it be the R.O. unit?
Bob

[speedball1]

Bob,

"Whatever drains back into the tub has to have its source upstream from the blockage in the line other wise it wouldn't be draining back into the tub."

I guess that was a nice way of saying, "I haven't a clue." In order for water to back up in your tub in it has to originate upstream of the blockage. Otherwise it would just continue to drain on through instead of backing up in your tub. So since you're there and I'm not, what's draining into the tub between the tub drain and the place that you ran into the blockage? Something has to be or you wouldn't have a back up. Your tub should be connected to the lavatory drain to be "wet vented" could it have something to do with that? Cheers, Tom PS- I just had a flash. The clear water could be coming from the AC condensate line. Sometimes AC men tie the condensate drain into a branch tailpiece on the lavatory. That could explain it. Since the RO Unit is usually found in the kitchen it's doubtful that it's the source. The only other source of clear water is the AC. Tom

[Bob6831]

Since water that was seeping up was mainly clear, don't think it was coming back up from our community sewer line... and is late October here so AC has not been on in last 3-4 weeks, don't think it is that. So... only thing I can think of it possibly being is the R.O. unit.
Bob

[speedball1]

Bob, It's working now right? I'll leave you to figure it out. Like I said, it has to come into your tub drain upstream of the blockage. Toodles! Tom