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amv · Feb 4, 2008, 02:18 PM

My bathtub is draining really slowly. Usually takes about 10-20 minutes to drain completely after a shower. I tried liquid plumber this did nothing. I tried snaking it and plunging it neither did anything. I took off the U shaped valve directly beneath the drain and this was not clogged. When I use the snake I am able to get it to go about 10 feet and it then stops. The bathroom is on the second floor and I am guessing that at this point it makes a 90 degree bend and heads down to the basement. In the bathroom, the bathtub drain piping runs very near the toilet but neither the toilet or the sink in the same bathroom have any draining issues. At this point what can I do to get it to drain faster?

massplumber2008 · Feb 4, 2008, 03:18 PM

At this point start by removing the strainer... anything under that? Then, remove the overflow face plate and remove the assembly inside (pull up and out.. assembly about 12" long). Then, with a wetted rag, plug the overflow pipe... be careful here, but push rag in a bit and really seal it off. Then have a friend hold the rag in place while you fill the tub with about 1 inch of water... THEN, try that plunger again... trick here is to set the plunger by pushing down (sets seal) and sealing around drain... THEN pulling back up rather vigorously! Try this a few times... push down to set and then pull up/back strongly... watch what comes back... think it will amaze you!

See, plunging without sealing the overflow is rather useless... must plug the overflow for plunging to be effective!

Hey, try this out and get back to us... let us know how it worked out or if you need more direction.

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amv · Feb 4, 2008, 04:01 PM

I tried that and it did feel like I got a better seal. But nothing came out and it isn't draining any better. Do you have any other suggestions?

massplumber2008 · Feb 4, 2008, 05:45 PM

How old is the home?. what types of pipes in floor? You said you removed u valve under drain (called a p-trap)... how did you do that? Do you have access to p-trap?

amv · Feb 4, 2008, 09:49 PM

The house was built in 1930. I recently purchased it and shower was slow to drain the first time I used it. The p-trap has been replaced with pvc piping and was easy to unscrew and pull out. There is an access panel inside the closet behind the tub. The pvc is connected to some type of black neoprene/vinyl like tube that only goes about 8 inches and then is connected to what I believe to be the original piping. However I can't see the original piping since its under the floor. There is some copper piping that I can see in the basement but this looks a bit newer. In the basement its hard to tell which pipes are for what since the house has boiler/radiator heating.

massplumber2008 · Feb 5, 2008, 03:06 PM

Hate to keep asking questions instead of giving you answers... but is the snake you are using a power snake? You know... does it plug into outlet? Seems to me that is what you need here... whatever it is that you are running into 10 feet away must be the issue. Use a power snake and go for it... there is no 90 degree elbow that should stop you from getting your snake to the basement... need to be more aggressive. Hope this does it.