How to Unclog Bathtub Drains

Plumbing bathtub drains is one of the most painstaking tasks related to maintaining your home’s plumbing system.

Usually, a bathtub maintenance issue can only be resolved by a qualified plumber, preferably one who is skilled and experienced. Handling installation, maintenance and repair of bathtub drains is a task best suited to a careful, thorough professional plumber.

Repairing a Broken Bathroom Drain

Repairing a plumbing bathroom drain may use some or all of the follow tools: a wire coat hanger, needle-nose pliers, slip-joint pliers, a screwdriver, a putty knife or exacto knife, towels, putty or caulk, heat resistant grease, an overflow plunger, trip lever and linkage.

Plumbing your bathtub drain typically involves the following repair procedures:

• * Straighten out the wire coat hanger and set one end to a hook. The broken pieces of the bathtub drain can be retrieved by fishing them out with a coat hanger.
• * Check the old plunger against the replacement plunger to make sure they are of the same size. The old plunger may still be serviceable, if you apply some plumber’s grease along with edge after cleaning.

Link the mechanism to the new overflow plate with the supplied pin. Put the new plunger into position and screw the overflow plate in place. Test the drain by shutting it closed and filling the tub to ensure that it holds water. Remove the plate and seal the seam with putty or caulk, leaving a space at the bottom of the plate to allow for overflow. Reattach and screw down the plate. Scrape any excess putty or caulk.

Unclogging Bathtub Drains

To remove a blockage in the plumbing bathtub drain, first try running hot water through the drain. If this fails, try using a plunger. When using a plunger, ensure that the overflow outlet is well plugged before plunging. Use a drain agent or chemical only as a last resort.

If the blockage is impossible to remove with a plunger, you will have to remove and unclog the drum trap cover located beneath the bathtub. This task can prove to be quite a challenge. Removing the drum trap is required to get at a really tough clog. Before removing the drum tap cover, grease it with high grade penetrating oil. After the oil has soaked in, you can remove the cover with a large wrench. If the wrench fails to remove the cover, use a hacksaw and cut notches on the edges of the cover. Forcibly remove the cover by using a hammer and punch or cold chisel. When the cover is removed, use a drain auger on the clogged pipes to clear the blockage.