Drain Unblocking By Professional Drain Unblocker

Bathtub drains can easily become blocked by build-ups of dirt, hair, and soap scum in the drain pipes. This can lead to water backing up in the bathtub, and eventually flooding. Every homeowner will probably experience a blocked bathtub at some point, so it’s a good idea to be aware of a few simple steps to can take to unblock the bathtub drain. This will save you having a pay a costly fee to a professional plumber.

Many clogs will be fairly easy to unblock. First, have a look down the mouth of the drain and see if you can see whatever is blocking the drain. You might need to remove the overflow plate of your bathtub in order to get a clear view down the drain pipe. If you can see the clog, you might be able to just reach down and pull it out. Hair is a common clog that normally accumulates near the mouth of the drain, usually in the U shape formed where the drain pipe turns.

If you can’t see the clog, or it’s too far down for you to reach, you can try use a plunger to unblock the drain. Place the plunger over the mouth of the drain, then fill the bath with enough water to cover the plunger. This will create a seal. Move the plunger up and down (without breaking the seal). This should create enough pressure inside the drain to dislodge the blockage. Run the taps in the bath and see whether the water drains quickly. If it does, the clog has been cleared. If not, give the plunger a few more tries.

Next up would be the plumber’s snake. A plumber’s snake is a flexible wire or cable that can be fed down into the drain. Push it down the drain until you feel resistance: this is most likely the clog that is blocking your drain. Either manoeuvre the snake around until the clog comes loose, or try and pull the clog out with the snake. Again, run some water in the bathtub to see if it flows down the drain easily.

If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with unblocking a bathtub drain, there are some simple maintenance tasks you can perform to keep the drain clean. Pouring baking soda mixed with hot water down the down every week or so can do a lot to keep your drain clog-free.  You may also want to invest in a strainer, a small mesh cover that sits over the opening of the drain and stops hair and other debris from falling into the drain and forming blockages. Just be sure to give the strainer a good clean every month.