This will help to melt soap scum and hair build-up to unclog the drain. As you pull the drain snake back up, it will attach to items and unclog the drain.īoth of these items are found in most home improvement stores and are relatively easy to use.Īnother at-home trick to try when your bathtub won’t drain is to pour boiling water. You can also try your hand at using a drain snake, which is a long piece of silicone or wire cable that you weave down into the pipe. This creates a vacuum of air that can dislodge whatever is clogging the pipe, such as a wad of hair. Some do-it-yourself solutions may offer temporary results for a clogged bathtub drain.įirst, you can try to use a sink plunger over the drain to unclog it. You can also install a water softener system that will filter out excess mineral deposits to prevent future build-up. If the build-up is not too extreme, the pipes can be cleaned out. If these levels are higher than average, it could be the reason why your bathtub won’t drain. We recommend getting your water’s pH levels tested to see if it has high amounts of minerals. You may need to have some of the pipes replaced altogether. In this case, it will be impossible to unclog. Over time, mineral deposits can eat away at the metal pipes and lead to severe damage. This also creates hard edges that debris like hair or soap scum will stick to, causing even worse clogging. Some homes have a high level of minerals like calcium or magnesium in the water, which is often called “hard water.” Hard water can leave mineral deposits in the pipes, which can build up to create blockages. However, this needs to be done with care, as you could accidentally push the clog further down the pipe. You will likely need to unscrew the drain opening to pull up whatever is clogging it. If these clogs are located near the top of the drain opening, you may be able to unclog it on your own. Sometimes even small items like shampoo bottle caps or razor shields will sneak through the drain openings. These mix with the water during a bath or shower and they can solidify in the drain. These are most commonly caused by a combination of: Over time, nearly all bathtub drains will develop clogs. Of course, the most common reason why a bathtub won’t drain is due to clogged pipes. If this is the case, you can replace the bathtub stopper or clean out any built-up gunk or hair. This may help to unclog the bathtub right away. Then, make sure that the stopper isn’t blocked by a wad of hair or if it has been damaged in some way. You can use pliers to gently pull the stopper out of the drain. If you think a broken stopper could be the reason why you cannot drain the bathtub, check to see if the stopper is stuck or blocked. If the stopper is damaged, rusted, or simply worn out from excess use, it could get stuck. In this case, the bathtub won’t drain completely or it may drain extremely slowly. Depending on your bathtub’s design, your built-in stopper may be:Ī stopper will temporarily block the blow of water, but it can occasionally get fully or partially stuck. A stopper is used to prevent the water from draining as needed, such as when you are filling up the tub for a bath. Most bathtubs (especially if they are a shower combo) have a built-in stopper. Here are a few of the scenarios that could be the reason why a bathtub won’t drain – and what you can do about it. Most of the causes of this situation are easily fixed, but some of them will require a professional plumber to be called. This is when you need to address why the bathtub won’t drain and get the problem repaired quickly. In some cases, a small clog may be to blame – but a bathtub that won’t drain can also be a sign of more significant plumbing issues. Thankfully, many of these are easy to repair and unclog if you catch the problem early enough. This can lead to severe damage and flooding – which is a huge hassle to clean up.īathtub drains may stop working for numerous reasons. To make things even worse, a bathtub that is filling up faster than it is draining may overflow. The standing water from a bathtub drain that isn’t working properly will also make your tub dirty and disgusting very fast. This means that all of the dirt, germs, and soap scum that you have tried to clean off is just left to fester. There is nothing more unsanitary than a shower that fills with water because the bathtub won’t drain.
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