How to Open a Bathtub Drain

Most bathtub drains clog at the trap. Generally, people don't worry about the drains until the water doesn't drain our anymore. There are a number of different ways to clear out the drains. You can pour drain cleaners into the pipe, but if you don't know what kind of pipes you have, this may do more harm than good. There are natural ways to unclog drainpipes in the bathtub. You can use a plunger, or push a snake through the drain.

Things You'll Need

• Stiff wire, tweezers or needle-nosed pliers
• Plunger
• Rag
• Bucket
• Hot water

Instructions

1. Check the drain for a visible obstruction. Remove the screen from the tub drain. If you see hair, reach in and pull it out. You can also bend one end of a stiff wire into a hook. Use the hook end to pull out the hair. Tweezers or needle-nosed pliers also work. If you don't see any obstruction or if you removed the hair and the drain is still clogged, proceed to the next step.

2. Place a plunger over the drain hole. Fill the bathtub with hot water until it covers the plunger. For a plunger to work there has to be a watertight seal. Cover the overflow hole with a wet rag. Thrust the plunger up and down against the drain several times. If this does not work, proceed to the next step.

3. Remove the overflow plate. Push the auger head of the snake into the drain. Turn the wheel clockwise to thrust the head down into the pipe. Once you feel it come against the obstruction, turn the handle counterclockwise to pull the snake back toward you, just an inch or two. Then, reverse and push the auger back into the pipe. Repeat the forward-backward motion until the obstruction clears away.

4. Turn the handle counterclockwise, bringing the snake out of the drain. As you pull it out of the drain, wipe the cable off with some rags to keep the mess down to a minimum. Have a bucket handy so that whatever you pull out of the drain can be put into the bucket. You may have to repeat cleaning the drain with the snake several times to clear everything away.

5. When the water drains out normally, pour several buckets of hot boiling water down the drain. Turn on the hot water tap and allow the water to run for at least 10 minutes. This will completely clear out any debris that the snake didn't pull out and wash it into the main sewer line.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. Working with sewer water is dirty and messy.

References

• Home Improvement: Unclogging a Bathtub Drain
• San Diego Plumbers: Unclogging Bathtubs
• This Old House: Clear Any Clogged Drain