How to Unclog a Tub's Drain After Drano

After Drano has failed to remove a clog, you will need to use other methods to clear the drain.

When Drano fails to dislodge a tough clog in your bathtub's drain, you must turn to physical instruments to complete the job. Tub drain clogs often result from the buildup of hair, soap, makeup and other debris that washes down the tub's drain. The debris gathers on the walls of the pipe, eventually constricting the flow of water to the point that little or no water can pass through. By using the right plumbing instruments, you will be able to remove the clog so the water and Drano can drain away.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Screwdriver
• Rag
• Plunger
• Drain auger

Instructions

1. Put on rubber gloves if the Drano is sitting above the drain's cover or stopper. Remove the screws holding the screen in place and pull the screen away, or pull the stopper out of the drain. You may need to turn the stopper counter-clockwise to unthread it from the tub's drain first.

2. Wet a rag and stuff it into the tub's overflow drain opening, blocking the opening completely. Place a plunger's cup over the tub's drain opening and pump the handle up and down repeatedly. Be careful to not splash any Drano out of the drain.

3. Remove the wet rag from the overflow drain and remove the drain cap's screws. Pull the drain cap and any attached linkage out of the overflow drain opening.

4. Insert about 30 inches of a drain auger into the overflow drain opening. Turn the crank on the auger's handle clockwise as you continue to push more of the auger into the overflow drain, until the end of the auger reaches the P-trap under the tub.

5. Retrieve the auger from the tub's drain and clean off any debris from the auger's end. Run the tub's hot water for at least five minutes to flush out any leftover debris in the drain. Replace the overflow drain cover and linkage, as well as the main drain's cover or stopper.

References

• This Old House: Clear Any Clogged Drain