Solutions for badly clogged drain?

S

sandtigress

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 26, 2005
Messages
2,597
Purraise
4
Location
Texas
My shower is draining so slow its not even funny.
It was just slow but manageable for awhile, and then all of the sudden it started draining really really slowly. I used up two bottles of Draino Max Gel on it yesterday and barely got it back to previous-bad clog levels, but its still really slow.

Short of calling a plumber, do any of you guys have any ideas for clearing it up? Its an upstairs bathroom, so that might be part of the problem.

I appreciate any ideas you might have!
 
starryeyedtiger

starryeyedtiger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
22,317
Purraise
20
Location
USA
boil some hot water and then pour it down the drain. (also- bleach helps too!)

those are probably the most cost effecient options- the hot water works VERY well!
you can boil it in a tea pot if you have one then gently pour it so the hot water doesn't splash you
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
S

sandtigress

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 26, 2005
Messages
2,597
Purraise
4
Location
Texas
Well there's an easy solution! I'll give that a try tonight and see how that works.

I want to wait awhile on the bleach, since I just finished using all that drain cleaner on it - don't want to mix chemicals.
 
persi & alley

persi & alley

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
6,313
Purraise
15
Location
Farmers Branch, Texas
Originally Posted by Sandtigress

My shower is draining so slow its not even funny.
It was just slow but manageable for awhile, and then all of the sudden it started draining really really slowly. I used up two bottles of Draino Max Gel on it yesterday and barely got it back to previous-bad clog levels, but its still really slow.

Short of calling a plumber, do any of you guys have any ideas for clearing it up? Its an upstairs bathroom, so that might be part of the problem.

I appreciate any ideas you might have!
Click to expand...
Continued pouring of liquids can cause even greater problems in the long run. You can buy a cheap manual "snake" or you can rent a powered one at Home Depot for a fraction of what you would pay a plumber using the same thing. I just went through this and there is a Home Depot a half mile from my house and they rent by the hour so I had it back in two hours. I wish I could remember what I paid but it was way cheap compared to a plumber. Good luck!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
S

sandtigress

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 26, 2005
Messages
2,597
Purraise
4
Location
Texas
Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

Continued pouring of liquids can cause even greater problems in the long run. You can buy a cheap manual "snake" or you can rent a powered one at Home Depot for a fraction of what you would pay a plumber using the same thing. I just went through this and there is a Home Depot a half mile from my house and they rent by the hour so I had it back in two hours. I wish I could remember what I paid but it was way cheap compared to a plumber. Good luck!
Click to expand...
I thought about the snake thing, but I have no clue how to use them.
Do they usually come with good instructions? I really don't know a thing about plumbing!
 
W

whiskerynature

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
365
Purraise
1
Location
Big Apple Country
Was trying to avoid Drano, so tried a "recipe" I found on the internet for a "green" drain unclogger:

1 box baking soda - dump in the drain
1 bottle vinegar - pour over baking soda & wait about 10-15 min
1-2 gallons boiling water - flush with this after soda/vinegar has had time to work

Tried it on the bathroom sink, and it worked!
(Granted, it wasn't terribly clogged, but it was very, very slow draining)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7
S

sandtigress

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 26, 2005
Messages
2,597
Purraise
4
Location
Texas
This might be something I try when I get back from my meeting on Sunday - like with the bleach, I hate to dump more chemicals down there with the Drano so soon. But I appreciate the suggestion - I've heard of using baking soda/vinegar for slow drains before!
 
persi & alley

persi & alley

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
6,313
Purraise
15
Location
Farmers Branch, Texas
Originally Posted by Sandtigress

I thought about the snake thing, but I have no clue how to use them.
Do they usually come with good instructions? I really don't know a thing about plumbing!
Click to expand...
If you rent the powered one from Home Depot, they will show you how to use it. The manual ones do take a certain amount of strength to push it a long way down to where the clog is but it has a retractable feature like a tape measure. Just a thought, you can ask them if they guarantee that renting one from them will fix your problem.
 
carolpetunia

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
Originally Posted by Sandtigress

I want to wait awhile on the bleach, since I just finished using all that drain cleaner on it - don't want to mix chemicals.
Click to expand...
AMEN! In fact, I wouldn't risk doing it at all. You never know what could still be stuck in the trap... and there's a thing called blowback that you don't want to risk! Just call a plumber, and warn him of what might be down there. It's worth it!
 
swampwitch

swampwitch

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 30, 2006
Messages
7,753
Purraise
158
Location
Tall Trees & Cold Seas Vancouver Island
Can you pull any hair out of it? Sometimes there will be a big hair clog at the top, especially if someone has long hair in your house. You could also try a toilet plunger (new one). If those don't work, I'd call a plumber, too.
 
catlover19

catlover19

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
6,517
Purraise
172
Location
Ontario, Canada
We have been having the same problem with our kitchen sink lately. I think at least 5 bottles of drano have gone down there, theres been a plumber here trying to fix it, we've tried everything and it is still clogged.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top