Plumbing Help Needed - Water Draining Slowly

Firemunchkin

The water from our bath is draining really slowly - to the point where it's ankle deep when you have a shower (even a short one). I have long hair but I am careful to place the strands on the side of the bath when washing my hair, and when I rub my fingers around the plughole there's not usually much there. We've unscrewed the plug and stuck one of those long reacher things down there - not a lot came back up.

What else could be causing this slow drainage? We don't have it from the bathroom sink, just the bath. I'm worried there could be a major problem in the pipework somewhere. :eek:

Any advice (if possible) would be much appreciated.

DTDfanBoy

Take off the bath panel and check the u bend, that's the most likely place to get clogged.

WestonDave

You can get a build up of grease and soap residue - I find that an occasional dose of caustic soda used carefully in accordance with the instructions on the pack clears a similar problem that we get from time to time.

Tucker

Get yourself a drain blaster pump. They work great and then use it every couple of weeks.

Long hair builds up and needs flushing through and the blaster is very effective.

Firemunchkin

Thanks for all the suggestions - tried the caustic soda, it's made it much worse! The water isn't draining at all and when I left the house the bath was full! Oh dear!

bloss0m

Try this

http://www.crunchybetty.com/clean-your-drains-with-baking-soda-and-vinegar-surprise

I just done my kitchen blockage today and it worked

Februarycat

I had this in the summer and got a plunger, it worked and freed the blockage.

Firemunchkin

I don't know yet whether any of that water will have drained, but if not then I will try a plunger first. The main thing now is to get the water to drain!

daveyjp

"One Shot" drain unblocker. Not cheap, not something to let children play with, but being sulphuric acid it does work.

SuzieSue

daveyjp wrote: »

"One Shot" drain unblocker. Not cheap, not something to let children play with, but being sulphuric acid it does work.

You need to wear eye and face protection - my friend used this and it exploded in her face and she was badly scared. It was lucky she was wearing glasses.

poppellerant

Be careful with that One Shot drain cleaner. :eek:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176839/One-Shot-Instant-Drain-Cleaner-Boyd-James-scarred-life-acid-leaked-bedroom-ceiling-slept.html

The occupant of the upstairs flat in Blandford, Dorset, had earlier poured the sulphuric acid-based cleaner down his kitchen sink in an attempt to unblock it.

But the liquid was so strong that it melted the pipes, floor and ceiling