Bath not draining - anything more I can do or do I need to call a plumber?

Snakey

After being fine ever since I moved in (nearly a year ago now), the bath started draining slowly over the last couple of weeks. I put some soda crystals (those ones you get in a bag from the supermarket for about £1) down, followed by a kettleful of boiling water, and it seemed to sort it, but then it got worse again and suddenly today it's taken maybe four hours for one shower's worth of water to drain (before now it was maybe five minutes).

I took off all the bendy bits of pipe from under the bath, expecting to find loads of hair etc but it was all clean. So the blockage must be further along. When you run the tap in the sink the water comes up the bath plug so I suppose that's telling me the same thing.

Question: is there anything else I can do to try to sort this, or do I need to call someone out? I don't want to do anything that might make it worse i.e. more expensive.

Right now the bath is empty.

Would boiling water be any good, if it's hair plus soap? Do soda crystals travel to the blockage or just sit in the (already clean) bendy bits under the bath?

paddypaws101

you can get wire 'snakes' from hardware shops that you feed down the pipework and use to break up any solid mass.
have you tried an old fashioned plunger in both the sink and bath? seal off the over flow to get a better vacuum. I would try boiling water with some biological washing powder dissolved in, could help break down soap/hair residue

PlutoinCapricorn

You could try a chemical product called "One Shot" as a last resort.

SuzieSue

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

You could try a chemical product called "One Shot" as a last resort.

Protect your face and eyes if you do, my friend would probably have been blinded if she wasn't wearing glasses.

glentoran99

I got drain unblocker stuff from tesco fore my slow draining sink it was good stuff, had no faith before i tried it, worked like a dream though http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=255970670

flashg67

I've had great success with the 'airblasters', but read the instructions so you don't 'over pump' for your pipe sizes.

eg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Pump-Drain-Blaster-for-Unblocking-Drains-Sinks-in-the-Kitchen-and-Bathroom-/261313068467?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cd778fdb3

Seronera

For heavens sake, go mad and spend a fiver on some Mr Muscle Drain cleaner. Tip a fair bit down before you go to bed and leave it over night. Read the instructions of course.

I have a pneumatic drain unblocker and wire unblocker. I ALWAYS try the Mr Muscle route first as it usually works and is non interference and you can't do any damage. You may need to repeat it so don't tip the whole lot down in one go. The pneumatic one can pop compression joints apart of you are not careful so I use it with discretion.

Whatever you do....do NOT mix drain cleaners/unblockers or tip bleach down at the same time. That can lead to serious injury.

pendragon_arther

Seronera wrote: »

For heavens sake, go mad and spend a fiver on some Mr Muscle Drain cleaner. Tip a fair bit down before you go to bed and leave it over night. Read the instructions of course.

I agree, it cleared ours.

anotheruser

Feel free to take photos of whatever the blockage was...

I used a pressure washer when cleaning out our sink hole.

rob7475

I had a similar problem a few weeks back. I tried the mr muscle as it normally clears the blockage but it didn't work this time. Tried a plunger and that didn't improve things much either.

So, get yourself down to B&Q and go to the plumbing materials aisle - down here they have several drain unblocking liquids that are stronger than the mr muscle stuff, I got this one http://www.diy.com/departments/instant-power-drain-opener-1l/254783_BQ.prd

Make sure you follow the instructions - gloves and goggles. I poured it down the bath, left it overnight and the blockage was clear in the morning. Theres also enough in a bottle for 2 or 3 treatments if needed.

roddydogs

Boiling water?? on plastic pipes., really.