Is my Snake Long Enough?

[Bungalocity]

Seems as though there must be plenty of people that have had to go thru this problem in life.
I hope I'm not feeling inadequate, but I need to find a way to unclog my drain for the tub & bathroom basin.

I don't have backup anywhere else in the house so I'm assuming my yard pipes are clear. I used a couple
bottles of ind. strength Liquid Plumber a few months ago and that worked for a bit but the problems
quickly returned.

The previous owner left a long snake-spring, about 10' long, with a bulbous head.  But it won't get past the tub drain, nor
the overflow either.  I found a kickpanel in the linen closet behind the tub, and that's the access to the pipes and so forth.
THere's also a 5" or so cap plug with the square nut on top.  I'm assuming that this is the access to this point for the
snake entry?  Would I just remove the cover and start to rod down as far as I can go and go in and out? SHould I use a
threading sealer when I replace the cover?

Just figured this must be a fairly simple do-it-yourselfer job that everyone (that showers) would have to go thru at some point
eventually.

Whaddya's think?

[OakParkSpartan]

Seems as though there must be plenty of people that have had to go thru this problem in life.
I hope I'm not feeling inadequate, but I need to find a way to unclog my drain for the tub & bathroom basin.

I don't have backup anywhere else in the house so I'm assuming my yard pipes are clear. I used a couple
bottles of ind. strength Liquid Plumber a few months ago and that worked for a bit but the problems
quickly returned.

The previous owner left a long snake-spring, about 10' long, with a bulbous head.  But it won't get past the tub drain, nor
the overflow either.  I found a kickpanel in the linen closet behind the tub, and that's the access to the pipes and so forth.
THere's also a 5" or so cap plug with the square nut on top.  I'm assuming that this is the access to this point for the
snake entry?  Would I just remove the cover and start to rod down as far as I can go and go in and out? SHould I use a
threading sealer when I replace the cover?

Just figured this must be a fairly simple do-it-yourselfer job that everyone (that showers) would have to go thru at some point
eventually.

Whaddya's think?

Every few months I just use a plunger on the tub.  Use a large one to plug the overflow, and a second to plunge the drain.  All kinds of black stuff comes up, and the drain runs free for a few more months.  I personally stay away from the chemical cleaners.

Also, a plumber came to my place and said those cleanouts are often impossible to open.  Not sure if that is true or not, but the old plunger method has served me well.

[Bungalocity]

I know I was going to try that too but my old apt. my landlord opened the cap and rodded it and the problem never returned.
I'll give an update when I see what happens. Off to Ace!

[Terri]

As Brian said.  Another way, plug all the drains in the house, boil hot water to fill them up.  Open all the drains at the same time, you will need help, the force of the water will loosen the gunk and they will flow free.  I put a cup of bleach or peroxide in the bathroom and kitchen sink once a month to get rid of the bacteria that accumulates in the pipes.  

[Robert Pauly]

Bungalow - yes, that cap is access to the tub and sink drain.  When the tub has drained (wait for it to drain or it will drain from that clean out), remove the cap and run your snake (hopefully long) from the clean out to the tub, and from the clean out to the main drain.  It might take 25' or so of snake.  You might have to clear out the sink by itself, but this procedure has kept my drains flowing, with little muss or fuss.

[wrng sde a da tracks]

I used to have that same problem. I was told by a friend to use 1/3 of a gallon of bleach every time it starts to drain slow, pour in at night before bed close drain and run hot water first thing in the morning. been 5-6 years and haven't had to use the snake since then.

[Bear]

You will know right away if that drain access has been opened recently if it
opens with no stress. Keep in mind many of these caps were made of lead or pot metal
and will break easily with force (they were designed that way in case of a frozen drain pipe.)
If you do break it, replacements are available, but some of these older homes had funky sizes that
are not so commonplace, but findable (seems OPS's plumber didn't want to be bothered with that hunt, it must have been a funky size). Measure it beforehand, and go buy one, they are about $2.00
don't bother with the big box stores, call someplace like Algor in Cicero.

When you seal it up, just use teflon tape. Your drain will run clean till you are old and grey.

BTW, if you are in an older home using a plunger can cause probs. I blew out a 3" elbow of black pipe at the
thread in the drain of my kitchen sink (rusted). That repair was an adventure above my Harry
Homemaker skill level and required a visit from my trusted, get-out-of- deep-chit plumber, "What DID you do now Bear?"

By all means, try it yourself. If you are successful you will be king of your domain!

[ZORBA]

Can't wait till Fuentes chimes in on the title of this thread ....................

[OakParkSpartan]

I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars to have that clean out replaced if the alternative was me using a plunger 4 times a year.  Cost/Benefit didn't make a lot of sense.

[Hogzilla]

Make sure you have LOTS of towels close by. I highly recommend some surgical exam gloves while you are cleaning it out too.

[Bonster]

I used to have that same problem. I was told by a friend to use 1/3 of a gallon of bleach every time it starts to drain slow, pour in at night before bed close drain and run hot water first thing in the morning. been 5-6 years and haven't had to use the snake since then.

Same here.  Every couple months I dump liberal amounts down the drain, and by morning it's like brand new.


When I first moved it I had lots of trouble that required routing it out. 
The tub drain assembly had been replaced with PVC components coupled to the existing iron drain pipe by a rubber sleeve, giving an easy basement access point for routing.
Note that I used quite a bit of a 25' snake attached to a drill, routing it out all the way to the stack. 

[buzz]

Make sure you have LOTS of towels close by. I highly recommend some surgical exam gloves while you are cleaning it out too.

Okay,  I'm a worrier.  Protect your eyes.  Bacterial infections like dacryoadenitis and chalazion are a b**tch.  Any spray, or contact, can spread quickly through the mucous membranes.  Keep your hands away from your eyes.

[Bonster]

Buzz, why do you care what eno thinks of your routing abilities?

[Hogzilla]

Make sure you have LOTS of towels close by. I highly recommend some surgical exam gloves while you are cleaning it out too.

Okay,  I'm a worrier.  Protect your eyes.  Bacterial infections like dacryoadenitis and chalazion are a b**tch.  Any spray, or contact, can spread quickly through the mucous membranes.  Keep your hands away from your eyes.

That too!

[Bonster]

You too, Hogz?




Well, I might as well get in on this.  Eno, is my snake long?

[tgoddess]

Shouldn't you be asking TyRy this?   

[buzz]

Don't get it Bonster.

Don't run with that stick in your hand.  You'll fall and poke your eye out!

[Bonster]

snake, not stick, Buzz!

[menace2society]

another solution - if the pipe run warrants it - is to drill a hole in the top of the pipe run and use the snake through that hole.  Once you are finished, you can use electrical tape to wrap around the pipe a few times and that'll seal the hole up and provide a place to rod from in the future.  It works great - if the pipe run has the top of the pipe accessible.

[maraire]

another solution - if the pipe run warrants it - is to drill a hole in the top of the pipe run and use the snake through that hole.  Once you are finished, you can use electrical tape to wrap around the pipe a few times and that'll seal the hole up and provide a place to rod from in the future.  It works great - if the pipe run has the top of the pipe accessible.

You have to be kidding