Troubleshooting Clogged Tub Drains
A clogged tub drain is more than a nuisance. It's a major inconvenience. Taking a shower while the water continues to rise is gross and annoying. Fortunately, clogged tubs often have easy drain cleaning solutions you can try before calling in a professional. Here's a closer look at why your tub drain might be clogged and what to do about it.
Hair Clogs
Hair is one of the most common culprits for a clogged tub. It can get caught on the drain stopper or filter, trapping other debris such as soap scum and dirt that further block the flow of water. The good news is that this type of clog is relatively easy to fix. All you need to do is simple drain cleaning. Remove the drain stopper or filter, discard any visible hair, and run hot water down the drain for a few minutes to help break up any remaining debris. If that doesn't work, you may need to use a chemical drain cleaner or call in a plumber for more stubborn clogs.
Additionally, there are mesh strainers you can insert in the tub's drain to catch hair and soap scum before it has a chance to clog the pipe.
Soap Scum Buildup
Another common cause of a clogged tub is buildup from soap scum over time. Soap scum accumulates along the inner walls of your pipes and eventually forms a thick, impenetrable blockage, preventing water from draining properly. To prevent this from happening, wipe down the inside walls of your tub after every shower and make sure you're using cleaners specifically designed to break down soap scum residue, like vinegar. If you already have soap scum buildup in your pipes, special tools designed for drain cleaning can help scrape away the soap scum so it breaks free and flows away with hot water. However, this is a job best saved for professionals.
Foreign Objects
Sometimes foreign objects like toys or jewelry get stuck in the drain, causing severe blockages requiring professional assistance. To reduce the risk of this happening in the first place, remove toys before draining the tub and teach your children not to put anything near the drain to avoid accidental drainage mishaps.
A clogged tub drain can be an annoying problem, but fortunately, there are some simple drain cleaning solutions at hand if you know what's causing the blockage. From hair clogs to toys, all these problems can be easily fixed with a little drain-unclogging effort from you or a professional.
Find out more about how a service can help with drain unclogging.