i have a clogged bathtub.so i rented a heavy duty snake .but i cant seem to get down the right pipe.help?

Question

evrey time i push it in ,it comes up from the top of the tub which i unscrewd,and opend.please help.or at least let me know where i can get help ,maybe a good diagram could help thanks.

Answer 1

You need to put it in from the top (the part you said you removed). Then you should be able to go from there straight down into the pipe below the tub. If you are unsure wander around a place like Home Depot and look at the drains they sell to get an idea of their shape.

Answer 2

Your need to run your snake through the over flow part of you tub. This will give the snake a direct shot into the trap which is a U bend with a 90% ffitting out of the drain side of it that most likely goes to horizontal pipe. Most clogged tubs are right at the linkage or internal plug. Hair, soap scum and all kind of fun stuff.
You shouldn't have to travel to far with the snake to get to the plugged up spot. 5 to 7 feet at the most but probably more like 2 to 3 feet before you will hit a larger size drain.
It is hard to tell though with out seeing your lay out

Answer 3

It's probably hair, more than likely. I recommend using using Liquid Plumber Extra Strength before I'd start using a snake.

However, if you are going to access to the "P" trap, as previously pointed out, keep in mind, it may or may not be accessible to you. If it is, that's where I'd check next. But DO NOT pull that off if you added Liquid Plumber or any drain cleaner till you've sent water down it and flushed the drain cleaner clear. I'm talking a couple of hours here. Read the directions.

If you pull the "P" trap off with out using drain cleaner, I recommend getting a 5 gal plastic bucket, a pair of "slip jaw" pliers, also called "Channel-Locks," (not to be confused with Vise Grips) and perhaps a sheet of plastic, just in case you don't want to get anything in the area wet. Also, if at all possible, try to do this repair with as little water in the tub. Because when you pull that "P" trap off, gravity will kick in and you'll get plenty wet. On top of that, the clog may feel slightly unpleasant if it hits you in the face.

Another trick is to pull up the hair clog with a coat hanger shaped like a fish hook. It's a little tricky fashioning the coat hanger into a hook form, but with a pair of pliers and the flimsiest metal shirt hanger you can find, you can manage to pull up a lot of hair residue out of the drain. Good luck. One last thing, if you have never attempted any repairs on drains, I found it a good idea to have a few buck on hand just in case you tear something up. If you do, be sure to bring the pieces to a hardware store.

Answer 4

the trap is shaped like the letter p. Your snake is doing a u-turn and coming up, because it is the easiest way to go. Try pushing the snake from the top of the tub. When that fails, run about 5" of water in the tub and use the toilet plunger on it. SHHHHH! I won't tell, if you don't. It will get all the balled up hair and gunk out.