Advice needed on possible block in bath pipe (roof, vac, drains)
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This is a long shot but if anyone out there has had this experience please advise.
I just had a bath ( we have an old 60's bath and 60's piping- with one of those stupid plug holes which has no guard or grid in the hole bit)- you drain the bath with a lever that you push down.
Now my baby's very small flannel fell into the bath as we were draining it and just went straight down the plug hole. Now we have stopped draining the bath as I am unsure if it is better to
1Not drain the bath in case the force of the water pushes the flannel blockage further into the pipes.
2 Drain the bath so that the force of the water pushes the flannel along the waste water pipe.
We have no idea if the flannel is causing a blockage- it may have been washed out in the pipe as it is small and light weight.
Does anyone know if bath waste pipes are a standard size-if they have any filter grid on them at any point? If it was small enough to go down the plug hole could we be lucky and it is small enough just to be flushed out of the system?
We liveon a hillside so what I am afraid of is it travelling further along the pipe and then i imagine you would have to dig into the hillside to locate the pipe and try to locate the blockage.That would not be good.I just wish we had been aware that there is no grid or device in the plug to stop such a thing happening.In the UK all drainage holes have something in them to stop this happening- a very frustrating and possibly expensive difference we now find.
How big is the flannel in inches by inches dimensions?
If it is less than about 4" square, let 'er go. There is often a hair trap under older showers/tubs and then just the connections to the larger waste main. Something like this wouldn't require digging up drains. A power sewer snake from the roof vent would snag it and remove it.
Thanks Harry- can i buy a power sewer snake? Where do I put it? The flannel was 8 inch by 8 but very thin baby flannel not a thick one whish obvioulsy would not have gone down there!!Should i get someone out or is it doable on my own- what a week- my tire popped on monday too.
here's another one for you Harry.....we have been keeping the cats' litter box in the downstairs shower stall. Despite covering the drain, apparently some of the clumping litter dust has gotten in there and hardened into a hard clay lump. Have tried hot water, Drano and a pitiful excuse for a plumber's snake, all to no avail. What should I try next? I have bought a more heavy-duty snake, but should I try to soften up the clump first or what? I would like to be able to give that whole shower stall a good cleaning, but the water will not drain. Help?
Power snakes are usually rented. Home stores, some hardware stores and tool rental places have them. I was writing too fast again. I intended to say that if the cloth DID clog the sewer, that is how it would be removed. 8" x 8" is right on the edge of what might clog. The cloth itself isn't a problem as much as it getting caught on some obstruction and allowing a buildup of solids. If it made it past the hair trap and into the main line, a tree root in the line would be something that might snag it. If you think the cloth is only a couple of feet down, and the drain doesn't have anything but a hole, you can go fishing. Use a coat hanger, straighten it into a long wire, crimp a fish hook shape of about 1/2" at one end, push that end down the drain and pull up after hitting the fabric. However... the fabric is likely laying so that it is poised to go further down the drain and pulling it backward could bunch it unless you just get the tail of it. That would make the problem worse.
A small power snake would go down the toilet or tub drain. It can leave marks, so for that, and for the odor and cleanliness reasons, most plumbers will go on the roof and push the snake of a larger one down through the roof vent. No mess in the house, no odor, no marks, and the vent gives a clear shot to the main drain.
Another way you can force the issue with the flannel is to fill the tub with clear water, fill any sinks, and then let everything drain at once and flush the toilet at the same time. The mass and velocity of the water may push it out to the street.
Kitty litter that clumps - the scene - Shower drains usually have a chromed metal grid or slats that is partly decorative, partly a trap for long hairs, partly a way to keep you from getting a toe caught. Those slats are removable, either by a screw, or by prying with a screwdriver or special tool that gets under the slats, then is turned 90 degrees to allow it to engage them, and you pull up on the handle.
Under that is the top of the actual drain, which can have a crossed bar in the center. That collects a lot of hair and goop.
If you can get the top off, you may be able to chisel the worst of the KL off with a screwdriver and hammer. Litter can form a cement of clays that is extremely difficult to remove.
With the caveat that I have not yet tried this I suspect that you may be able to use penetrating oil to break some of the bonds that form. Try it on a small section first. Penetrating oil is designed to work into tiny spaces and seized joints. It'll stink of oil until you get through.
One other thought for both situations if you can stand the smell and mess - use a large wet-dry shop vac and suck stuff up out of the drains and traps. Sewer gas can be highly offensive and even dangerous, so as soon as the drain water goes thwuuuuuck and the vac speeds back up, remove the vac and pour fresh water down the trap.
Harry- thanks so much. How comme some people know this stuff? It is our guest bathroom so we are going to avoid using it and then follow your suggestions -you have been a big help.
Harry I am back- i have just investigated and the pipe does not run vertically from the hole- it is horizontal- and then must become vertical beyond what I can access- i tried a wire down there but it got stuck- finally managed to get it out but just do not want to damage the old looking pipe- will a power snake be any good with such a shaped pipe- i am used to pipes just going down vertically. We have found the waste pipe outside the house above ground level- maybe we should undo that and do something that end to try to suck it out that distance from the bath.
If it wasn't the notion that this may turn into a very expensive mishap it is strangely satisfying trying to solve the problem- i suspect plumbing could well be a secretly deeply satisfying occupation....
Harry - you are the kind of person everyman needs as a neighbour- I am so impressed by knowledge of practical matters- all that useful stuff we just don't seem to acquire anymore- thanks for sharing your knowledge with a stranger or two Harry.
If your coat hanger snagged it may have been the drum trap edge that it snagged on. Sometimes those are in inaccessible places. If the flannel is still stuck in the drain, that is the most likely place it would be.
The spot where you see the drain on the outside is likely a cleanout, used to access and clean the pipe from the house to the street. Did you do the fill the tub and sinks and drain all at once trick? If you did and there was no problem you should be fine.
Using snakes is messy, they can get caught, and some heads can gouge at sharp corners. Using one is a skill that gets better over time. If you can't find the drum trap and clean it, and you have an active clog, call around for the cost of having a plumber come out on a non-emergency basis. You may find that using a local independent plumber isn't going to cost an arm and a leg when he figures out he can just slide the job in at his convenience.
Some of us know some stuff, others of us know different stuff. I'm sure you know many things I don't, and I'm sure you try to help others. Hope this has helped.
Thanks Harry- you have been a big help and i am going to follow your advice to try to resolve it.
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