I have a clog somewhere between my tub drain and my 5 inch soil pipe.
I haver tried chemicals, rodding which goes about 5 feet and then catches on something. I have water running but very slowly so I am thinking of replacing the pipe from the tub to the soil pipe.
Does nayone Know if I can use pvc in Chicago to do this or do I have to use some other thing like galvanzixed?
Replies
Not a plumber; can't comment on legality of PVC in Chicago.
With that out of the way:
1) Has your tub ever drained well?
2) Do any other fixtures in this bathroom exhibit slow draining? Sink OK? Toilet OK?
If the other fixtures are also showing signs of slow draining, it may be the vent line is clogged - bird / insect nests, or debris of some sort. Worth a check. However that rod going down 5' and hitting something does not sound good.
Had a customer in a two story row home once with a flat roof, complaining of suddenly slow draining from 2nd floor bath sink - same drill, tried plunging, rodding, chemicals, etc. Scratching my head - went to roof - found a styrofoam coffee cup upside down over the pipe - I guess it blew there. Could happen in the windy city!
Removed cup and sink drained fine.
In any event this post will bump your post up the list for others to see.
BTW - that is probably a 4" soil pipe (ID).
Luck!
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Nothing else slows down but the tub drain. The toilet and sink work just fine. I did have Empire install a new tub surround and cover over my old tub as a refinish and I was wondering if there could be an issue with the drain not being correctly installed when they put the fiberglass liner on the tub. I do not see any leaks from that are but I was wondering if they could have made the neck of the drain too long and that may slow the draining?
Recent work on the tub "thickens the plot".
Before you tear out the old drain line. Check to be sure the drain lever is actually working properly. Don't know all of the right terms for the parts so I will describe them so you can identify also.
Assuming a lever type drain control in the tub - flat, usually chrome, plate with a lever coming out of the center - mounted directly over the drain opening:
Remove the two screws which are visible in the plate.
Pull plate out / off. Attached to the plate there will be pair of rods about 9-12" long, attached to the end of the rods there will be a flat bottomed "cup". It is the "cup" which actually seals the drain line when you want to fill the tub. The rods are adjustable in some way to lengthen /shorten their total run to the cup, most use either a turnbuckle, set screws, or a notched slot to adjust length.
With the plate, rods and "cup" removed from the drain - run water down the tub drain. Does it drain well now? If yes, then your problem is the length adjustment of the rods (slow draining = too long rod; tub drain leaks and/or tub will not fill = too short rod).
Unfortunately, if the drain is still slow, then your problem is in the actual drain pipe. I would try rodding the line again through the opening on the overflow (where plate was). Depending on the configuration of your drain you may have eliminated one 90 degree bend that your snake has to bend around and you may have better luck getting through or past that 5' stopping point.
If you can easily access the drain pipe from the tub to the soil pipe (exposed in a basement), check the pitch of the pipe itself - should fall at least 1/4" per foot as it travel toward the main soil pipe - if not then "they made the neck of the drain too long" and indeed that would slow the draining. If this turns out to be the case then I would call Empire back to fix it or just DIY.
To check the pitch - set a 2' level on top of the pipe with a 1/2" block under the end nearest the soil pipe - should read level or the level bubble should be "out of the lines" on the side closest to the tub (indicates >1/4" per foot pitch - more pitch is even better). Holding the level under the pipe and blocking the end nearest the tub does the same thing.
Luck!
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Yeah, assuming that you have a lever-type drain control, remove the two screws (place something over drain to catch screws if they get away from you) and just pull the entire assembly out. (Should be the lever, a sort of chain, and a cylindrical metal plug. You may have to tug and twist a little, but it shouldn't be very stubborn.) If the plug isn't on the end of the chain then that's your problem. Or if the tub drains OK with the assembly removed then the assembly is misadjusted.
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If your able to snake it down about 5 feet then it's not the tub drain itself.
There is something blocking the path, could be build up or large foriegn object.
I'm not sure what code Chitown uses, but PVC is legal for DWV in the 3 major codes UPC, IPC, & the IRC. ABS is not legal in all jurisdictions, but it is in most, cast iron is legal in all & same with galvinised.
Your comment on 5" is a bit of the uncommon, while there is 5" pipe you have better luck on finding a four leaf clover. If it is cast iron a 4" pipe will have an OD of about 4.5".
The main mistake I see by DIY'ers is joining of the two. If you use a steel banded rubber coupling that is labeled for the two pipes with a upc sticker on the label you can usually do no wrong.
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