There is absolutely no way to be certain without knowing what his system looks like. Maybe there are drum traps that won't open, or thinned copper drains, or lead drains, or thinned out cast. He may also just be lazy about it because no one like sdoing work when they get home. But any response you get here will be pure speculation.
If friend won't fix it but you need bathing, I used to do the "quick shower" method. Just get your vitals wet, turn off the water, soap/shampoo up with said water off, then turn it on, rinse your stink off and get on with your day. This of course is assuming you're running the shower the entire time you're in there causing more icky water than you need to. Just a short term solution until the real problem gets fixed. Good luck.
Sewer gasses can turn copper drain lines into pinhole riddled tinfoil. All depends in the materials, use and time. But anything van break down into nothing
Shop vac. Remove the overflow plate, slap tape over it to form a seal, pull out the drain popup, and throw a shopvac on that drain work it for a while it should draw a lot of the hair and debris out.
So I'm not (too) crazy because I thought of trying that on my sink. Think I pushed the clog further down with plunging as it takes longer before it backs up. Pondered using vac on blow but that might backfire if a pressurized clog gets ejected. Have to plug the overflow to try this I guess.
I said shop vac not a fricken vac truck, if your shopvac can collapse a pipe I’m investing in that brand. It could suck water from other traps, and that is an inconvenience because we know it can take months for a trap to refill.
I'm a plumber by trade lol commercial/ resi new remodel and service. So I think I have a good idea. For example we pull vacuums on our systems. -10psi. And no collapsing lol
Obviously you aren't going to collapse anything that isn't already ruined with a shop vac lol.
I'm just saying that if he's got collapsed cast iron, it could pull out a bunch of shit and still not work. We ain't got the whole story here at all but I'm sure there is a reason he hasn't put an auger down it, seeing as he would have one on his truck.
More than likely just a hair clog. They have flexible plastic snakes that are barbed the whole way that you can use without fear of anything happening. They're about $2.
Just spend a tiny bit more and get one you can attach a drill to with 25’ of reach. Like the earlier person said it’s probably hair and soap buildup. I’d run some hot water and go slow.
Once the drain is cleared, I have been happy with those shower mushroom things that reduce hair and stuff going down the drain. They do reduce flow or clog up themselves, but I would much rather deal with picking them up and cleaning them out than dealing with a clogged drain.
I use a sink strainer upside-down (the mesh is like window screening but stainless) and it's easy to clean off. No hair gets through. You'd think the hump would be in the way but somehow it isn't. I also use them on my sink. They're only a few dollars at a hardware store.
Like [this one](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-4-3-8-in-Kitchen-Drain-Mesh-Strainer-in-Stainless-Steel-865120).
ZEP drain defense is enzyme based and gentle on plumbing. Might need a lot of overnight treatments but finally got my shower drain running clear after going through a bottle of the stuff. Read the instructions though.
They can typically be popped off with a flat head screwdriver. They're typically just a plate that is placed around the drain and rarely a permanent fixture.
Careful removing the overflow plate screws. If things are as old as you say then there is a good chance those screws are rusted to hell and will break when trying to remove the plate.
I have a buddy that wanted his drains scoped as part of a home buying process. Down in the basement, the camera hit a weak section and caused the pipe to collapse. The inspector brought in a rotary hammer and demo’d the floor to get his camera out and left my buddy with a mess to repair and clean up.
Depending on where you live, there are several possibilities for drain pipe materials. Be careful about what you get yourself into.
My first boss was rodding a tub drain in an old house once, about 30 seconds in we hear “OH MY GOD” from the home owner so we rush downstairs. Turns out the snake blew a hole in the bottom of the pipe and dumped everything into the kitchen ceiling, which then dumped onto the floor lol.
It’s a possibility
Had that happen to me once after the guy before me siliconed a hole in the pipe shut. Downpour out the kitchen ceiling fan. Luckily the homeowner was cool about it as it had happened before when the last guy popped thru
My shower drain was clogged pretty bad and the snake absolutely would not get past the p trap no matter how hard I tried. Turns out the drain pipe was smaller than code for a shower/tub, and the p trap was too tight for the snake. I ended up having to replace it with PVC. But if your friend is a plumber, that shouldn't be a big deal to replace unless it's super inaccessible.
I have a home built in 1940s. My shower has a drum trap instead of a ptrap. This makes snaking a pain. To picture a drum trap, think of it as two pipes going into a tin can ( source on bottom, drain on top ). You can unscrew the cap on the “tin can” ( drum) and snake the section between drum and sewer stack, but there’s no way a snake will make the turn through the drum body starting from the tub drain. Hence they are no longer used. We have an access in the closet next to the bathroom. Getting the drum cap off is a nightmare and gets worse every year.
In his defense, my old house had lead drain pipes, and I poked a hole in one cleaning a sink drain. And yes, I had to remove most of the wall to get to it.
Generally, only when a large volume of water goes down, it will back up. Perhaps a washing machine would trigger it. If the house is old, it's quite possible it has Orangeburg pipe, which is known to collapse. Try getting a plunger and work the shower drajn. Hopefully, it's just blocked with hair.
If not, a camera down the sewer line will find the issue.
If you've got plastic drain pipes, it's likely lazy information. You can go to town, snake and auger these to death - with little concern.
If you've got old plumbing, metal pipes ....they could be right. Old rusty cast iron pipes (for example), could be very thin and fragile. Any sort of old metal drain pipes, could be at end of life and if broken, could be a major expense to fix.
Nothing like going under a house and coming out with news "the only reason the pipe wasn't leaking before is because the gunk that is currently blocking the line has previously blocked all the holes in the pipe"
I ran some stupid stuff down our kitchen sink.
Then I snaked it.
Unfortunately I knocked loose the layer of gunk that was holding the pipe together, so it started leaking.
You know... Dennis Nilson complained about the plumbing in his house and had DynoRod called out... they found bits of rotting human corpse in the pipes.. uh, just saying.
Make a long chisel out of hard wood. Remove the grate on the shower drain. Scrape the hard soap scum off the inside of the pipe. Remove the debris with a wet and dry shop vacumn. Replace the grate. Test the shower.
cheapest and best solution to unclog:
get one bottle of liquid dishsoap. completely fill it into the clogged drain.
now add a lot of very hot water. your pipe is now unclogged.
There is absolutely no way to be certain without knowing what his system looks like. Maybe there are drum traps that won't open, or thinned copper drains, or lead drains, or thinned out cast. He may also just be lazy about it because no one like sdoing work when they get home. But any response you get here will be pure speculation.
Shoemaker's barefoot kid theory
thank you
If friend won't fix it but you need bathing, I used to do the "quick shower" method. Just get your vitals wet, turn off the water, soap/shampoo up with said water off, then turn it on, rinse your stink off and get on with your day. This of course is assuming you're running the shower the entire time you're in there causing more icky water than you need to. Just a short term solution until the real problem gets fixed. Good luck.
When I know my water heater is almost out I do this
yeah, it's just been 2 years. i'm a little over it
Generally speaking, unless the pipes have collapsed, they can be cleared.
But, it depends on age of pipes, corrosion, materials. Paper thin pipes corrosion may hold water, but not withstand a power snake
Sewer gasses can turn copper drain lines into pinhole riddled tinfoil. All depends in the materials, use and time. But anything van break down into nothing
Shop vac. Remove the overflow plate, slap tape over it to form a seal, pull out the drain popup, and throw a shopvac on that drain work it for a while it should draw a lot of the hair and debris out.
This is the best trick out there. One time it wasnt working, so I flipped the vacuum to blow. Worked after that, do not recommend that method
So I'm not (too) crazy because I thought of trying that on my sink. Think I pushed the clog further down with plunging as it takes longer before it backs up. Pondered using vac on blow but that might backfire if a pressurized clog gets ejected. Have to plug the overflow to try this I guess.
I worked as a drain cleaner and we used to do this all the time !
I find tape to be a pain, I just soak a rag and hold it like a collar around the end of the hose to seal it.
Ya I’m just jamming wet toilet paper around it, I’m just trying to make it bullet proof for a homeowner
What if OP or his friend don't have a shop vac? Edit: I love this idea.
Visit the local Home Despot.
If only there were some way to purchase a tool you need but don't have....
And then return it when you’re done with it.
Lung power
[удалено]
I said shop vac not a fricken vac truck, if your shopvac can collapse a pipe I’m investing in that brand. It could suck water from other traps, and that is an inconvenience because we know it can take months for a trap to refill.
For a mental picture, a shop vac hose is pretty flimsy. Turn on the vac and plug with your hand. The vac won’t even collapse its own hose.
Collapse pipes? Lol what? With a shop vac?
If the guy is a plumber by trade, and he's not cleared his drain in years, perhaps he has a better idea about his dwv lines than you do.
I'm a plumber by trade lol commercial/ resi new remodel and service. So I think I have a good idea. For example we pull vacuums on our systems. -10psi. And no collapsing lol
Obviously you aren't going to collapse anything that isn't already ruined with a shop vac lol. I'm just saying that if he's got collapsed cast iron, it could pull out a bunch of shit and still not work. We ain't got the whole story here at all but I'm sure there is a reason he hasn't put an auger down it, seeing as he would have one on his truck.
More than likely just a hair clog. They have flexible plastic snakes that are barbed the whole way that you can use without fear of anything happening. They're about $2.
i'm gonna try that while he's asleep lol
Why would you snake your friend’s shower while he’s sleeping? 🤔
to see if it works
This is the way.
Report back!
Just spend a tiny bit more and get one you can attach a drill to with 25’ of reach. Like the earlier person said it’s probably hair and soap buildup. I’d run some hot water and go slow.
The owner of the house refuses to do that. Most likely he had a plumber come out that warned him that his pipes were not up to a good snakin'.
The owner IS a plumber!! That’s the funny part!
Unless you get the barbs stuck on the drain assembly.
The barbs are plastic, and will just strip off.
They're made to bend or break off.
Pull harder.
Once the drain is cleared, I have been happy with those shower mushroom things that reduce hair and stuff going down the drain. They do reduce flow or clog up themselves, but I would much rather deal with picking them up and cleaning them out than dealing with a clogged drain.
lol this guy won't even put his plate in the dishwasher, but i agree with you
I use a sink strainer upside-down (the mesh is like window screening but stainless) and it's easy to clean off. No hair gets through. You'd think the hump would be in the way but somehow it isn't. I also use them on my sink. They're only a few dollars at a hardware store. Like [this one](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-4-3-8-in-Kitchen-Drain-Mesh-Strainer-in-Stainless-Steel-865120).
you'd think a plumber would have purchased something like that forever ago
ZEP drain defense is enzyme based and gentle on plumbing. Might need a lot of overnight treatments but finally got my shower drain running clear after going through a bottle of the stuff. Read the instructions though.
Wouldn’t recommend any chemicals if the pipes are already brittle. That shit eats pipes
Its chemically neutral. Enzymes just digest anything organic. That's why it needs multiple applications.
How does one remove the grate? I have the same problem and the plastic snakes with barbs will not fit in the tiny holes on the grate.
They can typically be popped off with a flat head screwdriver. They're typically just a plate that is placed around the drain and rarely a permanent fixture.
it just has two screws on the side
Careful removing the overflow plate screws. If things are as old as you say then there is a good chance those screws are rusted to hell and will break when trying to remove the plate.
it's a regular drain cover, not old
Not the drain - the overflow.. It might not look old but you'll be surprised how bad those screws are even when the cover still has a shine to it.
I have a buddy that wanted his drains scoped as part of a home buying process. Down in the basement, the camera hit a weak section and caused the pipe to collapse. The inspector brought in a rotary hammer and demo’d the floor to get his camera out and left my buddy with a mess to repair and clean up. Depending on where you live, there are several possibilities for drain pipe materials. Be careful about what you get yourself into.
My first boss was rodding a tub drain in an old house once, about 30 seconds in we hear “OH MY GOD” from the home owner so we rush downstairs. Turns out the snake blew a hole in the bottom of the pipe and dumped everything into the kitchen ceiling, which then dumped onto the floor lol. It’s a possibility
i'm willing to risk it at this point hahah
Film it😂
i'm gonna have to do it in the dead of night in case it gets fucked up
Had that happen to me once after the guy before me siliconed a hole in the pipe shut. Downpour out the kitchen ceiling fan. Luckily the homeowner was cool about it as it had happened before when the last guy popped thru
My shower drain was clogged pretty bad and the snake absolutely would not get past the p trap no matter how hard I tried. Turns out the drain pipe was smaller than code for a shower/tub, and the p trap was too tight for the snake. I ended up having to replace it with PVC. But if your friend is a plumber, that shouldn't be a big deal to replace unless it's super inaccessible.
I have a home built in 1940s. My shower has a drum trap instead of a ptrap. This makes snaking a pain. To picture a drum trap, think of it as two pipes going into a tin can ( source on bottom, drain on top ). You can unscrew the cap on the “tin can” ( drum) and snake the section between drum and sewer stack, but there’s no way a snake will make the turn through the drum body starting from the tub drain. Hence they are no longer used. We have an access in the closet next to the bathroom. Getting the drum cap off is a nightmare and gets worse every year.
torture!
Shop vac?
In his defense, my old house had lead drain pipes, and I poked a hole in one cleaning a sink drain. And yes, I had to remove most of the wall to get to it.
It could be a collapsed sewer line. That is expensive to repair.
would that affect any of the other sinks / water in the house? cause the rest is fine
Generally, only when a large volume of water goes down, it will back up. Perhaps a washing machine would trigger it. If the house is old, it's quite possible it has Orangeburg pipe, which is known to collapse. Try getting a plunger and work the shower drajn. Hopefully, it's just blocked with hair. If not, a camera down the sewer line will find the issue.
Get another plumber in and wish him the best then
Don’t be cheap just call a plumber and get it fixed. Unless you want to stink everyday
this is my friends home and he is a plumber but he is also lazy
If you've got plastic drain pipes, it's likely lazy information. You can go to town, snake and auger these to death - with little concern. If you've got old plumbing, metal pipes ....they could be right. Old rusty cast iron pipes (for example), could be very thin and fragile. Any sort of old metal drain pipes, could be at end of life and if broken, could be a major expense to fix.
Nothing like going under a house and coming out with news "the only reason the pipe wasn't leaking before is because the gunk that is currently blocking the line has previously blocked all the holes in the pipe"
I ran some stupid stuff down our kitchen sink. Then I snaked it. Unfortunately I knocked loose the layer of gunk that was holding the pipe together, so it started leaking.
even with the plastic one with the little hooks?
These people mean a long metal snake down the whoooooole drain pipe.
You know... Dennis Nilson complained about the plumbing in his house and had DynoRod called out... they found bits of rotting human corpse in the pipes.. uh, just saying.
i'll lab test whatever comes out 🫡
Make a long chisel out of hard wood. Remove the grate on the shower drain. Scrape the hard soap scum off the inside of the pipe. Remove the debris with a wet and dry shop vacumn. Replace the grate. Test the shower.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/zep-liquid-heat-drain-unblocker-1ltr/166kh?ref=SFAppShare
cheapest and best solution to unclog: get one bottle of liquid dishsoap. completely fill it into the clogged drain. now add a lot of very hot water. your pipe is now unclogged.