Your dad gives great advise on how to solve a lot of plumbing problems. It would be helpful if you can show pictures when he’s talking to give examples to people like me who don’t have a clue of what he’s talking about without googling it. Your dad is full of knowledge though!
When you were talking about not snaking a kitchen drain from the top, Erica and I said, "Ahhhhhh" at the same time. It was kinda funny. Thanks for clearing things up.
I use a shop vac on any drain I can in the house. Been doing it for years, actually i just did it last night to our bathroom sink. You need to cover the vent with a wet rag. I wonder if it would work on a shower or tub?? I haven’t had to do one yet. This is a great channel. Your dad doesn’t seem to be too grumpy tho. My dad is grumpy, he’s a real A hole, but he’s my A hole and he’s taught me a lot.
Wyatt’s dad, I use a closet auger because a plunger does not work well on toilets. I use a closet auger on a shower drain because it’s 2”. You can only use a closet auger on any drain that’s larger than 2”. On the lav drain, the trap only plugs on TV when trying to sell you drain cleaner. When I unplug a lav drain, I disconnect the lever for the pop up drain and pull out pop up and clean the hair and toothpaste off the pop up and reinstall. The tub drain like the brand name Kohler that has a spring attached to the trip lever, needs to be removed to clean the spring. After the spring is cleaned of hair, insert the pop up plug and arm then reinsert the trip lever. Other brands require you to remove the trip lever because it has a cylinder on the end of it and then run auger down drain opening. Your idea of using the shop vac might work. It’s worth a try.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thank you for the response. I’ve really been enjoying your videos. I have a handyman service and have been doing it for about 10 years now. It’s always nice or learn new things. I know quite a bit but I definitely don’t know everything, and I’ve got a good friend that is a plumbing contractor so if I come across something I don’t know how to do I refer the customer to him. I don’t clean drains tho, other than removing a trap or vacuuming out a clogged sink drain, (something that I feel will actually work) I’ve had very good luck using the shop vac thing. I also use it to quickly suck out toilet water when changing a toilet. The other day I used it to suck out water from the house plumbing before soldering on a new outdoor faucet. That actually worked really well for that, so I’ll definitely keep using it for that type of repair. Anyways, thank you again for all your great tips and advice. My dads a grumpy tool and die maker/ carpenter later in life, after Twain and China started doing all that type of tooling work for this country. He’s always been such a good resource for me growing up. I tried working in an office when I was younger and I hated that environment. So I’m a blue collar guy thru n thru I guess. It seems he knows how to do pretty much anything I’ve ever needed to know. From swapping engines and transmissions as a kid to electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc.. again I really enjoy you and your sons vids. Great work.
My bath tub drain would leave me standing in inches of water. Someone mentioned using a shop vacuum to unclog it. I filled up all the sink/shower drains with water, ran around and pulled the drain plug on all of them. Used my 6.5HP RIDGID vacuum and you wouldn't believe the garbage it pulled out. Now it drains well. Just throwing that out there.
Your videos are always helpful! How about a video about clogged kitchen sinks? Mine seems to get clogged all the time despite the fact I use a strainer and never pour grease down it!
Hi Jim I was a driver, not a plumber. I have stuck a wet rag into the overflow on a tub and used my shop vac in wet mode and sucked out hair clogs, not mine, Bad idea? I enjoy your channel.
I've got an old claw-foot tub that has been slow to drain for the last year or so. I would use straight vinegar (trying to be environmentally conscious) to try and clear the "clog". It would barely work. So it finally stopped draining all together. I bought Drano/Liquid Plumber - it did nothing. I bought a snake, put it through the tub drain, but the drain " T's" at the back of the tub and I couldn't go any further. But the snake would move freely through that portion and no hair would come out with the snake. So I put it in through the overflow as this would let me go past the "T". I could get the snake past the "T" maybe 8"-12" and the snake would hit something hard, seemingly. I can't tell if it's hitting another "T" under the floor or if there is something hard in the pipe. And my tub does not have a drain stop with a spring that I can see. Any thoughts? Thanks for your channel. Your advice has helped me with so many other plumbing issues. You've saved me time, frustration and money.
emrsngs, do you have a basement or crawl space under the tub that would enable you to access the tub drain? If you do, I would recommend that you take out the tub drain piping and trap and put in a PVC or ABS p-trap. You also could buy a small motorized drain cleaning machine which might get you through that trap. That’s really the only way if the drain is in a cement slab. The old style tub drains did not come with a spring stopper, just a rubber plug. One more thing; the old style tub drains are 1 3/8” OD, while the new ones are 1 1/2” OD. So be very careful repairing this. Thanks for watching and subscribing. I hope this helps.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Haha, yes I've already encountered the size difference. I do have a crawl space under the tub. I will look and see what I can do with that. Normally I would call a plumber but I live in a rural area and oddly enough no one returns your call. 🤔 Thanks for taking time to reply. Much appreciated!!
My overflow stopper that's attached the chain link is stuck (in the open position). Its only 3 years old and is not stuck because of rust. I unsuccessfully used a calcium, lime, rust dissolver. Still stuck. Any advice on how to get it out? It's still connected to the chain link. I'm afraid to yank very hard and the link breaks leaving the metal barrel type stopper completely stuck.
RETIRED, maybe spray some kind of lubricant down into the overflow tube and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and grab the brass rods that are connected to the face plate and pull them both together. If that pulls it out, you want to lubricant the stopper with some silicone faucet grease.
Thomas Danes, the clanging sound could be that the piping is too close to wood….but hard for me to tell. If the shower is not used that often don’t worry about it.
P C, there is a product called “Calci-solve”. You pour it into the toilet bowl and let it sit. That should clean it out. However, you need to read the instructions carefully. It can put out a very strong odor. I would recommend a new toilet if the buildup is that bad.
The Campbells, the overflow helps the sink drain. To make your sink drain better, install a branch tail piece which is a 1 1/2” with a branch going off 5/8 or 7/8 drain. Normally they are used for attaching the dishwasher drain hose underneath the sink. Using this on a lav drain, you would install a 5/8 or 7/8 hose and run it up as high as you can under the cabinet. You can do this on a tub, but it’s only going to help the water drain faster, not prevent overflow.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks for the tips! Fortunately, we don't have any problems with drainage. We have young children, and we're concerned about their sinks and bathtub overflowing since there are no overflow drains... Is there a way to retrofit them with overflow drains?
The Campbells, sorry, I don’t know how you got fixtures without overflows. I can see your challenge, especially with kids. I have no idea how to retrofit them.
billg4630, I used a drain cleaner called Clobber. I think it is made by Hercules products. You can’t use it in a toilet or when a drain is completely stopped. You should only use it to maintain a drain. The tool I use is called a Closet Auger. I use it in toilets and shower drains. You can’t use this tool in a bathroom sink drain or a bathtub drain. The drain cleaner product is an acid base so you have to be very careful when you pour it.
Your dad gives great advise on how to solve a lot of plumbing problems. It would be helpful if you can show pictures when he’s talking to give examples to people like me who don’t have a clue of what he’s talking about without googling it. Your dad is full of knowledge though!
When you were talking about not snaking a kitchen drain from the top, Erica and I said, "Ahhhhhh" at the same time. It was kinda funny. Thanks for clearing things up.
My respect for this master in plumbing. Very helpful. Thanks.
I use a shop vac on any drain I can in the house. Been doing it for years, actually i just did it last night to our bathroom sink. You need to cover the vent with a wet rag. I wonder if it would work on a shower or tub?? I haven’t had to do one yet. This is a great channel. Your dad doesn’t seem to be too grumpy tho. My dad is grumpy, he’s a real A hole, but he’s my A hole and he’s taught me a lot.
Wyatt’s dad, I use a closet auger because a plunger does not work well on toilets. I use a closet auger on a shower drain because it’s 2”. You can only use a closet auger on any drain that’s larger than 2”. On the lav drain, the trap only plugs on TV when trying to sell you drain cleaner. When I unplug a lav drain, I disconnect the lever for the pop up drain and pull out pop up and clean the hair and toothpaste off the pop up and reinstall. The tub drain like the brand name Kohler that has a spring attached to the trip lever, needs to be removed to clean the spring. After the spring is cleaned of hair, insert the pop up plug and arm then reinsert the trip lever. Other brands require you to remove the trip lever because it has a cylinder on the end of it and then run auger down drain opening. Your idea of using the shop vac might work. It’s worth a try.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thank you for the response. I’ve really been enjoying your videos. I have a handyman service and have been doing it for about 10 years now. It’s always nice or learn new things. I know quite a bit but I definitely don’t know everything, and I’ve got a good friend that is a plumbing contractor so if I come across something I don’t know how to do I refer the customer to him. I don’t clean drains tho, other than removing a trap or vacuuming out a clogged sink drain, (something that I feel will actually work) I’ve had very good luck using the shop vac thing. I also use it to quickly suck out toilet water when changing a toilet. The other day I used it to suck out water from the house plumbing before soldering on a new outdoor faucet. That actually worked really well for that, so I’ll definitely keep using it for that type of repair.
Anyways, thank you again for all your great tips and advice. My dads a grumpy tool and die maker/ carpenter later in life, after Twain and China started doing all that type of tooling work for this country.
He’s always been such a good resource for me growing up. I tried working in an office when I was younger and I hated that environment. So I’m a blue collar guy thru n thru I guess.
It seems he knows how to do pretty much anything I’ve ever needed to know. From swapping engines and transmissions as a kid to electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc.. again I really enjoy you and your sons vids. Great work.
My bath tub drain would leave me standing in inches of water. Someone mentioned using a shop vacuum to unclog it. I filled up all the sink/shower drains with water, ran around and pulled the drain plug on all of them. Used my 6.5HP RIDGID vacuum and you wouldn't believe the garbage it pulled out. Now it drains well. Just throwing that out there.
You inspired me to clean the p-trap on our bathroom sink today. N a s t y but the drain is clear and so the sink stays clean!
Your videos are always helpful! How about a video about clogged kitchen sinks? Mine seems to get clogged all the time despite the fact I use a strainer and never pour grease down it!
S EC, either your drain is not sloped properly or try to use more water. Water is cheaper than a plumber.
thank you! Very Helpful!
Great information I appreciate it
Hi Jim I was a driver, not a plumber. I have stuck a wet rag into the overflow on a tub and used my shop vac in wet mode and sucked out hair clogs, not mine, Bad idea? I enjoy your channel.
timbober1, did it work? You might try to use a small auger through the overflow. Glad you like the channel.
I've got an old claw-foot tub that has been slow to drain for the last year or so. I would use straight vinegar (trying to be environmentally conscious) to try and clear the "clog". It would barely work. So it finally stopped draining all together. I bought Drano/Liquid Plumber - it did nothing. I bought a snake, put it through the tub drain, but the drain " T's" at the back of the tub and I couldn't go any further. But the snake would move freely through that portion and no hair would come out with the snake. So I put it in through the overflow as this would let me go past the "T". I could get the snake past the "T" maybe 8"-12" and the snake would hit something hard, seemingly. I can't tell if it's hitting another "T" under the floor or if there is something hard in the pipe. And my tub does not have a drain stop with a spring that I can see. Any thoughts? Thanks for your channel. Your advice has helped me with so many other plumbing issues. You've saved me time, frustration and money.
emrsngs, do you have a basement or crawl space under the tub that would enable you to access the tub drain? If you do, I would recommend that you take out the tub drain piping and trap and put in a PVC or ABS p-trap. You also could buy a small motorized drain cleaning machine which might get you through that trap. That’s really the only way if the drain is in a cement slab. The old style tub drains did not come with a spring stopper, just a rubber plug. One more thing; the old style tub drains are 1 3/8” OD, while the new ones are 1 1/2” OD. So be very careful repairing this. Thanks for watching and subscribing. I hope this helps.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Haha, yes I've already encountered the size difference. I do have a crawl space under the tub. I will look and see what I can do with that. Normally I would call a plumber but I live in a rural area and oddly enough no one returns your call. 🤔 Thanks for taking time to reply. Much appreciated!!
My overflow stopper that's attached the chain link is stuck (in the open position). Its only 3 years old and is not stuck because of rust. I unsuccessfully used a calcium, lime, rust dissolver. Still stuck. Any advice on how to get it out? It's still connected to the chain link. I'm afraid to yank very hard and the link breaks leaving the metal barrel type stopper completely stuck.
RETIRED, maybe spray some kind of lubricant down into the overflow tube and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and grab the brass rods that are connected to the face plate and pull them both together. If that pulls it out, you want to lubricant the stopper with some silicone faucet grease.
2:11 Hi, what's a Dunn? Is that another word for a plumber?
In my shower on the 2nd floor, which is not used much, when the shower is on, it makes a clanging sound from the pipes. What causes this?..Thank you
Thomas Danes, the clanging sound could be that the piping is too close to wood….but hard for me to tell. If the shower is not used that often don’t worry about it.
I cleaned the toilet but it still clogs regularly. I reached I could feel lumpy calcium build ups inside the trap. Anyway to clean that?
P C, there is a product called “Calci-solve”. You pour it into the toilet bowl and let it sit. That should clean it out. However, you need to read the instructions carefully. It can put out a very strong odor. I would recommend a new toilet if the buildup is that bad.
Our sinks and tub don't have an overflow drain. What do we do?
The Campbells, the overflow helps the sink drain. To make your sink drain better, install a branch tail piece which is a 1 1/2” with a branch going off 5/8 or 7/8 drain. Normally they are used for attaching the dishwasher drain hose underneath the sink. Using this on a lav drain, you would install a 5/8 or 7/8 hose and run it up as high as you can under the cabinet. You can do this on a tub, but it’s only going to help the water drain faster, not prevent overflow.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks for the tips! Fortunately, we don't have any problems with drainage.
We have young children, and we're concerned about their sinks and bathtub overflowing since there are no overflow drains... Is there a way to retrofit them with overflow drains?
The Campbells, sorry, I don’t know how you got fixtures without overflows. I can see your challenge, especially with kids. I have no idea how to retrofit them.
Here is an idea. Brush your hair and get the bulk of the loose hair out before getting into the shower/bath tub.
You must have had some SERIOUS plumbing problems! Ten’s of thousands of dollars in five years 🤔
We remodeled a couple of homes together, saving money by doing a lot of the work ourselves.
You mentioned using drain cleaner and never owning a drain machine...what cleaner did you as a?
billg4630, I used a drain cleaner called Clobber. I think it is made by Hercules products. You can’t use it in a toilet or when a drain is completely stopped. You should only use it to maintain a drain. The tool I use is called a Closet Auger. I use it in toilets and shower drains. You can’t use this tool in a bathroom sink drain or a bathtub drain. The drain cleaner product is an acid base so you have to be very careful when you pour it.