1930s bathtub clogged

[Louise]

Hi there,

I have a very slow drain problem in my tub drain. I bought a hand auger to try and unclog is but even with the drain stopper turned to the off position it won’t go past a certain point.

I tried to remove the handle and fixture on the drain stop but was unable to. I was thinking that it is not allowing enough water to flow even when in the off position.

If you have dealt with older plumbing like this could you tell me if the stopper could be my problem? How would I remove it to be able to adjust it?

 

[TomFOhio]

You definitely got an old one there. If you don't want to end up running into problems with that unit then
you might consider call a company that deals with only drain cleaning and let them do it from the back of
the tub. They will take apart only what's needed to fix the problem. This drain and faucet is a combination
and if it has to be replaced it is expensive because you have to replace the drain and the faucet separately.

 

[Al Gosztyla]

I have a drain setup similar to the one you have (house built in 1927). Liquid Draino takes care of it for the most part; however, I have an access panel in a closet behind the tub.
In addition, I have a "grease type" trap that I can open and clean/auger when it gets too bad.

 

[Geofd]

you probably already checked but is your drain accessable??? it may be a lead drain.....i have worked on some old stuff you can find stems....just not the escusions...as for the drain....i have run into cases were the trap was about 5ft away it i had to remove the ceiling below
and cut out all the drain i could access and repipe......the other was a lead drain exposed in the basement.... i cut that out completely and repiped tomfromohio is right get a qualified drain company and explain the age of the drain so they send someone who works on that stuff....

 

[Mr_David]

I have a drain setup similar to the one you have (house built in 1927). Liquid Draino takes care of it for the most part; however, I have an access panel in a closet behind the tub.
In addition, I have a "grease type" trap that I can open and clean/auger when it gets too bad.View attachment 17258 View attachment 17259 View attachment 17260

Thanks for the pictures.
Wow! 30 ys exper and I have never seen the likes of that.
Stuff like that usually gets ripped out and replaced/upgraded

 

[Louise]

Thanks everyone! I will check if I can access the drain from the basement. My concern is that it’s not clogged but being blocked by the middle handle that opens and closes the drain. When I tried to snake through the drain it was hitting the stopper mechanism and wouldn’t budge. If I can’t figure this out I will definitely call in some help

 

[Louise]

I have a drain setup similar to the one you have (house built in 1927). Liquid Draino takes care of it for the most part; however, I have an access panel in a closet behind the tub.
In addition, I have a "grease type" trap that I can open and clean/auger when it gets too bad.View attachment 17258 View attachment 17259 View attachment 17260

Does your middle handle act as a drain stopper? I have a separate set for my shower. I tried to remove the handle and stem for the drain stopper as I’m thinking it’s slowing the flow of water but couldn’t get it to budge at a certain point.

 

[Louise]

I have a drain setup similar to the one you have (house built in 1927). Liquid Draino takes care of it for the most part; however, I have an access panel in a closet behind the tub.
In addition, I have a "grease type" trap that I can open and clean/auger when it gets too bad.View attachment 17258 View attachment 17259 View attachment 17260

So I was able to get access below the tub. I have something that looks similar to yours. Wondering if I should open it up to try and auger through there. With buckets and towels for sure

 

[Al Gosztyla]

Louise, The center crosshandle on my drain setup does NOT pull out. It turns a little more than a half turn clockwise to close the drain and a half turn counter clockwise to open it. I have never had to take that mechanism apart, but I assume the it simply lowers a "stopper" to block the drain and raises it to let the water flow.

The large "trap" on mine (which looks the same as the image you posted) can be opened to check for blockage and to allow you to auger out the rest of the drain pipe. Expect lots of water to pour out if/when you open it. If the blockage is not there, you will have to get someone familiar with that type of drain to resolve your problem.

Good luck, . . . Al