Best Way Into Pipe?

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Moz

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Hi people. I've got a slow draining tub on the first floor of a 2 flat. (upper floor tub is very slow to drain too) The upper floor has a trap clean out, but the first floor does not. I can't get a snake into the drain or the overflow due to the stopper metal piece in the drain and the plate screw receptacle in the overflow

I don't think there's any obstruction from the actual PVC tub pipes anyway. I think it's further down the line

So, I opened up the ceiling in the basement to try to access the pipe from there. As you can see in the photo, the tub pipes are PVC, which connects to the iron with a PROFLEX connector. I want to run a snake into the iron pipe

After loosening the PFLEX connector, it wouldn't budge, plus I think the PVC pipe probably goes in too much to be able to just take it off without screwing up the rest of the PVC

My question is, what would be the best way to get into the iron pipe? Would I need to remove all the PVC piping? There's not much room to reinstall it properly. Not sure if there's a way to remove the PVC piece going into the iron and still be able to use the elbow connection. Using heat so close to old wood lathe and joists wouldn't be a good idea

I'm obviously not a plumber. Any suggestions?
 

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Try a little plastic snake like a Zip It.
They will fit into the drain and the overflow.
They are skinny plastic, with little tiny barbs that grab hair and junk.
Snakes like these are about two feet long, and cost only about $3.00.
Slow tub drains are often just hair clogs that are very close by.
Post a pic of your overflow with the cover off, I don’t understand your problem with getting a regular snake down through there.
 
Thanks for responding Jeff

I think its a semi-clog somewhere in the iron pipe that leads to the stack pipe it flows into. I don't think there's any clog in the PVC
 
It couldn’t hurt to try a Zip It first, so cheap and easy.
And also great for pulling junk out of bathroom sink drains.
You will use it many times.
 
Post a wider view of your drains under the tub.
There will be a place to add another shielded coupling, or two.
You can also cut out a section and add a cleanout, attached by two new shielded couplings.
Or just make a short section that you can take out, to snake up and down.

It looks like you can cut that approx 6 inch pvc leading into your existing shielded coupling.
About 1.5 inches from the elbow.
Then loosen and slide away the existing coupling farther down the metal drain pipe, and roll the rubber back, and that short stub should come out to give access for snaking both ways.
Attach another shielded coupling to repair where you cut.
You might need to shorten that newly cut piece by about 1/4 inch or so, to get everything back in place.
Bevel the cut ends a little, and no burrs, all nice and smooth.
 
If you can just take the overflow cover plate off, go through there before you think about cutting anything.
 
The first thing I do when approaching a clogged tub is, I turn the water on in the sink and let it run for about 5 min, if it backs up into the tub you snake it from
The sink drain
 
looks like galvanized water pipes.....??? if so, that will be an issue, at some point....?? and, he needs to state LOCATION....guessing UK ??
 
Sorry to take so long responding. I'm adding a photo that shows the pipes better, and also one that shows why I can't get my snake bulb past the overflow screw "thingy"

I'm in the USA just so you know

The PVC pipe that attaches to the PVC elbow and goes into the ProFlex coupling is only about 3 inches, so don't have much room to attach another PVC pipe piece with a clean out

By the way, the building is over a 100 years old
 

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What kind of snake are you trying to get into the overflow pipe?

It looks like there is plenty of room for a 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch cable to get in there, even if you have to cut off some of the coil at the tip.
Which you probably won’t have to.

A hand spinner type of drum auger will get at least 25 feet down the line.
 
I think there is enough length to cut the pvc as I described earlier.

Or, just remove the existing shielded coupling, and cut off a few more inches of the galvanized drain pipe, then replace with a longer piece of pvc, attached by a new shielded coupling near the elbow.

While that cut piece is out, snake both ways.
 
Did you try the $3.00 Zip It snake?

Hellooooo!

Baby steps sometimes are all that is needed.
 
Fyi, listing your town or at least your state, will help get you better advice, based on local codes, plumbing suppliers, weather, history of your local building practices, members who might be familiar with local customs.
 

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