Nothing is more appreciated, than a knowledgeable person sharing their expertise to make the lives of their audience better. thank you.

You know, I've always been jealous of people who had dads/guardians who taught them basic life skills like how to properly snake a drain since I never had anyone to help me like that. Thanks, This Old House, for filling that void.

I’m a plumber in Canada, long family history of master plumbers & carpenters. I just sent my apprentice this video to explain basic drain snaking. This old house is an excellent example for everyone.

I worked for a company with 800 vacation rentals. I got a call every other day about a clogged toilet. The guests would say it's no use, they'd already plunged it. Well, they should have done it like Richard at 1:02 because that's the right way. Actually, don't pull it that hard unless you like poop in your face. No more than two or three "pulls", not pushes, and the clog is gone. And clogged tub? It's hair. It's always hair. It's never anything but hair. Unscrew the popup or pull out the tub drain linkage. Then use needle nose pliers. As I would tell folks, "Look, I pulled out the entire cat." Same for bathroom sinks. It's always hair. Unscrew the popup lever under the sink with a pair of channel locks, pull out the stopper, needle nose pliers down the drain and pull out that fur ball. Good to go.

I just finished building the handrail on my deck kzread.infoUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z and used this great little router to clean up the top rail before the final sanding and stain. It was light weight but packed lots of power. Either size battery didn't seem to make it top heavy and I'm a 64 yr old women so I really appreciated how easy it was to use...................... CORDLESS only way to go !!

My dad was a plumber/steamfitter and I went on plenty of jobs with him. Tip: if you are blocking the overflow hole to use a plunger it is more effective to use wet rag than a dry one.

@christiandestefano9997

2 жыл бұрын

i use a plunger or painters tape.

@billabell1301

Жыл бұрын

This guy. Sitcom in the making

@precinct1baltimorecountyre588

Жыл бұрын

I usey wifey finger

@photoobject

Жыл бұрын

I would make one addition to his theory. If you don't fill the basin with water, then when you use the plunger you are just compressing air. That won't do you any good. Water doesn't compress and you will get more of your force to go against the blockage.

@TheReal1953

Жыл бұрын

@@photoobject Actually, if you're doing drains on a daily basis, you also have an air 'blaster' kit in your arsenal. Once you plug the overflows, you pump up the device and pull the trigger. Often the blast of air will push the clog down the line enough to clean. But the caveat is that it could just push the clog further down the line and stop. So.....we would try the air 'blaster' first and then follow up with a snake and water to clean.

I work for a state park system. We've been using those black expanders for like 15 years. They work so well. Love them and swear by them.

All great advice. As a municipal maintenance tech ive used all of these options plus a couple more. One thing to note about the rubber bladders is they work well but make sure that no chemicals/ acids have been tried first. The rubber and acid do NOT mix. The acid can cause the rubber bladder to deteriorate and burst...often while being used under pressure. Not fun!

More of this style of real information in a usable everyday scenarios. Bravo

I love you guys! I've been watching you for 40 years and you always have a solution to help me with my DIY fixes! Thanks!

A note about the rubber bladder...You need to make sure you're using it in front of any branches in the plumbing behind the clog. Otherwise you will shoot water up and out of a plumbing fixture...could be a flood if you're not paying attention!

This show/channel is absolutely PRICELESS for homeowners. I've been watching TOH since I was a child though lol. I love this stuff.

@peoplethesedaysberetarded

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah; isn’t it weird seeing Norm and friends these days? How did we get so old, man?

@butterpecanrican_

2 жыл бұрын

@@peoplethesedaysberetarded you know what I'm saying? 😭😭😭

Man i thought they upped a old video but no ! i need to get out the archive and watch them side by side lol . Pretty sure was video was right after Kevin O’Connor got help taking down old wallpaper in his old house then became the new host next season. I love these guys so much years and years helping people

I was able to remove a good sized block from my tub today, all thanks to this video. I was able to go through the vent and remove the block. Thank you very much for the wisdom.

I enjoy this show so much, I've been watching for over 15 years.

Thanks for the caution given about chemical drain solutions. It is often the go to solution of a home owner. The danger to the repairman is real. I was on the receiving end of a caustic flood once a long run drain was cleared. I had no way to get clear of the flow on a ladder and ended up with chemical burns everywhere it touched.

That was jammed packed with great information. Thank you.

The part where you block the overflow on the sink had not occurred to me since it's years between drain clogs... and frankly, was half asleep when attempting this. I already spent an hour trying to do it with a wire to no avail. Tried boiling hot water. Nada. I thought I'd try a plunger but it was coming out the overflow and didn't think to block it. That was the ticket: plunger with emphasis on the pulling up, not the pushing down...and wrapped up tight paper towels to block the overflow. What a clogged drain... but back to free flowing now. Thanks for posting this.

Thank you for this video. I used to watch This Old House with my mom and dad, I learned a lot from the show. This was when Bob Vila was hosting in the 80’s. I am glad there are still videos to learn from. I will be attempting to clear the bathroom dint tomorrow. It is so bad it’s driving me insane. I don’t want to try chemicals again.

The tip on the bathtub upper entry aided me in breaking the clog on my plumbing. The auger was able to go 5' down to the clog on the horizontal pipe before the stack. Thank you.

I learned about a wet vac a long time ago. Plug up overflows in sink and other nearby sinks or tubs with wet rags, fill with water, place end of vacuum hose over drain, open sink drain, turn on vac. You will be surprised at all the nasty deposits that come out of the drain. I have also sucked out things from drains without drain guards, such as toy cars and plastic grapes. You can repeat if need be. May as well do nearby drains while you have your tools out.

@yarpyarp5647

2 жыл бұрын

@tradde11 I've seen Steven Lavimoniere and hvacr videos use it sometimes outdoors on plumbing and hvac clogged condensation line and when there is no p-trap which causes the vacuum to hold water in the line

@mrdrains2088

2 жыл бұрын

You are 100% right - Using a wet vac is one of the best ways to clean out a blocked waste pipe or trap - works very well.

@wfisher5813

Жыл бұрын

Yes I use a wet vac, the easiest way ever. On double sinks I just fill both sides with water, plug one side and suck the 😅😅other. It takes two seconds and pulls everything out like a tornado. Boom. On and off. ❤. On bath room tape overflow and suck. Boom in seconds. The other ideas is a waste of time. And you do not have to clean the plunger or snake. Just dump the water vac.

@judim5379

Жыл бұрын

Omfg I absolutely Connor wait to try this. In fact I might intentionally block a drain JUST to do this before my adhd brain forgets I ever learned this

Very helpful video, thanks!

Wonderful presentation! Thank you!

Nice job! I have been clearing drains for years as a maintenance mechanic in a hospital so I was familiar with most of the methods however, the rubber bladder with the hole in it was a new one. Thanks I learned something new today.

@davidblevins9513

2 жыл бұрын

They have been at harbor freight for years now the worst thing you can buy other then the drain cleaner.

@workingshlub8861

2 жыл бұрын

gotta be careful with those rubber ones...things can go bad real fast if your not sure what line goes where...

@mrdrains2088

2 жыл бұрын

I'm not a fan of using pressure bladders or pneumatic RAM's on waste-pipes or drain, especially anything hidden behind walls, under floors or in ceilings - I've seen pipework come apart so would always recommend one of or a combination of snaking cable, Flex Shaft, jetting or a vacuum.

@davidblevins9513

2 жыл бұрын

@@mrdrains2088 but 1500psi or a nice hard metal snake won’t but air will lol 😂

@mrdrains2088

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidblevins9513 I usually run 4000-5000PSI through a 1/8" whip hose on smaller pipes if the mechanical auger or Flex Shaft cant get the job done.

Great info. I always love Richard's cutaways!

Good info, if you're house is newer. Do an episode on galvanized drain lines, drum traps, and the like!!

Thanks for the useful and valuable information!

I love the patina on the old Waterloo tool box in the background.

I've often used a small wet-vac for clearing plugged lavatory drains.

Thank you for this important video! I needed this information! Enjoyed from Texas!

My old man showed me the bladder trick because we lived in an old shot gun house and it would clog weekly. We were poor but this would get us through and I’m glad I learned early to do things yourself. Thanks dad!

Richard is the best!

Prevent blockages in the first place. Install a tub mushroom and catch all that hair. Don't use a waste disposer, use a compost bucket. Stop washing your hair in the kitchen sink. Use a bidet, give up toilet paper. Finally use root killer once or twice a year in your main drain.

Great tips here for clogs, especially going down the overflow opening to put the snake down the drain.

Very interesting, never knew about some of those techniques

Learned a ton. Thanks!!

This is what I was looking for. Great information on slow draining sinks and plumbing behind it. Thank you for the video 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I started doing trap maintenance on a tri-monthly basis since COVID. Haven't had to use drain openers ora sink and tub plunger since early 2020.

Excellent video. Thank you

Great service, wish we had a similar one over here in the UK. Thank you so much

I use my shopvac to clear any sink or tub clog. Works pretty good.

Thanks for the garden hose attachment ended up giving me a idea i rigged up a old sink sprayer to clear my sink drain with water pressure an it worked perfectly thanks 🙏

Wonderful videos, long live This Old House!!!!

Great info! Thanks!

Good tips. Thank you! ❤❤❤❤

Thanks for the useful info.

Very useful!

thank you !

thank you for all your content! Grandma's tub is draining again and I didn't have to call a plumber.

good lecture.

Thank you very much

Awesome! Always learn something new from Ask This Old House but the pull up with the plunger was a new one and seemed particularly helpful. Can’t wait to try it, oh wait, hope not to have to use it!

On this episode of This Old House - brown trout fishing!!

Richard has outlasted all of the hosts.

I like the information and fishing jokes!

You guys are great. Thank you for your time. I am a self taught Jack of all trades in many of the disciplines I have acquired. I was impressed, I knew all the mechanics of every clogged drain you showed. However, I never really acquired the theory of the processes. A lot of it is logical in the practices. Thanks for the theory. Now in your video you showed the part that you brought from home. the one with the spiral on the end that operates the bathtub drain. I have exactly the same one. However, the spiral end that traps hair. How does that Mechanically work when it corresponds to the directional lever it attaches to or what does it actually do? Cant figure that one out ??????? Thank you in advance Semper Fi

@traebagley4387

Жыл бұрын

When installed, the cylinder, either brass or plastic depending on the age, is in one of two places. It’s either raised up above the tee, allowing water to drain. When the lever is moved, it drops the cylinder down, preventing water from escaping. Since you’d get your snake stuck in it, it is best to remove it prior to snaking. Just keep pulling up until it all comes out of the overflow. Then manually remove the hair from the cylinder. The threaded rod it’s attached to is adjustable to accommodate for varying tub sizes. Semper Fi.

My friend is the #1 Hometown Custodian!

Thanks for the laugh!!! And the wise tips!

i love these guys

Richard is the man

My Grandfather was a union plumber in the 1960's. Plumbing today hasn't really changed that much from his time!

Nice I never had luck with chemical drain cleaners. Good use of time in video

Draino or like is garbage. I’ve done residential maintenance for a decade. This is gold info.

The Grand Canyon in the old metallic drain. I have seen it from someone that used drain cleaner regiously. A remodel exposed it in the slab. It was my uncles' house

(4:20) "if the original plumber cared at all about us...." BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Great video. To clear the drain in my old house I snaked the drain via the air pipe on the roof and it worked! I now have a great sense of accomplishment and the money in my wallet is happy I didn’t have to give it away.

I like that last note that liquid plumber can eat through the pipe. so realistically its only good as regular maintenance to avoid clogs on a line that is regular problem, but also it'll break your line if its left to sit, which it probably is unless you can flood the line

@photoobject

Жыл бұрын

Liquid Plumber is made from NoOH (Sodium Hydroxide) which is designed to Not harm your pipes. It only works against organic material. Never ever use NaOH in a stopped-up drain. The water will dilute the concentration rendering it ineffective, and then you have a hazmat situation. The other tip I'd give you is to use it on your drain 1st thing in the morning after the water in a slow drain has gone down the pipe. Then you can be assured that the chemical will contact the blockage at full strength.

My first step with a toilet is always filling the bowl to the brim with water... The additional pressure of the water on the clog is usually enough to push it out.

At 4:18, why would Richard say "If the original plumber cared at all about us..." and then introduce an admittedly (4:25) non-code compliant method? IPC and UPC do NOT allow a double combo in this configuration because it can cause the trap to be siphoned (vent connection below the trap weir). The proper alternative, instead of the combo, would have been a cleanout above or below the double sanitary tee.

Good video. I have trouble explaining how things like this work to a large number of people...

I used to rent sewer snakes and the two funniest stories: one guy had the snake go UP the vent, and realized his mistake when he heard it clunking against his siding; the other was a guy clearing his outside lateral of roots and realized why he had roots - a break in the pipe let the snake auger up & out of the ground! FYI powered sewer snakes were the most dangerous tools we had - or at least, people gave them the least respect. One guy lost his eye, several had their hands wrapped in the cable, one person nearly lost a toe.

Thanks for the great video, I just ran into an issue with a bathroom sink that would drain very slow; I placed a snake about 5 ft to clear the clog and nothing happened. It looks like the drain in this house is made of galvanized pipe and corrosion has accumulated with the many years and choked the the drain passage. Of course now the snake doesn't turn down so I guess I have to dismantle the trap and guide it into position. Note: this issue is on the 2nd floor, so clearing the clog may clog the 1st floor, I suggest to run the the water on the 1st floor bathroom sink so it can continue removing the clog. It's never easy! Peace

NICE STUFF, I was unsure about the word "any". I suppose some would be easier to just replace.

Unfortunately many house with double sink were rough in with a simple 4 way fitting . Making cleaning a drain blockage very hard. Those water bladder clog buster should be used carefully. My friend used the bladder . Fill up the drain pipe with water . Water went up the vent pipe instead of busting the clog. When he take off the bladder . All that water in the vent pipe come draining on his floor . Yeah be careful !!!!!!!

I trust these guys. All of them through the years. Always have since the very late Seventies.

as a retired plumber, I would have mentioned that if you are clearing a blocked drain through a cleanout, if it doesn't spill out when you open it...you're probably in the wrong place also you said if your pipe is old the drain ball might cause a leak, while the truth is, NO drain system is designed to hold pressure...NONE!!! And if there is a fixture (vent) between the drain ball and the clog...well it ain't purty! IMO never a good 1st option

❤ thank you

Another trick that sometimes works on tub drains is to find a way to block the overflow, fill the drain with water a little above the drain, use a powerful wet vac to suck the clog out. This trick works great on drum traps.

@syfodias-jedimaster

Жыл бұрын

If no overflow is it possible through roof vent?

Good job guys. It has been a blast following along with this project and with you guys from almost the beginning. I bet you could drop in an "L" of plywood and rebuild those blown out corners. might not be worth the work though, just use a little extra concrete and you have already saved a ton of money by digging it yourselves. I venture to say probably better than a lot of subcontractors would do.

@nailbanger2

6 ай бұрын

On the other hand, Florida State really did look terrible.

7:40 Drain cleaning bladder to inject pressurized water into clogged drains. Really cool.

@carultch

2 жыл бұрын

I recommend equipping it with a pressure gauge on a T-fitting, and a valve to operate it locally. The valve enables you to turn it on and off, without having to walk back to the original hose bib valve, and the pressure gauge enables you to get feedback on when you clear the obstruction. Do a control experiment on the cleaning bladder in an empty piece of pipe open to the atmosphere, and see what its baseline pressure is (about 20 psig in my experience). The valve also enables you to pulsate the water flow, which helps clear it as well. Another recommendation is to temporarily equip your drain with a T-fitting and a valve-operated discharge tube. It is very difficult to turn off these bladders prior to clearing the drain, as water will spray everywhere. Having this auxiliary discharge tube gives you a way to redirect the excess water.

At 7:07 it got kind of arkward lol! 😂

I had never thought of using a plunger in a sink, but it unclogged my bathroom sink very effectively, after Drano did nothing at all.

Great info and glad I've learned over the years how to fix all these clogging issues, Thanks guys.

The reason plumbers use a cross, as you first described in a double lavatory situation, instead of using the double wye alternative you described is, with a cross, both lavatories are vented out of the top of the cross. When you use a double wye, the lavatories are no longer vented since you have “jumped/broken the vent”. If a plumber who knows the codes and what they are doing was to use a double wye, each arm coming from the trap to the double wye would have to be individually vented between the trap and the double wye. Whenever I snake a double lavatory or a back-to-back fixture/drain, I always use a drop head on my cable (not a wire) so the head will drop down into the vertical drain/stack instead of crossing over and into the drain of the fixture I am not snaking.

@shadeiland

2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. Without the vent it turns it into an s-trap. I don’t know a code that allows s-traps. It’s also the same reason there in a limit on the trap arm length.

@brucestorey917

2 жыл бұрын

@@shadeiland technically, you are correct - while it really doesn’t look like a typical s-trap with the long arm to the double wye, it sort of is an s-trap. You are also correct about the trap arm length. There is a maximum distance from a vent to a trap. This distance depends on what size the trap and horizontal pipe is. The minimum length of any trap arm to a vented stack/tee is two times the diameter of the horizontal pipe size. For example, the minimum length for a 1-1/2” trap arm is 3”, and the minimum length of a 3” trap arm is 6”. The shorter the trap arm is, the more the configuration looks like a typical s-trap.

@anthonyjohnston2178

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same and used drop heads

@zhawkruns4ever316

Жыл бұрын

As someone who unclogs drains for a living, I am begging you to either stagger your back to back drains at different heights or use a wye. Crosses are very hard to unclog. Same thing with back to back toilets. Always use a wye, crosses are impossible to navigate with a cable underwater.

@tuckermcelroy2538

4 ай бұрын

@@brucestorey917 You're on the right path, but not quite correct. What matters in these cases is the total fall of the trap arm, not its minimum length. A trap arm (the pipe which runs from the trap weir to the vent pipe connection) cannot have a vertical fall of more than ONE pipe diameter. That's why you can't use a wye (or double wye) here. Angling the last few inches of the trap arm down at 45 degrees with a wye makes it drop more than one pipe diameter, thus creating a siphon. Use a sanitary tee or sanitary cross and put in a clean out fitting just above it.

I'm a fan of the drain jet!

@danlux4954

2 жыл бұрын

What’s a drain jet?

I had a problem tub drain for many years. Reluctant to spend the $, I bought the Bauer chordless power drain cleaner at Harbor Freight and a 3 amp battery. That thing is worth every penny. I ran it through at the p trap and flushed the line with the water attachment shown in the video. Problem solved.

That was a great tip with 2plunger in the shunky, but I've never heard a was basin being called a lavatory.

Nice 👍

He makes the closet auger sound so gentle and easy. Its only easy on an unclogged toilet. Clogged ones are much worse.

What about those sewer jetter kits for pressure washers? Like Clog Hog. Any experience with those?

Extra funny video :) cheers!

Nice video

Funny & informative ❤

The combination double wye is legal in Jersey it’s such low flow the venting for the sink will still Exist under wet conditions

I always thought lavetory was a alias for the toilet and not the sink. You learn something knew all the time. I have a slow draining sick, or lavetory, which I'll look into now with these tips.

@jeffreygilbert4967

Жыл бұрын

I thought the same thing. Only thing I would add to future videos is a quick comment on the terminology; I think that the vast majority of us laymen (and women) who are untutored in the plumbing trade only thing one thing when we hear the word "lavatory."

Even though I don't understand it, I can guess the content you shared. Wish you good health

Also after you clean your drains out especially in your kitchen you can poor a quarter bottle of Pine-Sol once a month and it will help dissolve grease and grime in your pipes

My father in law used Baking soda & vinegar to remove clog. He used too much and it solidified and when he removed the trap he found the white hardened baking soda ball..

I now used a very large shop vac for all clogs from sink to toilet... Works most of the time.....as a Landlord....I have tried and own most of other tools.....Pressure washer with long hose is last resort.

Hey! I got one too!