Any issues related to your bathtub are particularly inconvenient because you use it every day. If your bathtub drains slowly, you may require immediate professional plumbing services in the Comox Valley. With that in mind, here are seven common causes of a slow-draining bathtub and how they can be resolved.
Hard water
Hard water is unavoidable because it flows through our pipes and contains minerals that calcify and turn into a white substance. As the minerals accumulate in your pipes, they reduce your pipe’s diameter and cause them to get blocked. With a smaller space in your pipes, it slows down the flow of water through your bathtub drain.
Since this white substance is hard to remove, we recommend getting help. When a professional plumber fixes the problem, they may recommend installing a water softener that could prevent mineral buildup from blocking your pipes in the future. It’s a good idea to install it, as it will treat the water before it launches into your bathtub drain.
Hair
It’s normal to shed hair in the shower, making it one of the most common causes of blocked bathtub drains. Over time, when hair builds up inside your bathtub drain, most of it can easily go down your pipes. If you have multiple people with long hair showering in the same bathtub, these long strands of hair mixed with shampoo and conditioner residue could easily clog the inside of your pipes.
Since hair falls out naturally in a bathtub while showering, you can protect your drains by placing a silicone drain cover that will trap loose hair strands. If you don’t have one, you could manually remove it by putting on some latex gloves and pulling it out with tweezers.
Soap scum in your bathtub
Soap scum is another common cause of a slow-draining bathtub. Soap scum is created from greasy residue when soap, water, and minerals mix. It usually builds up after every shower or bath and eventually finds its way down your rain. Since soap scum hardens, it slowly accumulates in your bathtub drain and becomes gunk. This hard gunk doesn’t travel freely down your drain, causing it to block your pipes.
There isn’t an instant solution to this issue because the buildup of hardened soap scum is stubborn and sticks inside your plumbing system. To prevent future soap scum from blocking your bathtub drain, it’s wise to use liquid-based soap instead of bar soap. Another option is to call the services of professional plumbing in Mississauga and invest in installing a water softener, which could prevent soap scum from binding to your plumbing system.
Product buildup
Besides shedding hair strands and soap scum, products like shampoo, conditioner, body scrubs, and cleansing lotions can also cause a slow-draining bathtub. Since these products contain greasy and heavy oil-based ingredients, they can accumulate in the walls of your pipes and end up clogging them. Try using these products sparingly or call a professional plumber to install a water softener in your plumbing system to put a stop to blockage.
Pipe scale
Pipe scale is the mineral coating that builds up inside your plumbing system and is created by hard water. Pipe scale deposits are formed by elements of calcium, magnesium, and other metallic ingredients that accumulate as hard water flows down the drain.
Pipe scale particles start to harden in one spot when exposed to certain temperatures and wet-dry conditions. Once it sticks to one spot in the drain, it grows large and hinders water from flowing freely. Similar to hard water, getting pipe scale out of your plumbing system is best left to a professional plumber.
Clogged vent pipes
A plumbing vent pipe works together with your drain pipes, as it’s responsible for regulating the air in your plumbing system by ensuring that water flows out of your pipes and drains out of your house. Since a vent pipe expands through the roof of your house, it can get blocked by debris like sticks and leaves.
When your vent pipes get blocked, your household pipes can begin to drain slowly. We recommend you give us a call to clean out your glogged vent pipes.
Sewer line problems
Plumbing systems are connected to sewer lines that are responsible for draining sewage away from your home. Depending on how many other houses are sharing your sewer line, sludge buildup and debris can eventually block your sewer pipes. Blocked sewer lines can lead to your bathtub draining slowly in your home.
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Doug the Plumber
If you’re experiencing a slow-draining shower or bathtub, you might be tempted to apply some DIY solutions before calling a professional plumber. However, there are some things you shouldn’t do, like pour chemicals down the drain. These chemicals can wear down your plumbing system and make things worse by causing the pipes to burst and leak.