Help with bath plug and slow almost non existent draining ur

[sx_turbo]

Hope someone can help.

The bath drains really slowly, but it isn't blocked.

I have tried both Mr muscle sink and plughole hole unblocked and the cilit bang version, but to no avail.

I have removed the u bend but that wasn't blocked either.

Whilst the u bend was removed I inserted a length of fencing wire with the end curled to make a hook and inserted that, but no blockages have been found.

The sink is next to the bath and this drains fine and have no issues.

Now I've put it all back together I think I've made it worse.

I'm at a bit of a loss.

There looks to be some sort of valve that I've taken the cap off, when the cap was removed the water did drain better.

It seems to be that it can't suck air in and that is what's causing it to block, it seems to kind of vacuum itself to a standstill.

It's got one of them funny plugs where the vain usually is you twistit and it makes the blog go up and down.

I'm at a complete loss as to what to do next.

I tried to add pics as attachments but don't seem to have worked

[dewaltdisney]

It is the air admittance valve probably. You can get these easy enough, see https://www.screwfix.com/search?search= ... +valve#_=p. Without the pictures up (see posting-pictures-t14693.html) it is hard to identify the fitting to guide you to a replacement.

DWD

[sx_turbo]

hopefully this works

https://photos.app.goo.gl/G75D3BSx1YKnNqG57

it looks like its glued in

[dewaltdisney]

Is the cap a push fit? That should cure it if you replace it, the valve can get stiff and get stuck closed.

DWD

[sx_turbo]

Is the cap a push fit? That should cure it if you replace it, the valve can get stiff and get stuck closed.

DWD

the cap is push fit, but i dont think this will help,

i'll take it apart again and post some more pics

[ayjay]

Pic is here.

bath drain.jpg (28.17 KiB) Viewed 3208 times

Have you checked the fall on the pipe? It's hard to tell from your pic but there doesn't look like much of a fall to it.

[dewaltdisney]

Well logically, you have checked the waste pipe so can you pull a manhole cover up and check the flow from there. It should show a good stream but if the pipe is partly blocked further down than you could reach with your wire this might be causing the issue.

DWD

[sx_turbo]

The pipe does have a fall on it, probably about 5 degrees.

The sink which is next to the bath and uses the same pipe is perfectly fine, this then joins the main soil pipe, between the bath and the soil pipe there is approximately 1.3 meters.

I can't check the manhole as I can't seem to find one, there is a possibility the extension has been built over it, and I will need to move the furniture and lift the carpet to where I believe it might be.

This is a problem that has slowly got worse since Xmas when we moved in. And I've just made it worse by taking the top off the valve. (Although once i took the lid off the water suddenly started moving, problem is I can't leave the valve lid off as it leaks out the top)

[sx_turbo]

Further testing, when running the sink taps the bath gurgles through the trap vent.

When I remove the cover from the air valve this stops.
There isn't any other problems with the toilets or sinks in the house nor washing machine etc, which leads me to believe it's not a blocked drain.

If it were easy to replace the valve I would just do this, but it's been solvent welded, which makes the job a pain in the bottom.

[arco_iris]

Although I don't entirely agree with the reasoning that the issue may be caused by the air admiittance valve........ (surely the bath has enough weight of water behind it; isn't there a rule of "air behind water"?)

Anyway, OP, that durgo valve is made by Polypipe and is easily available, for instance
https://ebay.us/61UNow

You may be able to swap the innards from a new one of the same make?

[sx_turbo]

Although I don't entirely agree with the reasoning that the issue may be caused by the air admiittance valve........ (surely the bath has enough weight of water behind it; isn't there a rule of "air behind water"?)

Anyway, OP, that durgo valve is made by Polypipe and is easily available, for instance
Https://ebay.us/61UNow

You may be able to swap the innards from a new one of the same make?

The bath when full stays full when the plug is opened. There is approximately 10 seconds where the water drains before it locks, as soon as I lift the air valve it drains put it back on and it all locks up again.

Apart from putting the wire down the pipe the only thing I have touched is the valve.

Whatever I have touched has made the problem worse, before it drained albeit very slowly.

The sink drains fine and shares the same pipe, there is approximately 50cm between the bath drain and the sink drain, I pushed 1.5m of wire through the pipe which is the distance to the soil pipe. If there was a blockage I would have expected to at least make it better or move the problem to past the sink, but the sink is fine.

Thanks for the link, I'll give it a bash.

[sx_turbo]

Although I don't entirely agree with the reasoning that the issue may be caused by the air admiittance valve........ (surely the bath has enough weight of water behind it; isn't there a rule of "air behind water"?)

Anyway, OP, that durgo valve is made by Polypipe and is easily available, for instance
https://ebay.us/61UNow

You may be able to swap the innards from a new one of the same make?

Having thought long and hard about what you said and seeing how basic the valve is, and having a little Google on the valves.

I nipped out this morning and got a high pressure plunger and attacked it for about half hour, the draining did get much better.

It isn't perfect, for the first 10 seconds the bath drains really quick then slows right down, however is still an acceptable drain time. And we can now have showers.

When emptying a sink full of water I still get gargling from the bath plug.

I then tried using the plunger another 20-30 times but no difference was made.

Filled the sink up, removed the cap off the valve drained the sink and no gargling noises, so I assume it's only going to block up again if I

I don't really have a conclusion, so think I'm gonna use some more cleaning fluid and see if that helps at all.

Thanks for everyone's help.

[arco_iris]

As you can clearly get to the underside of the bath, have you tried putting an old towel down and UNSCREWING THE TRAP?

[Someone-Else]

It really probably is the air admittance valve that is the problem.
Liquids often do not act the way you think they should. You can fill the bath with as much water as you like, unless air can get into the pipe the water is going nowhere.
You must remember the old school trick of filling a glass with water, slide a card across the top then turn it upside down and take your hand away, the card stays there and so does the water. Its because there is no room for the water to move into (no air) so it stays where it is.

The other example is to press a drinking straw into a liquid, then put your finger of the top of the straw, lift the straw out. The straw will have said liquid in it. Take your finger off and the liquid runs out the straw.

[sx_turbo]

As you can clearly get to the underside of the bath, have you tried putting an old towel down and UNSCREWING THE TRAP?

I have taken the u bend off directly below the plug hole and it is as clear as day, (the sink one on the other hand that I haven't got any issues with was proper gunky)