Plugged Drain

Oh yes, hair can definitely do this. I have a hair trap over my drain, and I *still* have to get into the drain and pull up wads of hair every few months to keep it draining smoothly.

I would reccomend you do the same... Get a cheap drain cover to block most of the hair from going down the drain, then every few months, just remove the drain cover (or the center stopper thing, if that's the type you have...) and run a snake down it. Or, if you don't want to go to that trouble, there is a chemical drain cleaner that is specifically formulated to dissolve hair clogs. I hate using chemicals in my drains, but it might work for you.

My daughter and I both have long hair. Our drains will clog faster with the hair and products we use.

I clean my shower drain out regularly. I don't take a lot of baths. Our bath vanity area drains clog first and hubby takes them apart about once every 6 months and cleans them out.

We had an issue in the kitchen area. We have a snake but once a year got so, hubby rents the big snake from Home Depot just to make sure we are all cleared with household issues. It is not expensive at all to rent a snake ( electric one). We keep a basic one on hand. We don't have septic tank.

There might be burrs in the pipe or something that's catching the hair in only that drain. You can buy a drain cover that will keep the hair out. Something like this. http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Snare-Drain-Cover-Universal/dp...

We are general contractors for commercial buildings, and it's actually really common for one drain to always back up, and the rest of the drains are fine. Usually it means that that sink is used more often than all the others. Is that the case with this bathroom?

Generally speaking, you should only worry about structural issues *if* the plumber isn't really pulling anything back when he snakes the line out. If he's pulling back hair, that's what's clogging the line. However - you can always have the line hydrojetted if it starts to cause more frequent problems. Basically it's like pressure-washing your plumbing lines. Roto-Rooter or any plumber can do that for you, and it will remove any soap/gross goo buildup from your plumbing line. It might be that over the years, gunk has steadily built up inside your drain lines, causing the diameter to shrink, which would make clogs more frequent. The only caveat is that with really old plumbing lines that have worn thin over time, hydrojetting can cause them to break - but then, so can rooter service.

If it is just one tub it is nothing like roots outside the home. More than likely it is the product you use on your hair or body. All my cleansing products coupled with my hair will clog up my sink yet my husband's sink right next to mine can go years without clogging. Every two or three months I have to take part of the drain apart and clean it.

Is there anything to stop hair from going down the tub drain?
If the septic system were backing up you'd have problems in more place than just the tub.
Hair can cause some pretty nasty clogs.
Try brushing you hair really well before washing it - so you can clean out loose hair from your brush rather than having it go down the drain.

oh yeah, hair is a bear. so are coffee grounds. get a small-mesh trap to put over the drain and empty it every single time you shower. i also pour vinegar, baking soda and super-hot water down my drains every month or two, and just to make sure, dump some drane-O down the busy ones every so often. and my dh still has to snake every now and then, but not very often. we're on a septic too, and you sure don't want that bad boy to back up. we've got one bathroom sink plus the kitchen that are most subject to clogs if i'm not vigilant.
khairete
S.

There are things you can put over the drain to minimize the hair that gets into the drain.

one thing I do when I have a slow drain in the tub is use the plugger. I make sure I have water in the tub and start plugging the heck out of it until the water drains quickly. helps a lot.

yes hair can do that. but so can the roots. they sell this stuff at stores like ace hardware that you can put down the toilet drain about once a month that will help if it is roots. the hair thing I got this long strip thing that looks like a hack saw only super skinny. got it at bed bath and beyond. and periodically will stick it down the drain and do a sawing up and down motion. it cuts thought the wadded up hair. You can also do a bottle of draino every few months that might help. good luck

If he's pulling hair out then it's hair, nothing else is making hair "grow" in the line.

I suggest you buy a snake yourself if it's costing you a lot every few months. Then you can snake the drain yourself.

I'd use some drano in the line every week or something. We have a septic tank and it is nothing like this. It's been in the ground over 30 years too.

I had the same trouble with my lower bathroom. The upstairs bathtub didn't clog, only the lower. I called roter rooter for the umteenth time and this time they sent a guy who knew something. He used a plunger that looks like an accordian at the bottom. Apparently more oppmph. A couple of plunges and my drain was cleared and hasn't clogged since. (Knock wood) This was about 5 years ago.