Bathtub choke
A choked bathtub holds water long after you pull the plug, or drains in a slow trickle. It is usually hair and soap caught in the plug waste or the trap under the tub, and most are cleared in an hour or two, longer if the trap sits behind a tiled panel.
Typical price
$80–$200per job, estimateTypical job time
45–120 min
Estimate, confirm on WhatsApp
What it looks like
- Water stays in the tub long after the plug is pulled.
- The tub drains in a slow trickle and leaves a ring of scum.
- Water comes up through the bathroom floor trap when the tub empties, where the tub drains into it.
- A musty smell from the plug hole or overflow.
- The pop-up or push plug will not open fully.
Common causes
- Hair and soap scum caught in the plug waste and the trap below it.
- Bath oils, bath salts and bubble bath leaving a sticky coating inside the pipe.
- A stuck pop-up plug or a broken push plug that stays partly closed.
- Bath toys or bottle caps lodged in the waste.
- A blocked floor trap or branch pipe further along, where the tub drains into it.
Before you call
Safe things to try first
- Remove the plug or pop-up and pull out any hair you can reach.
- Use a cup plunger over the plug hole, holding a wet cloth firmly over the overflow hole.
- If the tub drains into the floor trap, clear any hair from the floor trap too. A clogged floor trap slows everything that drains into it.
- Do not remove tiles or the tub's side panel yourself unless it is designed to come off.
Stop and call if
- The trap is behind a tiled-in panel with no access hatch.
- Water is leaking from under the tub, or the flat below reports a ceiling stain.
- The tub, floor trap and toilet are all slow at the same time.
What we do
- 1Check whether only the tub is slow, and find where its trap is and how it can be reached.
- 2Remove the plug waste and clear hair and scum from the waste and overflow with a hand spring.
- 3Clear the trap through the access panel or from the floor trap side, and use a drain machine if the choke is further along.
- 4Replace a broken pop-up or push plug waste if needed, after telling you the cost.
- 5Fill and drain the tub to confirm full flow and check for leaks around the waste.
How much it costs
Most bathtub choke jobs in Singapore cost $80–$200 (per job, estimate). This is an estimate; the final price is confirmed on WhatsApp or on site before work starts.
- Clearing plug waste and trap with hand tools$80–$150
- Drain machine on the waste or branch pipe$140–$220
- Replace pop-up or push plug waste$60–$120
- After-hours surcharge$50–$150
HDB, condo and landed
HDB
The tub, its waste and the pipe to the floor trap or branch are the owner's to maintain. HDB asks owners not to tamper with floor traps, so a tub that drains into one should be cleared without altering the trap. Stack chokes go to the town council.
Condo
Inform management before work. If the unit is new and still under the developer's defects liability period, report a built-in tub that will not drain to the developer first.
Landed
Tubs in older houses may drain through old metal waste pipes that narrow with scale over time. If the tub chokes repeatedly, ask for the pipe to be checked, not just punched through.
Bathtub choke: common questions
Why does my bathtub drain slowly when the shower is fine?
The blockage is probably in the tub's own plug waste or trap, which catches hair and soap from a large volume of water. Cleaning the plug and trap usually fixes it.
How do I reach the trap under my bathtub?
Look for a removable side panel or access hatch. If there is none, the trap may be reachable from the floor trap side or only by removing tiles, which a plumber should check before doing anything.
Can bath oils and bath bombs choke the tub?
Over time, yes. Oils and residue mix with hair and soap and coat the pipe. Running hot water for a minute after an oily bath helps.
My tub drains into the floor trap and both are slow. Which do I clear first?
Start with the floor trap, since a clogged floor trap slows everything that drains into it. If the floor trap is clear and the tub is still slow, the choke is in the tub's waste or trap.
Do I need a licensed plumber to clear a bathtub choke?
No. Clearing blockages in sanitary appliances is not licensed work under PUB rules. Replacing sanitary piping is.
Get a price for bathtub choke
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