This may help to unclog the bathtub right away. Then, make sure that the stopper isn’t blocked by a wad of hair or if it has been damaged in some way. You can use pliers to gently pull the stopper out of the drain. If you think a broken stopper could be the reason why you cannot drain the bathtub, check to see if the stopper is stuck or blocked. If the stopper is damaged, rusted, or simply worn out from excess use, it could get stuck. In this case, the bathtub won’t drain completely or it may drain extremely slowly. Depending on your bathtub’s design, your built-in stopper may be:Ī stopper will temporarily block the blow of water, but it can occasionally get fully or partially stuck. A stopper is used to prevent the water from draining as needed, such as when you are filling up the tub for a bath. Most bathtubs (especially if they are a shower combo) have a built-in stopper. Here are a few of the scenarios that could be the reason why a bathtub won’t drain – and what you can do about it. Most of the causes of this situation are easily fixed, but some of them will require a professional plumber to be called. This is when you need to address why the bathtub won’t drain and get the problem repaired quickly. In some cases, a small clog may be to blame – but a bathtub that won’t drain can also be a sign of more significant plumbing issues. Thankfully, many of these are easy to repair and unclog if you catch the problem early enough. This can lead to severe damage and flooding – which is a huge hassle to clean up.īathtub drains may stop working for numerous reasons.

To make things even worse, a bathtub that is filling up faster than it is draining may overflow. The standing water from a bathtub drain that isn’t working properly will also make your tub dirty and disgusting very fast. This means that all of the dirt, germs, and soap scum that you have tried to clean off is just left to fester. There is nothing more unsanitary than a shower that fills with water because the bathtub won’t drain.

Bathtub drain clogged