How To Unthaw Bathtub Drain [better] Jun 2026

: Boil a kettle of water and stir in about 1 cup of salt (kosher, table, or sea salt). Slowly pour the mixture down the drain. The salt lowers the freezing point of the ice, helping it melt faster, similar to rock salt on a sidewalk.

: If you can access the drain pipe (e.g., from a basement or crawl space), use a hair dryer or heat gun to apply gentle heat directly to the frozen section. Start heating from the faucet/drain end and work backward toward the blockage to allow melting water a place to go. how to unthaw bathtub drain

If the bathtub drain is against an exterior wall, you may need to apply heat from the outside. : Boil a kettle of water and stir

When temperatures drop below freezing, the water trapped in your bathtub drain or P-trap can turn to ice, blocking the pipe completely. Here’s how to safely unthaw it without damaging your plumbing. : If you can access the drain pipe (e

Note: “Unthaw” technically means to freeze, but in common usage, people say it to mean “thaw” — so this guide covers melting ice in a frozen drain.