Blocked bath waste pipe - (odd symptoms?)

[mnp1793]

For the third time in about 5 weeks our bath waste pipe isn't draining and the bath is currently half full with standing water.

On each occasion its shown no signs of slow running prior to becoming completely blocked (each time as my wife is having a shower !!!!). The previous two occasions it appeared to resolve itself by suddenly emptying without warning. The first time took around an hour before it drained itself and the second time around 4 hours. This time its been around 6 hours and the bath is still full with absolutely no water having drained.

On each occasion I've tried a household plunger (which didn't seem to do anything) before resorting to a Mr Mussel product that can be used for standing water.

This doesn't this sound like the symptoms of a 'classic blockage' to me (but I know nothing about plumbing) so does anyone know what the problem might be? It would be useful to know before I finally bite the bullet and call a plumber out.

The pipework is fairly old copper piping (60's) and the u-bend doesn't look like its going to shift any time soon. I'm guessing it'll need cutting out and replacing if necessary.

 

[dennyboy]

not frozen is it? - try a couple of kettles of boiling water down the plug-hole

 

[mnp1793]

Well I wondered that but it wasn't that cold when it happened before. Also, the bathroom's pretty warm and the bath and sink waste pipes both join the same (external) drain pipe... and the sink is absolutely fine. Its just the bath that's blocked.

 

[Nige F]

Dennyboy the pipes are calling I think youre right - outside pipes copper - frozen - just like 1963 there is more crud/scum in the bath one - that`s what freezes

 

[dennyboy]

If the waste pipes are copper try not to put anything chemical down them - you can get enviromental friendly unblockers now - put it a full bottle down the pipe before you go to bed and check the flow in the morning - if that doesnt do the trick its a plumbers job I'm afraid - just a little tip though - if your using a plunger on a bath make sure you have another pair of hands and they have a cloth over the overflow, you'll never manage to unblock it without the overflow blocked