The water takes forever to drain out of your bath tub and it has been that way forever
. It annoys you, you but you never quite get around to doing anything about. Then one day it simply does not drain at and finally you swing into action.
The first thing most homeowners do is head to the store and pick up a bottle of drain cleaner. And in some cases this can indeed be all you need to get the water draining away nicely again. However most clogged drains are caused by something is stuck in there. Hair, a toothpaste cap, a kid's toy and even the "super " drain cleaners are going to be of little use in those kind of situations.
The next step is to try a plumbing snake. This is where many homeowners run into real trouble. Pipes are not indestructible; in fact they are quite easy to damage. If you do not have considerable experience handling a plumbing snake you could quickly find yourself with much bigger plumbing problems than a clogged drain.
If a liquid drain cleaner has not solve your clog problem then it is reasonable to start looking for a reputable local plumber to come in and solve the problem for you.
In addition it might be a good idea to have that same plumber come back once a year or so to clean the drains throughout your home out properly.
To maintain clean drains all the time occasionally pouring a very simple baking soda and boiling water mixture down them works as well as those expensive draining cleaners and won't damage your pipework as some of the chemicals in store bought drain cleaners can.