What might this be? Help.

[Kpac73]

Hi everyone I'm new not to remodeling or handyman work but to the forum. I needed to reach out.

I am working in Chicago now and have run into an odd predicament. The plumbing upstairs was so slow and pooling to 4" to 5" of water while taking a shorter shower. So the water was draining slowly. I took the switch lever off the side of the tub(it's what plugs tub by lowering a plug inside plumbing) to see if it was working correctly - and found that what I thought was a disconnect and had fallen down and in and down. Well I tried a wire hanger and even a long chain with a hook on it and couldnt snag anything in there. Afterwards I got all the parts cut it all apart and yes there wasn't anything in there. So I went to snake it. And ran into something. It goes up about 2 1/2 feet to the side. I know what an old style pea trap looks like of course, but this actually didn't have any at all. I am thinking this is a vent upwards.

Idk with these pics they are different pics. But look the same.

What your opinions might be? As to what this is?

 

[breplum]

Drum trap is what it is.

 

[Kpac73]

Drum trap is what it is.

I was hoping that - but it's really thick cast iron. And

Drum trap is what it is.

Thanks I didn't think it was, I have seen them before it looks a little different but redoing everything to the point in the picture didn't help the flow of water - it looks like I'll be taking more of the ceiling out around this drum trap to investigate. It must be full inside it. There isn't any real water flow going through it at all.

 

[Jeff Handy]

There should be a clean out cover over the trap, with a big nut on it for a pipe wrench to grab.

But they are usually frozen from rust.

And sometimes they get tiled over.

They can be drilled out, busted out with a cold chisel, etc.

If it does come off, you can get new metal or pvc covers to replace it.

There are videos on Youtube showing how to break up the cover, but sometimes the trap itself will also crack, or the pipes in and out will fail.

 

[Kpac73]

Thank you so much for the response! Yeah I found out for sure it is drum but there is zero access to the top of it. I do plan to take it out tho. I already put in the new style pea trap under the bathtub but the drum is wedged into an area where there isn't a lot of access and it will be a little work to come out. I plan to set aside a day or 2 soon to do it. I think someone actually tiled over the access to the top of the drum and I think it's best to remove it.

 

[Jeff Handy]

If you have to cut out or notch any framing, figure out how to replace it, sister it with new wood, or otherwise maintain support for the tub and bathroom floor.