A: I hope you hired a licensed contractor with a good reputation to do this job, because the first step when you encounter problems right after a new home project has been completed is to call the contractor to see how the problem can be corrected and who is responsible for the repair.

If you didn't use a licensed contractor, this may be up to you to correct. Either way, it's pretty obvious that you have a partially blocked main drain line, and since the old tub drained slow, it was probably an existing condition.

Knowing that this drain problem existed, the drains should have been snaked out when the tub was being replaced. Somehow this was overlooked by whoever installed the tub, but even if it was snaked out at that time it would have been an extra job anyway. So, hopefully it will not cost you more now than if it was done then.

In a way it may even work to your advantage to have the drain lines cleaned out now that everything is completed. Whenever drains are opened during remodeling jobs, it's very easy for debris to find its way into the lines, and often some contractors will clear the drains before and after a big remodeling job.

Plus, when you're a contractor dealing with subcontractors, you never know what they may be pouring into the lines when you're not around. I once returned to a job site to find the painters dumping all the extra paint down the toilet! The key word here is "once," because that never happened to me again.

Anyway, your issue is a clogged line that has to be cleaned. If you worked with a licensed contractor, contact them to see if they are willing to help you out with the clog, since this should have been addressed during construction. If you worked with a "friend of a friend," you will probably be on your own, and you need to contact a rooter company yourself.

Odds are, this is just a partial clog, not a sewer or septic issue. Once cleared, your brand new tub will no longer have to double as an expensive, oversized, laundry sink!