Your shower drain is clogged if you stand in soapy water up to your ankles every morning after you leave.
Standing water occurs when water in the shower takes a long time to drain or doesn’t drain at all, and the cause of the shower drain clog should be investigated as soon as possible.
Your shower may not be draining for various reasons, some minor and easily fixed, while others necessitate professional assistance.
When a problem is recognised, it rarely goes away on its own and usually gets worse. Before we look at how to unblock the shower drain, let’s examine the potential causes of the clog.
What is Causing My Shower Not To Drain?
Here are a few causes of this problem that need to be addressed:
Hair And Dead Skin Cells
Hair and dead skin cells are significant causes of shower drain problems. Every time you take a shower, you have the potential to remove millions of dead skin cells and hundreds of hair strands.
While many particles are small enough to pass through the drain opening, others may become stuck and clog the pipe. The challenges of dealing with long hair are amplified.
Soap Scum
Soap scum builds up inside pipes over time, trapping hairs, skin cells, and other debris that eventually causes a clog.
Hard Water
Hard water deposits minerals and microparticles on the walls of your drain pipe, which might cause clogging if you reside in an area with a hard water supply. You can get an ankle-deep shower if you don’t periodically remove these.
Other Contaminants
It’s more typical than you’d think for small items to be dumped down a shower drain, which makes draining the shower more difficult.
It may sound apparent, but ensuring that no small objects with no business going down a drain wind up there by accident is essential. We’re referring to stuff like razor covers and toothpaste caps.
When Does A Clogged Shower Drain Become Noticeable?
As we’ve already established, if you step out of the shower and find yourself standing in a pool of water that isn’t immediately draining away, you may have a clog in your drain and should investigate unclogging it.
Some debris adhering to the pipes and hindering the smooth water flow may also emit an unpleasant odor. More severe problems include water seeping through shower joints and flooding your bathroom.
If you have tried fixing the clog in your drain multiple times without success, it may be a sign of a more serious problem further down the sewage system.
However, this is usually not the case, and there are things you can do on your own to avoid or clear a clogged shower drain.
How To Unblock Shower Drain With Little Effort?
Now that we know what could be causing the clog, we can examine the solutions available to you and get your shower draining again. Fortunately, you can try several things before calling a plumber.
1. Remove It By Hand
Doing a soapy handwash increases the chances of successfully removing a clog by hand from within a drain if you can see the obstruction within the pipe.
Take off the drain’s cover and peer inside with a flashlight. When the obstruction is visible and accessible, use your fingertips to remove it. Wearing rubber gloves is a need for this task.
Hand clearing of the shower drain is an effective strategy for minimising the occurrence of clogs. Small items and hair primarily cause shower drain clogging.
Removing these obstructions, followed by a shower’s worth of continuous running, should return water flow to normal.
2. Plunge It
The effectiveness of a plunger depends on factors such as the nature of the obstruction, its location inside the drain, and the drain’s construction. For instance, if the block is deep, you may find creating enough suction for the procedure challenging.
Try coating the pad’s edge in petroleum jelly to create a more effective seal while using a plunger to clear a clogged shower drain.
After you’ve filled the shower with enough water to submerge the plunger completely, you may begin the plunging process. Although there is no assurance that diving will be successful, it often is.
3. Turn On The Hot Water And Flush The Toilet
When grease or soap contributes to a clog, boiling water can sometimes dissolve it. Be cautious when using equipment containing simmering water, and pour the water through a filter into the sink or toilet instead of letting it splash around in the tub or shower.
You wouldn’t want hot water to slosh back and burn you or damage your pricey bathroom fixtures. If boiling water doesn’t remove the obstruction, use one of the other procedures described below.
4. Substitute Vinegar For The Soda
Using boiling water or a plunger may be ineffective if the clog is extremely deep or significant. Baking soda and vinegar can be used to remove hair blockages effectively.
A cup of baking soda should be poured down the drain first, followed by a cup of vinegar after a few minutes have passed.
After waiting a few hours, you can turn on the shower to see if the clog has been cleared. The drain should then be flushed with boiling water.
5. Make Use Of A Plumbing Snake
A plumber’s snake, called a “Toilet Jack” or “Electric Eel,” is another low-cost and efficient option for clearing a clogged shower drain.
Once you’ve located the clog, you may easily remove it by pushing the snake down the drain, rotating the handle, and then pulling it back up.
After removing the clog, turn on the water and ensure it drains typically by showering.
6. Call in The Experts
A drain that won’t clear can be a significant inconvenience, as it often results in lukewarm water and persistent odours.
Call experts if you need clarification on how to unclog your drain or would rather not risk making the problem worse by trying to do it yourself. They can unclog any drain and would be pleased to do so for you.
How To Prevent Shower Drain Blockages?
Here are a few ways that can save you future tensions and efforts of dealing with a blocked shower drain.
1. Put A Cover On The Drain
The majority of the time, hair tangles are to blame for a slow or stopped-up shower drain. An inexpensive drain cover made of rubber or plastic can be used after every shower to collect stray hairs.
2. Do Not Exfoliate Your Body
While body oils leave the skin feeling great, most go down the drain when you rinse them off, only to solidify in the pipes overnight. Use oil-based products after you dry off from your shower instead.
3. There Will Be No Extra Garbage
More significant bits of dirt and debris can build and make blockages worse later on, so resist the urge to dump a dustbin or shake a rug into the shower and wash it away.
4. Effective Drain Cleaning
Put a small amount of baking soda or distilled white vinegar down the drain after every few showers to keep the pipes clear. Then, spray some hot water on it. Clean the gutters whenever you clean the rest of the house.
FAQs
What will dissolve hair in a drain?
A local blocked drain plumber can clean your sewer pipes using a jet blaster. Once the pipes are clear, they will use a plumbing camera to inspect the inside of the drain pipes and see if there are any further issues, such as cracked or damaged pipes.
How does a plumber unblock a shower drain?
Your local blocked drain plumber can clear your sewage lines with a jet blaster. After the obstructions have been removed, a plumbing camera will be used to examine the interior of the pipes for signs of damage.
Why is my shower not draining?
Standing water in the shower is a solid sign that your shower drain is clogged, as is water that drains slowly or not at all. Any obstacle in the sewage system, no matter how little, can lead to a clogged shower drain.’
Bottom Line
In conclusion, dealing with a clogged shower drain can be a frustrating experience, but there are several steps you can take to resolve the issue and prevent future blockages.
How to unblock the shower drain, you can try various methods depending on the severity of the clog. Removing the obstruction by hand, plunging the gutter, using hot water, and vinegar or baking soda solutions are all effective DIY techniques. If these methods don’t work or you prefer to leave it to the professionals, don’t hesitate to call a plumber who can provide expert assistance.
Following the above tips and taking proactive steps can clear your shower drain and enjoy a hassle-free bathing experience. Say goodbye to ankle-deep water and unpleasant odours, and say hello to a smoothly draining shower. Take control of your drain’s health and keep your bathroom relaxing.
Call us at 1300 311 511 to get professional service for your blocked shower drain.
