by Trevor Woods |
Last Updated: July 22, 2020 It feels disgusting when you are standing inside a pool of accumulated water whenever you take a shower. You are essentially standing in a puddle of your own dirt, yuk! Either your water is draining slowly or it isn’t draining at all. This is a sure sign of a clogged shower drain.
There are various causes of a clogged shower drain, such as a minor blockage or an obstruction in the main sewer pipe. It is crucial to find out the main cause of the blockage before it’s too late.
Once you find out the source of the clog, that’s when you will know if you can fix this issue by yourself or do you need to call in the professionals. The majority of the times, clogged showers are minor issues you can fix yourself.
We will show you how to unclog your shower drain, saving you money and the hassle of having to call for professional help!
How Do Shower Drains Get Clogged?
Minor shower drain obstruction occurs due to the build-up of hair, soap, dirt, etc. The mixture of all these things worsens the issue over time. Ultimately, the water passage becomes more obstructed due to the build-up, which results in a stopped up shower drain.
Listed below are the usual causes of a clogged shower drain:
Soap
Talc, wax, and fat make up traditional soaps. When combined with hard water minerals, it results in a hard residue within your pipes. Eventually, this results in slow draining or a clogged shower.
Hair
Hair is the most common culprit of clogged showers. Usually, soap and dirt stick to tangled hair in your drain. The resulting hairball stuck to the shower drain and pipes can be challenging to get rid of it. Generally speaking, the longer the hair the greater the chance of clogged showers and increased difficulty removing all the trapped hair.
Minerals
The minerals found in hard water are hard to avoid without a water softener. Eventually, there will be a build-up of these minerals, which will result in the creation of large mineral deposits that might end up blocking the drain.
Dirt
As you get cleaner, your shower drain gets dirtier. This issue does not take place right away, but it can appear as time goes on and dirt ends up sticking to pipe walls. This is more common in showers that are used to hose off muddy people or pets.
Tree Roots
This might sound strange but it is true. Tree roots are looking for water and although rare, there are times when tree roots end up growing through tiny cracks within the pipes that are located underground. Eventually, these roots will end up growing larger and cause complete obstruction of the drain pipe.
How To Fix Your Clogged Shower Drain
Clearing a clogged shower drain is a handy skill to have. You can typically get the job done with a few hand tools or no tools at all! These principles will also apply to many other drains in your home. This will make you prepared to bust up blockages in any drain.
You Can Use Your Hands
This is the easiest and most obvious method. If you can see the cause of the clog, you can use your hand to remove it.
- First, wear
gloves and eye protection for safety and to avoid disgusting splashes. - If there is already water in the shower then wait for it to drain slowly, or if the water is not draining at all then bail it out manually.
- Next, use a screwdriver to remove the grille of the drain. If there are no screws then you can simply use your hand to take it off.
- Use a flashlight to locate the blockage that is clogging the drain.
- Reach in with your hands and pull out whatever is clogging the drain. Be careful, the smell of old hair and shower debris can be quite unpleasant.
- Lastly, place or screw the shower grill back on the drain. Test your work by turning on the shower and see if the water flows easily down the drain.
Boiling Water
Using boiling water is a cheap and efficient way to unclog shower drains. Boiling water softens grease and soap scum so it can pass through your pipes. However, avoid this method if you have PVC pipes or completely clogged drains.
Boiling water is the easiest method to clean drains that are made from materials that can handle extremely hot water. You can also use this method once or twice a month to maintain the flow of your shower drain.
First, boil some water on a stove. Then use a large funnel to avoid spilling and pour the boiling water down your drain. If the drain blockage is stubborn, then you can combine this method with the baking soda and vinegar method for increased drain cleaning capabilities.
Vinegar
This is another technique you can use to unclog a shower drain. Baking soda and vinegar are environmentally friendly and are easily found in your kitchen. You can use baking soda by itself or combine it with white vinegar for better results.
If you are just using the baking soda:
- Measure out half a cup of baking soda.
- Next, pour that baking soda down your shower drain.
- Wait for about 10 minutes or until you start seeing the formation of bubbles.
- Then, rinse with water from your showerhead or pour boiling water down your drain.
Baking soda alone might not be enough for completely clogged drains. But when you add in vinegar, you increase its clog busting power.
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So, repeat the above steps until you pour the baking soda in the drain. Right after that, pour in the same quantity of vinegar down the drain as well. It will start bubbling and foaming up.
You can either wait for half an hour to a full hour or let the baking soda and vinegar solution sit overnight. Depending on the duration you picked, the next step is to pour hot water down the drain. You might have to repeat this process several for stubborn drains.
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A Cup-Shaped Plunger
Using a plunger to unclog your shower drain requires a little muscle. Make sure you use a cup-shape plunger and not the type of plunger used for toilets. A cup plunger is designed specifically to seal against flat surfaces like your shower base.
Also, make sure you do not use a plunger after you have poured harsh chemicals into the drain. You do not want to risk splashing caustic chemicals on your skin or clothes.
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to plunge your shower drain. The whole process is quite simple once you master the plunging technique.
- First, you need to moisten the surrounding area of the drain or use petroleum jelly on the edges of the plunger’s cup in order to form a stronger seal.
- Next, use the plunger to cover your drain and begin to pump it upwards and downwards. Maintain a proper seal against the shower drain as you plunge. The push and pull force of the plunger will loosen that clog.
- When you remove the plunger, you may pull up dislodged parts of the clog. Collect the debris and keep plunging if needed.
- Test your progress by adding water to the drain. If the shower drain does not flow, plunge it again.
- Any standing water should flow down the drain once the shower is unclogged. Rinse the shower base and allow the shower to run for a while to flush the drain completely.
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Wire Hanger
Take a regular wire hanger and turn it into a drain clog remover! This method works great on clogs created by clumps of hair but is less effective on hard blockages created by mineral deposits or tree roots.
- First, use pliers in to unwind your hanger and straighten it completely.
- Then use the pliers to twist one end of the hanger into a hook that should be about 0.25 inches (or 6 mm) in length.
- Make sure to wear your
rubber gloves for protection. Next, lower the hook-ended wire inside the drain and try to snag the clog. Usually, you will hook a big clump of hair. - Once you have hooked the clump of hair, pull the wire out of the drain. If the hair clog gets stuck in the pipe or falls off while you are reeling the wire back in, you will have to try hooking the clog again. Do not stop until you have removed the entire clog.
- Use hot water (either preheated or from the showerhead) and check to see if your drain is clear and unclogged.
- If the shower drain is unclogged, finish by rinsing with hot water to flush out the drain.
Drain Snake Or Cable Auger
A drain auger is a plumbing tool worth its weight in gold! You can easily find these tools powered manually, by attaching it to a drill, or with electric motors for the serious DIY’er. These drain augers have a flexible metal cable with a spiralled hook on the end to break up or snag clogs.
The RIDGID Power Spin is the perfect tool to clear blocked drains at an economical price point.
Its versatile design offers the ability to use the hand auger manually spinning the drain auger cable in and out of the drain or use a drill to speed rotation up to 500 RPM for additional power.
You should pick an auger with a length of cable that best suits your needs. In order to use it throughout your home, you will require a cable length between 25 to 100 feet (or 7.6 to 30.5 m). A 25′ cable is lots of length for a shower drain.
- First, you need to remove the grille of the drain and lower the cable into it.
- Next, turn the handle clockwise in order to push its cable forward through the drain. When you start to feel the resistance that is when you know you have reached the clogged mass.
- Once the cable has caught the hair or dirt, you need to start turning the handle counter-clockwise. That is when you will retract the cable back and take out whatever was clogging up the drains.
- Rinse the drain with hot water to test the drain and flush it completely.
Enzyme Or Biological Cleaners
Before you resort to harmful chemicals, you might want to try more environmentally-friendly drain cleaners first. That is where enzyme cleaners or biological cleaners come in.
Despite being highly effective, people frequently avoid these cleaners because they need time to work and you have to repeatedly use them for long term for results.
Drain enzymes are the perfect eco-friendly method for clearing drains that have been clogged with grease and soap scum. The natural enzymes are made up of harmless bacteria that eat away at the blockage in your drain.
Read and follow the instructions on the label. Always remember that chemicals like
Bio-Clean is a special combination of natural bacteria and enzymes formulated specifically to digest dead organic waste found in your plumbing system.
Bio-Clean will remove the grease, hair, soap scum, food particles, paper and cotton that are plugging your drain lines.
Caustic Soda (AKA: Sodium Hydroxide)
Alkaline drain cleaners are composed mainly of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. They dissolve clogs quite rapidly and are available in both solid and liquid forms.
Make sure that you are wearing
- First, add 3 cups of caustic soda to about 0.75 gallons (or 2.8 litres) of cold water.
- Use a wooden spoon or stick to mix the solution and wait for it to warm up. The exothermic chemical reaction will soon start to produce heat.
- Next, you need to pour this mixture down the drain and let it sit for about half-hour.
- Afterwards, pour hot or boiling water into the drain. You might have to repeat this process a few times for severe shower clogs.
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Wet Or Dry Vacuum
First things first, DO NOT use your regular vacuum cleaner for this method. You run the risk of damaging the vacuum or electric shock if it is not designed for vacuuming up liquids.
You can use this method as a last resort. Change the setting of the vacuum for sucking up liquids. Take the hose and place it over or down the drain and turn on the vacuum.
If you use the highest setting of the vacuum, it can pull the hair or any other small objects out from the drain through its hard suction. When you are done, clean the vacuum out thoroughly.
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The Stanley stainless steel 5-gallon wet/dry vacuum features a powerful motor for industry-leading performance, providing maximum suction power for heavy-duty pickup.
Using Chemicals
If manual drain cleaning methods are not working then you might have to resort to using chemicals. Make sure you purchase a product that is specifically made for unblocking drains, since other kinds could not only harm you, they might not do the job right. If your home is on a septic system make sure you select a drain cleaner that is septic-friendly.
It is important to pick out the highest-quality drain cleaner. If you know the cause of your clogged shower drain then make sure you pick a drain cleaner that is specifically made for that type of clog. You can read our complete guide to drain cleaning chemicals for more information here.
Always be extremely careful when dealing with chemicals and make sure you follow the provided instructions. Plus, always wear your
Measure the proper amount of the chemical and carefully pour it in the drain to avoid splashing. Make sure you use the recommended dosage or else you might have to repeat the process over again.
Repeated use of drain chemicals could end up damaging your pipes over a period of time. These products might appear to be cheap, but the damage to your pipes could end up costing you a lot in the end. Don’t take a chance on bargain chemicals and see what we recommend here.
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When Call Your Plumber
If you gave all the natural drain cleaning methods a try and you want to avoid using harsh chemicals, then it’s time to call in the professionals. In certain situations, calling in a plumber might actually be cheaper. The plumber might discover a bigger issue within the pipes that is causing the shower to clog.
If you have a shower drain that keeps getting clogged after several attempts to clear it, this could be the sign of a much more serious blockage that could be in the main sewer line. For that, we also recommend you seek out professional help.
How To Avoid Prevent Future Clogs
Plumbers say that prevention is better than the cure. One thing you can do to reduce clogged shower drains is to purchase a drain protector or cover.
This protector is made from either plastic or metal meshes that collect stray hair or any other things that might plug up the shower drain. All you have to do is empty the drain cover in the trash whenever it gets full. This will prevent any actual hair from going down and clogging up the shower drain.
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ShowerShroom is a shower stall hair stopper that fits snug inside your shower drain, effortlessly gathering each and every hair that tries to make its way down your vulnerable drain.
Another thing you can add is a secure shelf or fixed soap dish. Soap helps in creating clogs by turning hair knots into bigger clumps so you want to prevent excessive amounts of soap from flowing down the drain. Of course, a loose bar of soap that slides all over the shower floor is dangerous itself and can cause a slip, therefore a soap dish is a handy addition.
Furthermore, you can use the boiling water, baking soda, and vinegar method once a month just to clear out the pipes and maintain a shower drain. However, do not use boiling water if you have PVC pipes and just use baking soda and vinegar with normal to warm water. Baking soda and vinegar is an eco-friendly preventative maintenance tip to ensure that your drain stays clean.
Natural enzymes remove years of build-up and prevent clogs.
The biodegradable formula is safe on plumbing pipes and septic tanks. Works effectively on sinks, toilets, and septic tanks.
If you have problematic plumbing pipes, occasionally you will want to have regular maintenance done by a drain cleaning professional once or twice a year. This will ensure that your drains stay in tip-top shape.
Conclusion
Clearing a clogged shower can be easy. All it takes is a little time and effort and you can have a free-flowing shower in no time! Now you can enjoy getting squeaky clean in the shower, don’t drop the soap!
Happy Plumbing!
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