5 Surefire Ways to Unblock Your Shower Drain
It’s not the most pleasant of household chores, but it’s important to know how to clean a shower drain. If your shower drain is taking longer and longer to drain then it’s reached a point where you finally need to be proactive. It’s not always a matter of pulling out a chunk of hair from the drain. Sometimes the blockage accumulates and you’re left asking yourself what can I do? Well, we’ve provided a quick guide on how to unblock a shower drain. If your situation is a bit more severe than a common hair clog, we recommend contacting us for a CCTV drain survey.
Signs of a Blocked Shower Drain
With an accumulation of hair and soap, your shower drain may be struggling to perform its basic function. It’s easy to notice after a while if water is starting to pool and not drain quickly enough. Sometimes this can be resolved on your own, but that isn’t always the case. If your shower isn’t draining at all then you might have a more serious issue than a standard clog.
At that point, you might be asking why does my shower drain smell? Or, noticing that everything you’ve tried hasn’t worked it may be time to get it surveyed. By doing a CCTV Drain Survey we can detect any potential blockages that might be causing obstruction.
DIY Drain Cleaning Solutions
However, you may be able to unblock your shower drain yourself, and in that case, we have a few tips to get the job done.
For starters you may want to use hot water, it’s unlikely to unclog your drain but it does loosen up any residue that may be at the root of the problem. Check for any visible hair that might be at the surface knotted together -it might be as easy as just pulling it out. If no obstruction is visible, you could try chemical drain cleaners but use caution and follow the directions on the bottle as these are harsh chemicals.
Plunging Techniques
Your first attempts at unclogging your shower drain may not have been successful, but you can still attempt to do it yourself with a plunger. Often a plunger can remove minor shower drain clogs.
Make sure your plunger is firmly placed over the plug hole, and pump 10-20 times to force out the clog. If you notice water is starting to progressively drain more rapidly, the chances are you’ve unclogged your drain - but remember to remove all of the blockage.
Removing Hair and Debris
One of the common issues with clogged drains tends to be the accumulation of hair. If this is a common occurrence for you then you may want to purchase a drain screen that collects the excess hair after every shower, or a wire hanger can do the job if there’s a vast accumulation.
However, when there’s a severe build up in your shower drain, standard DIY solutions won’t cutting it. Then it may be time to look into a drain snake to dislodge any clogs that can’t be dislodged with a plunger.
Chemical Drain Cleaners
If you’re looking at how to dissolve hair in a shower drain, it might be time to see if chemical drain cleaners can do the job. Keep in mind this isn’t something you want to regularly do to your shower drain as it could end up corroding your pipes over time. Your local supermarket likely has a selection you can purchase. Make sure to take adequate safety precautions and follow the directions on the bottle, such as making sure the room is well-ventilated and wearing rubber gloves, as you’re dealing with very harmful chemicals. You can try a gentler method than chemicals by using a cup of bicarbonate of soda and a cup of vinegar. Leave this foaming mixture to do its work and then follow it with very hot or boiling water. This can be as effective as a chemical drain unblocker, but without corroding the pipes or putting chemicals into the drainage system.
Seeking Professional Help
If at this point you are still not getting satisfactory results it might be time to seek the assistance of professionals. This is when we recommend a CCTV drain survey, which is a complete inspection of your drainage system using advanced camera technology. It allows us to know what the exact problem is with your drainage system in a minimally invasive way. Whether it’s root intrusion or other degradation, the team at Cotswold Drainage is trained in spotting and resolving the problem.
Prevention Tips
Drain screens are one way to prevent problems from accumulating but they must be cleaned regularly. One of the best ways to prevent a drainage problem is by checking on the current condition of your drainage system before a problem arises.
CCTV surveys include a same-day report. This report informs you of any blockage or structural issues that could be causing your clog. Our surveys are fast and efficient, and we complete them within an hour to avoid major disruptions to your day. We provide you with same-day reports, so you’re made aware of all details about the condition of your drainage system. This is done quickly to help you be able to take immediate action if deemed necessary.
Conclusion
You can often prevent and unblock your shower drain with easy DIY maintenance. But, if that fails, our team are here to help!
If you are having persistent issues and want to get a better idea of what’s going on with your drainage system call us now on 01386 882324 or e-mail us at
