Imagine that you reach your home after a long, tiring day at work and now you want to relax yourself with a hot water shower. You enter your bathroom to take shower, start the shower and enjoy the hot water trickling down your body taking away all your tensions and tiredness with it.
Suddenly you come out of the relaxation phase and notice water standing in your feet. The water is not draining and it is gathering around your feet instead. This is a clear sign that you have a clogged shower drain!
Clogged drains are always disturbing and irritating. They always create hassle and mess for you. Standing water, smell in the bathroom, slow water pressure and slow water drainage are all clear signs of a clog.
Why Clogs Happen?
It is important to know in the first place why clogs happen. You can treat the clog after knowing the actual reason for a clog because different clogs are treated differently. A clogged drain is simply a slow drain that is not letting the water drain at usual speed. Whenever you face a clogged sink then it is a common concept that there would be a great hindrance causing the clog. However a shower drain is mostly caused by hair, lint or soap products etc. Whatever is the reason for a clogged drain, it is important to unclog it in the first place to avoid any future issue involving bigger problems.
Steps to do when you Suspect a Clogged Shower Drain
- First of all check your drain for any obstruction. Clumps of hair are the most common objects that could be the victim of a clogged shower drain. If there is nothing visible on the top of the drain, then uncover the drain, remove the cap and look carefully under the cover and inside the drain as well. Any hair clumps combined inside the drain can be the cause of a clog. If you find anything causing the hindrance, remove it.
- The next step suggests that you should check your shower drain carefully. Check if there is a proper space between the pipe and the drain stopper. Some shower drains have a start/stop button or mechanism. Sometimes it is pushed by mistake causing the water to stand. Therefore it is recommended that first check your drain cleaning properly if there is no common issue or reason for the blockage of water and there is actually a drain.
When you have performed the above steps and still the water is not draining with the normal speed or not draining at all, then it is confirmed that you are facing a clog and it is now time to use methods for unclogging the shower drain.
Methods for Unclogging Shower Drains
There are many methods available that can be used to unclog shower drains. These methods are not only easy to implement but inexpensive as well. These methods can also be used in combination for the unclogging of shower drain. You can try these methods on your own instead of calling the plumber. The methods are given below in detail.
- Boiling Water Method
Though this method is old, it is still considered to be a very effective method for unclogging shower drains. The boiling water actually helps in breaking down the layer of grease or soap formed inside the drain. Follow the given steps to perform this method.
- First you need to pour water in a pot.
- After that, place the pot on the stove and boil it on high flame.
- Let the water boil till it reaches the boiling point.
- When the water boils, now is the time to pour it inside the drain.
It is recommended that you use a funnel or beaker to pour water inside the drain. This is suggested because if you have some expensive bathroom accessories then the boiling water can ruin them.
- Plunger Method
It depends on the type of clog in the drain that will decide how successful the plunging method is. If the clog is deep inside the drain and there is hair inside the drain causing the clog, then a plunger will be very much successful in unclogging this clog. Follow the below steps for using the plunger method.
- First uncover the top cover of the drain.
- Now fix the rubber side of the plunger onto the mouth of the uncovered drain.
- Fill the tub with water to make a tight connection between the plunger and drain opening.
- Now start applying pressure in the downward direction so that the plunger makes an air tight connection with the uncovered drain.
- When you think that the connection between the plunger and the drain is fixed and tight, start pulling the plunger in the upward direction.
- Pull vigorously so that any clog inside the drain gets pulled out with the applied pressure.
- Now start running water and check if the water is going down normally. If yes then it means that the drain is unclogged.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Method
Baking soda and vinegar are the most common elements found in nearly every kitchen. Baking soda works wonders for clogged drains when combined with vinegar. Read the following steps to use this baking soda and vinegar method for unclogging your shower drain.
- Take 1 cup of baking soda.
- Take 1 cup of vinegar.
- Pour down the full cup of baking soda down the shower drain.
- Let the baking soda rest inside the drain for a few minutes. Ideally 15-20 minutes.
- Now pour 1 cup vinegar down the drain.
- Now let the vinegar and baking soda mixture rest inside the shower drain for a few hours. Ideally wait for 4-6 hours.
- Now pour down boiling water down the drain.
- After that let the water run down the drain and notice if the water is running down normally. This means that the drain is unclogged.
- Plumber’s Snake Method
This is a very inexpensive method to unclog the drains. Though this method is inexpensive, it is a very effective method for unclogging drains. Follow the below steps to implement this method.
- Uncover the drain top cover.
- Push the snake down the drain until you reach the clog.
- Turn the snake’s handle pulling it back up.
- Run the water to test the drain if it is unclogged or not.
Conclusion
Clogged drains are a very disturbing phenomenon that can lead to many serious plumbing issues. That is why it is recommended that you should always take the clogged drains seriously. You can call out a local plumber for unclog shower drain.
