Unclogging the Shower Drain
Unblocking a shower drain
Showers and bathtubs are some of the most frustrating things to deal with if only because they are more susceptible to clogs. Indeed, if you take a look at the standard trap in the piping of showers and bathtubs, it’s often going to be full of all sorts of hair, lint, and other clogging components. These can cause your shower or bathtub to fill up with water and not drain properly at the end. In severe cases, you could wind up with a huge puddle of water that never drains. Instead of calling an emergency plumber, there are a few things you can do to help unclog your drain efficiently.
One of the things you won’t want to do, however, is use any liquid unclogging supplements. While something like Drano will certainly clear your trap of any clogging implements, it can also lead to the degradation of the pipes and the trap overall. No one wants to deal with any more problems cropping up after they’ve cleared the obstruction. In addition, the coagulant could wind up just pushing the clog farther down through the pipes where it might be more difficult to remove.
Perhaps the best way to remove clogs from your drain trap is with a simple metal hanger. This won’t require the use of an emergency plumber, and most people have a hanger or some long metal wire that they can use to remove the obstruction. First, you’ll want to take the hanger and straighten it out. Form a little hook at the end of it with your fingers so that you can grab anything that might be down there. For the most part, the trap will be only a couple of inches underneath the actual drain. It’s designed (as the name would imply) to trap any of these obstructions and, thus, make them easier to retrieve.
You’ll need to remove the mesh cap that usually comes on the top of the drain. Sometimes you can just pop it loose and other times it will be screwed in. You might be able to remove some of the hair and lint right at the surface of the drain. If you don’t want to use your hands, it’s advisable to use some kind of latex glove. Once you’ve done that, insert the wire into the drain. Most pipes will descend for a ways, then make a 90-degree turn toward the back end of the shower. This is generally where you’ll find the obstruction.
Wiggle the hook around until you feel like you’ve gotten a good grip on the soft obstruction. Then, pull it out slowly. In most cases, this will look visually disgusting and you’ll immediately want to put it in a plastic bag to get it out of sight. In most cases, this will fix the problem and you won’t have any issues with the water being able to drain. It also removes the need for a call to an emergency plumber. But, if the problem persists, you might want to call a plumber so that they can provide their expertise to your plumbing issue.
