How to unblock a shower drain?

northern_at_heart

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post, but thought I'd give it a try!

Our shower cubicle plughole is seriously blocked - the water now backs up so far when we have a shower that it nearly overflows the tray :-o

It seemed fine until a couple of weeks ago and now has got rapidly worse! I've poked around with pens, forks, etc. as far as I can see, and pulled out a little bit of hair but can't see anything major. The pipe seems to bend 90 degrees after a short distance so it's tricky to find anything better to poke around with.

I've also tried putting bleach and Domestos unblocker down there but no difference...

We bought a plunger and then found it doesn't work as the shower tray is ridged so it can't create a vacuum around the plughole :-(

It's all built in so I can't get underneath to the pipes or anything...

Is a plumber our only hope, or has anyone got any bright ideas?

Thanks guys!

lostinrates

I'd try the diy forum.

It might help to tell them if you are mains or tank drainage.

northern_at_heart

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post, but thought I'd give it a try!

Our shower cubicle plughole is seriously blocked - the water now backs up so far when we have a shower that it nearly overflows the tray :-o

It seemed fine until a couple of weeks ago and now has got rapidly worse! I've poked around with pens, forks, etc. as far as I can see, and pulled out a little bit of hair but can't see anything major. The pipe seems to bend 90 degrees after a short distance so it's tricky to find anything better to poke around with.

I've also tried putting bleach and Domestos unblocker down there but no difference...

We bought a plunger and then found it doesn't work as the shower tray is ridged so it can't create a vacuum around the plughole :-(

It's all built in so I can't get underneath to the pipes or anything...

Is a plumber our only hope, or has anyone got any bright ideas?

Thanks guys!

Mme.Hibou

Ours does this sometimes. I tend to put a few heaped teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda down the plug hole, pour down some bleach and leave it for half an hour or so. I then boil the kettle and pour it down, clears it for a while.

belfastgirl23

I had a problem with what I thought was a blocked drain but it turned out the blockage was actually in the pipe outside the house and the water was being backed up in the pipe and failing to drain because of that. Might be worth checking.

jhe

i put a hose pipe down mine when it gets to bad. i have also used drain granules bought from supermarket they do the trick as well

Ebe_Scrooge

It's often the problem with showers - you really need to get at the pipes to do it properly, but you can't usually access showers wastes that easily.

A couple of things I've tried. First, get a piece of wire ( an old coathanger is ideal ), bend a little hook into the end and have a twiddle around with that. This can often snag bits of hair and gunk that's in there. Be a bit gentle, as you don't want to go disturbing the joints in the pipe. Quite often, you'll find that the grill on top of the plug hole comes off, this makes it a lot easier to poke around.

If that doesn't work, then get some caustic soda and follow the instructions. It's very good stuff, pretty cheap, available from most hardware shops and a lot of supermarkets. PLEASE BE CAREFUL !!!! It's very good stuff, but very nasty if you splash it on your skin, or even worse, your eyes. Just follow the instructions on the packet and take sensible precautions ( wear rubber gloves etc. ). This will clear most blockages.

Freebie_Hunter_2

You can get small plughole-sized plungers, or if it's really bad try caustic soda. Read the instructions and use wisely though as that stuff is potent!

27col

If there is definitely no access to the pipework then it appears to me that the installer had some overly misplaced confidence in their work. Only thing that I can suggest is to try one of these.http://www.choiceful.com/choiceful-id-1788-3-Mtr-Metal-Sink-and-Drain-Cleaner.html

northern_at_heart

Thanks - will give the coathanger a go, if I can find one. There isn't a grille on the top luckily, just a plastic crossbar thing (and the hair-catcher thing we bought from Wilko which doesn't stay put very well, hence the problem!)

Am encouraged that caustic soda might be worth a try - didn't know if it was any more effective than the rubbish Mr Muscle/Domestos/etc unblockers. Will be sure to rinse well - thanks for the tip :-)

Cazza

Yep, second the caustic soda idea! My flatmate and I both have long hair so we put this down the drain every couple of months. As Ebe Scrooge says though, be very careful with it, make sure the windows are open and leave the room and shut the door once you've put it down the drain, you don't want to breath it in at all!