How to unblock a shower drain?

willa

Caustic soda (and follow instructions carefully) usually works where the expensive branded stuff doesn't. Usually found in little shops rather than supermarkets.

chocomonsta

Hi

if it is blocked by hair have you got any hair removing cream?

Just put a big dollop of it and let it fall through, leave it for half an hour and it will dissolve any hair that is stuck.

andrew-b

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2107223

amarg

I'm not a fan of the chemical unblockers. My mate is a plumber and often gets called out to houses were they have used the chemicals, but the blockage is still there. Some showers have removable traps, like this one- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Gb3EWnb5o

northern_at_heart

Thanks everyone. I've pulled out the waste trap and it hardly had any hair on it. I then pulled a load of hair out with the coathanger but the blockage is further down as there is still standing water. I've poked around trying to find where it bends, but my coathanger isn't much help!
In desperation I've tipped a load of bicarb and vinegar down there - let's see if that helps! Otherwise I guess it'll be caustic soda for me...

clockworks_2

another user of Mr Muscle here. Works a treat.

nic_santorini

hadv same problem, took away the plug hole, shoved tub of bicarb, followed by white vinegar it fizzed and bubbled, followed by kettle of hot water and it revealed a whole host of hair yuk yuk yuk, but problem all gone, got it from kim and aggies book.

hotcookie101

If there is a big solid blockage I found Power plumber worked really well (where caustic soda failed to help) it unblocked our sink, and we found a load of tissue and cotton buds in the drain (prev owners had kids, obviously shoved stuff down there, sink had never really drained well whole time we had lived here-used caustic soda and mr muscle) Its quite impressive! Or a plunger
I would be REALLY careful using caustic soda in standing water-makes all the standing water horribly dangerous!

Tucker

Drain blaster works everytime for me.

Cost about £3 or £4 from Toolstation and if you then use it once a month, you'll not have a problem again.

It fires a jet of water under pressure down the hole shifts the blockage.

Myrtle

Before you try the caustic soda, if it's hair that's causing the blockage what about Immac (or whatever it's called these days) Hair removal cream. It worked for me