Slow Draining Shower - Not as easy as it seems

anotheruser

I have a shower in my house.
You have to step up into it, it's just a corner one.

The drain goes through a trap and to floor level, then down the side of the room (covered by a tiled in box) and meets the sink waste pipe and then put the house.

Draining is very slow.

I guess this is because the waste pipe is practicallly level. At the moment, I have no funds to change this.

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, a bit, but I don't think getting the pipe out of the trunking is going to work but I bet it's a bit clogged.

I've tried pouring chemicals, which cleans but didn't really solve the flow.
Tried a drain cleaner but I think that just gets caught in the trap and that's it.

Are there any other solutions I could try?

FreeBear

I find a good old fashioned plunger is handy for unblocking most plug holes. With a bath or shower, hair is likely to be the culprit - It gets tangled up in the trap and then mold & stuff grows on it, resulting in an icky mass. Even a plunger doesn't remove all of this.. So a toothbrush and tweezers are sometimes needed.

For blockages further down the pipe, something like this would help - https://www.screwfix.com/p/drain-unblocker-7-6m/11325


I've never found chemicals to be an effective solution - They need to be very strong to eat through a blockage. If the blockage is a fair way down the pipe, all the water sitting there dilutes the chemicals, and reduces its strength. Oh, and some of those chemicals will also attack PVC and metals.

EssexExile

Blockages are usually at bends or junctions so if you can get to any of these then have a go at getting them apart.

fezster

Use a wet vac to suck all of the gunk out - have some running water from another outlet which joins the same waste pipe, as this helps to extract it effectively.

Carrot007

consider buying a nice endoscope from amazon/whereever to shove down there connected to a laptop to see what you are up against.


A nearly level pipe should not make a difference unless cloogged.


Could even be beyond the level pipe.

Robin9

My shower drain is similar to the OP's - built on top of the concrete floor slab and it merges with a bath. Lots of gurgles from the bath as the shower drains away.

Have you taken the shower drain itself apart - usually justs needs a flat headed screwdriver ? Chances are hairs mixed with soap/shower gel.

Fire_Fox

anotheruser wrote: »

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, a bit, but I don't think getting the pipe out of the trunking is going to work but I bet it's a bit clogged.

I've tried pouring chemicals, which cleans but didn't really solve the flow.
Tried a drain cleaner but I think that just gets caught in the trap and that's it.

Are there any other solutions I could try?

How are chemicals distinct from a drain cleaner?

There are different types of drain cleaner - enzymes, alkaline - and it is well worth experimenting and persevering/ repeat attempts if you cannot physically clean it out. Never mix products because that can neutralise them or release harmful fumes.

Clog/ blockage is normally hair, bodyfat (sebum), personal care products (hair conditioner and skin cleansing creams rather than detergents) plus microbes (moulds/ bacteria). Decent chance a clog/ blockage started close to the shower drain so it is not necessarily bad if drain cleaner settles in the trap.

Once you improve flow, physically clean the trap or shower drain and/ or use a drain cleaner regularly to prevent blockages. If anyone uses more generous amounts of conditioner or a skin cleansing cream (non-foaming type) run plenty of very hot water through after each shower.

anotheruser

Fire_Fox wrote: »

How are chemicals distinct from a drain cleaner?

I should have just written bleach and disinfectant, both of which worked well at cleaning and creating a clean smell but didn't solve the problem.

I might tackle it this afternoon.

Problem is, where the trap is and it bends round to join the sink are both in awkward positions. Last time the trap leaked when I put it back on and we had more leakage further down, although that's my experience as when I joined the together again, it was fine.

I've also noticed there's a slight hill the water must climb to meet the sink waste pipe, so I guess there must be a fair amount of water to get over that.

Maybe I'll pop to the hardware store and look for a good old plunger.

Grenage

I use this; I use it about once a month on our shower train to remove a fist-sized lump of the other half's hair.