Have you been noticing a change in the way your shower drains? There’s not much more frustrating than a slow-draining shower. The point of the drain is so you don’t have the stand in a pool of water. With a clogged shower drain, you end up standing in a puddle of dirty bathwater. The most common causes of a clogged shower drain are either soap scum or hair. Often, both soap scum and hair are the problems. Well, whatever the issue is, we’re going to walk you through how to figure out what’s causing the clog and how to unclog a shower drain. This project shouldn’t take long unless there is some underlying issue that you don’t know about. So, let’s dive in.
What You Need For The Project
To unclog that pesky shower drain, you’ll need a few things. Check out the list below.
- 1/3 cup of baking soda
- 1/3 cup of vinegar
- a bowl
- a teapot full of boiling water
- a wire coat hanger
- a grip pad
- a pair of pliers
How To Unclog A Shower Drain
So, now you’ve got all your materials and tools together. It’s time to get to work! First, you should boil a tea kettle full of water. Once that’s done, slowly pour the boiling water down the drain. The hot water will help break up and dissolve whatever is clogging it up.
NOTE: only do this if your pipes are metal—not PVC. Pouring boiling water down PVC pipes may cause loose joints or leaks.
If you have PVC pipes or that doesn’t work, grab some baking soda and vinegar. Once you have that, mix it in a bowl and pour it down the drain once it’s fizzing. Allow the mixture to sit in the drain for about an hour. The baking soda and vinegar will work by dissolving the clog. After an hour has passed, flush out the pipes with hot water.
If neither of those methods works, it’s time to grab a grip pad, some pliers, and a wire coat hanger. Depending on what kind of drain cover you have, you may need a screwdriver for this. If not, use the grip pad and pliers to hold the cover in place while you twist the knob on top of the over counter-clockwise. After that’s off, straighten out the hanger, and make sure there’s a hook at the end. Next, stick it down the drain, and try to pull up any hair or gunk that you can. Finally, flush the drain out with hot water.
Sometimes You Need To Call The Pros
So, now you know how to unclog a shower drain. Sometimes, though, these tips won’t work. Unless you have a serious sewer line clog, this should work. Despite this, at the end of the day, we can’t always do everything ourselves. At Autry Plumbing, we have professional plumbers who use modern tools and technology to thoroughly unclog and clean your drain lines so you don’t need to worry anymore.
If you’re at your wit’s end and need help with your plumbing, it’s time to give Autry Plumbing a call today.
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