Author Topic: Shower Slow to Drain  (Read 8235 times)

Vandal09

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Shower Slow to Drain
« on: January 12, 2016, 03:31:37 PM »
Our tub is slow to drain, and by the end of even very quick showers, I'm standing in about 3" of water. I hate it! My husband plunges every week or so, but this can't go on. What are my options? We tried Drano too, and that didn't seem to do much, besides waste money. If it matters, I'm the only female in the house (thin medium hair) and we have a septic tank- but no other drains are slow like the tub.

*Update 1-17-16. Snake > Slow Drain. Thanks for the advice!!
« Last Edit: January 17, 2016, 05:32:20 AM by Vandal09 »

woopwoop

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2016, 04:06:31 PM »
Has it always been like this? Have you tried a zip-it to get any hair out? That's always been my go-to for shower clogs.

Clean Shaven

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2016, 04:09:54 PM »
Unscrew/remove the drain stopper, and run a hand snake through the drain?  Will pull out any hair clogs easily.

Macrolide

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2016, 05:40:19 PM »
For deep down, significant clogs, I've had good luck with a 25ft drain auger purchased from HD for $25. It's the kind that attaches to any drill.  (if I were to buy it again though, I'd pay a little extra for a rust resistant one - it rusted even after spraying it with WD40 and hanging it out to dry). If you've already put Drano in there use some serious eye protection for anything else you try. Otherwise...you're gonna have a bad time.

patrat

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2016, 06:04:41 PM »
Snake it. What comes out will be disgusting, so tough it out. Plenty of videos on youtube, doubtless there will be one for your particular tub style.

In college I often used a piece of clothes hanger wire twisted into a tight corkscrew, it worked but was harder to use. Reach was limited, but the clog was invariably within reach.

Afterwards, go to the store (hardware or walmart) and get a drain filter. Its a metal mesh dome of sorts that fits over or in your tub drain. It gets the vast majority of the gunk that would otherwise clog the drain. Clean it off with a shake in the trash can, wipe with TP, etc and put it back in use.

Using liquid soaps and shampoos will reduce the clogging tendency, vs using bar soaps. Mostly though, you have to keep the hair from going down the drain.

Jakejake

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2016, 06:28:39 PM »
We had this in our upstairs shower - but our other drains were also running slow. We rented a giant drain-cleaner-of-death from home depot. We took off the lid of the septic system and my husband pushed the snake through the drain until I could see a big sploosh of activity in the giant poop pit I was leaning over.

Then I got to go to the doctor for shots in my back and be miserable for several weeks, barely able to walk, because I did something horrible to my spine in an effort to haul the drain cleaner up a flight of stairs.

Worst spring break ever. Shower works fine now though.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2016, 08:01:23 PM by Jakejake »

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2016, 07:14:29 PM »
Here's what works for me:

First 2 cups of Liquid PlumR Gel (the others that are septic safe haven't worked well for me), wait 15 minutes, flush with a lot of hot water, then take a shower.
At this point, it's usually draining faster but not perfect. So after I'm sure the shower water is completely drained, I pour in a small amount of bleach (septic can handle a bit, just not too much) followed by more hot water.
The next day before I shower, I pour in some baking soda, washed down with vinegar. I try to do this at least 15 minutes before the shower, to make sure it has time to sit.

FrugalKube

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2016, 10:32:19 PM »
Unscrew/remove the drain stopper, and run a hand snake through the drain?  Will pull out any hair clogs easily.

My first thoughts exactly I have to this at least once a year

DangleStash

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2016, 08:21:36 AM »
If you have access to a hose, get one of these:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Medium-Drain-Bladder-BC00332/100586170;jsessionid=06035ED3818C37E17B1408E130A39F09

They're awesome.  You remove the cover like you were going to snake it, but then you just stick the end down and turn on the hose.  The bladder expands but shoots a powerful jet of water down the drain and sort of forces the clogs through the system.

lthenderson

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2016, 08:24:44 AM »
Unscrew/remove the drain stopper, and run a hand snake through the drain?  Will pull out any hair clogs easily.

My first thoughts exactly I have to this at least once a year

If you have the typical shower/tub combo, unscrewing the drain stopper will only allow you to clear about six to eight inches of pipe before the auger comes to a t-intersection in the plumbing and can't go any further. To get beyond that, you need to removed the lever that controls whether the tub holds water or drain. From that point, you can stick an auger passed the t-intersection and into the trap underneath the tub where the clog is most likely located. There are many schematics online that show how a typical shower/tub combo is plumbed and also a Ask This Old House video showing the same thing I described.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20822519,00.html

FunkyStickman

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2016, 09:15:16 AM »
You'd be amazed at how much hair will stick in a pipe... here's what I pulled out of shower a year or two ago. Just used a plastic drain-zip thingie. (warning: massive graphic hairball)

farmerj

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2016, 05:00:54 PM »
In my old house, multiple chemicals completely failed to budge whatever it was that was causing drainage problems in the MB shower. Probably should've snaked it, but instead, I threw a hissy fit and plunged it. Problem completely solved! Never heard of anyone doing this before; it's probably a terrible idea. But there you go...

galliver

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2016, 08:07:23 PM »
You don't need particularly long hair to cause a hair clog :(

Got a plastic drain-cleaner-rod-thingy at the  hardware store for <$5, shoved it down there, twisted several times, pulled up giant gobs of hair. Every several mos to a year.

Greg

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2016, 05:33:54 PM »
If none of your other drains are slow, the problem is likely a local hair clog in the tub trap.  Others have wisely suggested good fixes.

A note on plunger technique.  With a tub you can't just use the plunger on it and expect anything unless you block the vent below the tub spout.  Use a small wet towel to cover and plug the vent, this will cause the plunger force to go into the drain instead of out the vent.

Use the plunger to push and pull quickly and vigorously, when it's full of water, so that you move water back and forth to dislodge clogs and crud.  Some will come back up and that's ok, it tells you that it's working.

Fishindude

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2016, 10:06:45 AM »
You are getting good advice here.
Call a plumber or Roto Rooter drain cleaner guy if you don't care to mess with it.

HipGnosis

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #15 on: January 19, 2016, 10:30:22 AM »
If none of your other drains are slow, the problem is likely a local hair clog in the tub trap.  Others have wisely suggested good fixes.

A note on plunger technique.  With a tub you can't just use the plunger on it and expect anything unless you block the vent below the tub spout.  Use a small wet towel to cover and plug the vent, this will cause the plunger force to go into the drain instead of out the vent.

Use the plunger to push and pull quickly and vigorously, when it's full of water, so that you move water back and forth to dislodge clogs and crud.  Some will come back up and that's ok, it tells you that it's working.
I do it by putting a folded rag on the tub drain, putting one foot on that and putting the plunger on the vent.

Sid Hoffman

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2016, 11:01:07 AM »
Call a plumber or Roto Rooter drain cleaner guy if you don't care to mess with it.

But this is the do it yourself forum!  :)

Count me in as one of the ones who fixed a slow draining tub with a plunger too, even after draino and other stuff failed to make a lasting difference.  I never did end up needing to use a drain snake.

EAL

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2016, 01:18:21 PM »
If its a higher up clog from hair and such, this will work: take an old wire hanger, straighten it out, bend the tip like a skinny hook, pull out the hair you can reach with it, you will be amazed, and also gag.  My husband thinks its funny this grosses me out so bad and watches me for a laugh each time I clean a drain out.

Sailor Sam

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2016, 01:32:28 PM »
I recently snaked my shower drain. You can read about my outstanding heroics here! I tried drano, and a plunger. The snake won in the end. It's not hard, it's just kinda disgusting.

I put up with the problem for a long time, because the tub would drain eventually. But actually fixing the problem made my morning shower routine much happier.

dess1313

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2016, 02:07:45 AM »
grab some of the draino stuff that's recomended for removing hair.  Its in with all the cleaning supplies usually.  I had guests over for about a week and afterwards had problems.  one of the guests had super long hair and once i draino'd it it was fine.

frugalnacho

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #20 on: February 10, 2016, 02:24:22 PM »
You'd be amazed at how much hair will stick in a pipe... here's what I pulled out of shower a year or two ago. Just used a plastic drain-zip thingie. (warning: massive graphic hairball)

I get slimey hair balls about that size several times a year.  I also use the plastic zip it thing sold at home depot.  Works great.


Papa Mustache

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2016, 01:36:00 PM »
On hair balls and retching: Once while on a retreat I mentioned a slow shower drain in the womens' bathhouse to the staff. They said it had "always" been bad. One day I was assigned cleaning duty ("work practice") and I used some wire to start pulling hair out of the drain. I ended up with a ball the size of a squirrel. I was retching but it was strangely fun. Shower drained perfectly after that, YMMV.

We started having problems on our Navy ship two decades ago after the ladies started being assigned there too. After two episodes in two weeks I heard that the machinists mates told the women if the drains backed up again - the women would be directly involved in fixing the problem. It did and they were and the problems stopped. ;) Lots of retching newbie plumbers so the story went. Enough said.

I third the ZipIt gadget. I was looking at one of these one day while I waited for a friend. This lady walked up (a customer) and started going on and on and about how great it was. I bought one. Yeah - takes care of hair clogs really, really well. DW has long hair and I'm furry like a teddy bear. We make good use of it.

FunkyStickman

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Re: Shower Slow to Drain
« Reply #22 on: February 12, 2016, 01:42:31 PM »
You'd be amazed at how much hair will stick in a pipe... here's what I pulled out of shower a year or two ago. Just used a plastic drain-zip thingie. (warning: massive graphic hairball)

I get slimey hair balls about that size several times a year.  I also use the plastic zip it thing sold at home depot.  Works great.


That's exactly the one I used.