Can you plunge a shower drain

It can be tempting to empty a dustbin or shake out a rug into the shower and wash it away, but larger bits of dirt and debris can accumulate and make clogs worse later on. Good drain maintenance. Make drain-cleaning part of your cleaning routine. Keep a bottle of distilled white vinegar or baking soda in the bathroom and pour a little of one or both down the drain after every few showers. Follow with a blast of hot water.

Looking for a home where monthly cleaning is always on the books? Bungalow offers private rooms in shared homes that are more affordable than solo housing options in the same neighborhoods. Wifi, utilities, and monthly cleaning are set up before you move in so that communal living is seamless. Find a Bungalow near you. Move-in ready homes and a built-in community so you can feel at home, together—wherever you are. Find a home. May 22nd, View more articles.

Try these methods to remove or dissolve the clog. Bungalow Team. Ready to find your next home? Find my home. Suggested articles. Move in ready homes and a built-in community so you can feel at home, together -- wherever you are. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY.

These clever solutions for clearing a stubborn clog will have your shower draining smoothly again in no time. Some jobs are better left to the pros. Get free, no-commitment estimates from licensed plumbers near you. Find Pros Now. More From Bob Vila. Video: 3 Fixes for a Clogged Shower Drain. Traditional soap bars are made with grease or fat. The fat in the soap combines with minerals in water and leaves a hard residue that stains bath fittings and clogs pipes.

Small cracks or leaks in your underground pipes can attract root growth. Once inside your pipes, roots grow larger, obstructing water flow and causing pipe damage. Unfortunately, once the drainage problems have begun, they will usually only get worse over time, unless action is taken.

Generally speaking, the sooner that you deal with the problem, the easier it will be to resolve. Prevention is always better than cure, so once you've fixed your problem, don't neglect to minimize the chances of your shower drain getting clogged again.

You should certainly consider buying a drain protector , if you haven't already got one, to catch hair and stop other debris from blocking up the drain. A secure soap dish can help too, as soap contributes to clogs by sticking knots of hair together into larger clumps. It goes without saying that loose soap sliding around on the floor of the shower can also cause serious accidents!

Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. Answer: If the blockage is not too serious, you may be able to clear it with baking soda and vinegar, which foams up to loosen the clog.

Run the water afterward. A commercial liquid drain clog remover can be used instead of baking soda and vinegar. Also, try using a plunger to unclog the drain. If you still can't clear the blockage, then you should try using a plumber's snake.

Remove the drain cover, or the overflow panel, to gain access for the snake. Push the snake down until you hit the clog, then push and pull the snake vigorously - or turn it on if it's electric - until the blockage is cleared.

Replace the drain cover afterwards and run the water to rinse away any remainders of the clog. Question: Must it be white vinegar instead of "brown" vinegar that will unclog a shower drain? Answer: It is the acetic acid content of the vinegar that matters, this is what determines how well the vinegar will work to unclog a drain, but most types of vinegar should work.

Answer: It's possible that your whole drainage system is backing up, and that it is raw sewerage that you're seeing.

You should be able to tell from the smell. Another sign of this is when multiple drains and toilets in the building are no longer draining or flushing properly. This will be a job for a professional plumber, if so, as there are serious health hazards as well as plumbing issues involved. Answer: First of all, if all your drains and toilets are backing up, then the problem will almost certainly require calling a plumber, as the problem is more serious than just one slow drain.

If it is just the one shower drain, then the easiest thing to try first is to use a plunger to dislodge the blockage. You can also use a commercial drain clearer to dissolve the clog, although these chemicals can also damage your pipes if used regularly. A more natural alternative is to try baking soda and vinegar to clear the blockage. If those methods don't work, then remove the drain cover and see if you can visually identify the clog.

Maybe you can fish it out with your gloved hand or with a hook you can make one from an old coat hanger. If you are still struggling then the next stage is using a plumber's snake.

If that doesn't work, then you will have to call a plumber. Most clogs in shower drains are caused by a build up of hair and soap, so will only get worse if not dealt with. Finally got shower drain fixed with your method of soda, vinegar and very hot water. House is 50 years old, shower on 2nd floor. This worked like a charm after 2 other attempts. Thanks for such great directions and precautions suggested. Gloves, glasses etc are good idea. Long process, but worked.

I tried this on my drain and it worked. I first used a plunger then I used a hanger and it pulled out a bunch of hair. Now my shower is working perfectly. The house we bought was custom built.. Super rich guy owned it. We bought it from original owner and agent told us one of the issues was a slow draining tub downstairs, we laughed it off and thought nothing of it.

He went into his truck and had an iPad and a long cable. He connected the cable and iPad and it was a camera!! He inserted the camera and way inside he found a piece of concrete, however that device program worked he knew where the blockage was and spraypainted an "X" where the repairman should dig.

Next day we had a repair guy come and excavated the concrete, cut out the section the previous guy sprayed and was shocked at what we found. After we sprayed the nasty AF sh! My dad was an electrician at the time but worked for a big company. He asked around if anyone knew who did the electric on that house, he found out and questioned the electrician about the guy who did the pipe work throughout the house. Turns out the dude who was on that job was working for free cause he couldn't pay back a loan.

LOL The rich guy's wife validated that yes he did owe her husband money.