Underground Journal

Shower Drain Maintenance Tips

There are some easy shower drain maintenance tips, which can be used to help prevent clog problems in the shower drain. These tips can also help to fix problems that have already occurred, in addition to keeping shower drains working at their best.

All hair and soap scum should be cleaned from the top of the shower drain cover whenever the shower is used, so that the shower drain continues to run freely. Additionally, on a weekly basis, dumping a bucket of hot water directly into the shower, or running the hot water for a minute, can help prevent problems. A weekly or monthly maintenance tip to avoid problems involves pouring a half-cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by two cups of white vinegar. Water can then be run down the drain for approximately five minutes after the mixture stops foaming.

A good shower drain cover is necessary to prevent hair from going down the drain and causing clogs. Make sure that your shower drain cover is in good repair, because if it is in poor condition or missing, a shower drain installation is going to be necessary. If the openings in the shower drain cover are too large, then hair can still get down the drain. If this is the case, you can either replace the shower drain cover, or simply purchase a portable drain cover to place over the existing drain cover whenever you use the shower.

Hair mixed with soap scum is generally the culprit when dealing with clogged drains. Over time, clogs can develop inside the drain, even if a shower drain cover is being used.

The first step in fixing a clogged shower drain is simply removing the drain cover, and taking out any accumulated hair that you can see, or which comes out with the drain itself. Hair that you can see but cannot reach can be often be removed with a straightened wire hanger. After the visible hair has been removed, test the shower by running water down the drain.

If a clog is still present, a plunger can often be effective. Put some petroleum jelly around the rim of the plunger first, so that a better seal can be achieved, and then place the plunger directly over the shower drain. By pumping the plunger up and down about twenty times, you might be able to pull additional hair up far enough so that you can see it and remove it with the straightened wire hanger.

If you are not successful with this, you can try a plumber’s snake. To use this device, push it down into the drain until you can feel the clog. Then, turn the handle to catch the hair and pull it back up along with the snake. Remove the hair, and repeat until the clog is removed.

If after trying these steps, you find that the clog is still present, it is probably time to call a professional. Occasionally hair clogs can be formed further down in the pipes, out of the reach of household equipment. After the clog has been cleared, make sure to avoid future problems by using the maintenance tips described above to keep it clear.

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