Shower drains can cause discomfort sometimes at the most unexpected moments. Naturally, shower drains can be stuffed with hair, minerals and soap. Here are a few things that you can do as a first aid solution before phoning a plumber to fix this problem.
1. Dealing with Superficial Clogs
After noticing that your drain is clogged, you need to wait a few minutes after using the bathroom so that water can drain slowly. If the pipes are water-free, you can easily perform this.
Secure a screwdriver so that you can remove the drain stopper. On the other hand, if you have a drop stopper, try to lift it and find the screws at the tub level. Try unscrewing it including the top section. If possible, use a flashlight to peek into the visible part of the drain.
Reach into the area and you will be surprised that most of such clogging are caused by hair. If you are having a larger clog, try using a drain auger to snake out stuff within the pipes.
2. Using a Wire Snake
You can use a wire hanger and straighten it. Leave the tip and use pliers to bend the very end. By dealing with hair and other minor clogs, you can deal with it using your home made wire snake. If the area is dark, use a flashlight to look into the possible solution of the problem. If possible, lift up the wire after reaching into the nearby pipe end. This may have caused water to drain slowly.
After repeating a few times, check if there are no more stuff that you can find. Try to pour water in it to check if there is improvement in the situation. If you see that water is flowing freely out of the drain, then congratulate yourself.
3. Use a Plunger to Push Clogs Out
To begin with, ensure that the outside drain is wet. If it is not, pour some amount of water into the sink. After doing so, you can now press the plunger around the hole of the drain. Move the handle of the plunger in an upward and downward motion from five to ten times over.
Recheck for remaining hair or any stuff that is still clogging the drain by using the wire hanger. After which, you can now pour in some amount of water to determine if the problem has been solved.
4. Use a Hand Snake or Auger
If the previous method did not work, you might as well try the snake. This equipment can be acquired from a local hardware. Simply place the snake into the drain opening. Push the snake into the hole and feel the resistance if you can. By this point, try to stop because you probably reached the clog. Turn the handle clockwise to crank it up. Continue doing this until there is no more resistance and slowly pull it out of the pipe.
Final Thoughts
There are other solutions such as chemicals that you can pour into the drain to release the clog. But this can be applied to heavy clogs that can’t be done by hand tools.
