Tips and Tricks on Unblocking A Shower Drain
While we can try our very best to prevent blocking our shower drains, it can sadly still be a very common occurrence. Although we all clean our shower areas, there is still a high chance that a multitude of materials and wastes can end up going down the shower drain and causing a blockage.
It's remarkably easy for it to happen too; even just the continuous usage of shower essentials like soap and shower gels can cause any drain clogs to increase in size. However, it's the hairs of both the men and women that use the showers that top the list of reasons why shower drains become blocked in the first place, as they're almost completely non-biodegradable and get stuck in the pipelines for lengthy periods of time.
Before we get on to helping you unblock your shower drain, let's look at how you can prevent blocking it again in the future;
The best way to prevent blocking your shower drains in the future is to not throw solid waste down it! It sounds simple, but many homeowners throw items down their shower drains assuming that it will all get washed away; but this isn't always the case!
So, what are the ways to unblock your shower drain?
If your shower drains are blocked, there are various things you can do to unblock them;
Use natural cleaning methods
If you are comfortable doing so, there is always the option to carry out some natural cleaning of your shower drain yourself. Before you begin, you'll need to gather some baking soda, vinegar and boiler water. The first thing you will need to do is pour the baking soda down the blocked drain, followed by double the amount of boiling water. Following this, you'll need to pour more baking soda and then one to two cups of vinegar.
It's important to try and make sure that these mixes travel as far as possible down the pipeline, so that they can naturally dissolute the clogs and free the drain of the blockage.
Use commonly used chemicals
Aside from using natural cleaning methods, there are also chemical means by which the clogs in your shower drain can be removed. This is considered as one of the most common methods of sewer cleaning as most of the time the blockage occurs due to the formation of heavy grease on the pipeline and when you then use such chemicals or liquids to dissolute the grease, it becomes far easier to get rid of the blockage faster.
Try compressed air methods
One of the most popular methods for unblocking shower drains is the compressed air method. The force and power that compressed air is comprised of have an excellent ability to free the drain of the blockage that usually consists of hard waste. The compressed air will allow you to blow the accumulation of waste away to free the passage of water through the drain once again.
Utilise jet sprays
Similar to the compressed air method, jet spraying is a very effective way of cleaning the drains. Specialist drainage companies, such as JLH Drains, are able to utilise jet sprays to very easily and quickly unblock any drains, including shower drains.
Use drain rods
If your shower drain is blocked but the blockage is not large or heavy, you can very easily use drain rods by yourself. These will allow you to very quickly clean and clear the garbage or solid waste from the pipeline and free the blockage.
Regular cleaning is recommended
Even if you don't think you have a shower drain blockage, it's advisable to regularly clean your drains regularly anyway. This will reduce the risk of any future blockages. Similarly, the natural method of cleaning your drains must be carried out once a month, or at least in alternate months, to make sure that waste hasn't accumulated on the pipeline.
Put simply, it's better to prevent the drains from becoming blocked rather than finding ways to unblock them when they get clogged.
Should you find that your shower drains have become blocked and you aren't sure what to do, or you aren't confident in fixing it yourself, you can always contact the experts at JLH Drains. We work throughout Kent, London and the South East.