Plunging shower drain made it worse. It is a very frustrating situation to occur when you see the shower drain is clogged and water is not clearing from the bathroom floor.
Switch off the water supply and stop using the bathroom until all the clog is cleared from the pipe.
Various troubleshooting tips are used to clear the shower drain, like plunging, but sometimes plunging the drain makes it even worse, so it is always not best to use a plunger to unclog the drain pipe.
When you use a plunger to open the blockage in the shower drain, the pressure you exert from a plunger is likely not to break down the drain. But, it sends the clog deeper into the pipe, making it difficult to clear.
The blockage still dwells in the pipe, but now it’s even deeper into the sewerage line due to the water not flowing through the bathroom floor and standing like a pool.
So, if the plunging method is not working to clear the clog, then don’t worry because some other methods also work so well.
If plunging a shower drain makes it worse, use baking soda, distilled vinegar, or even hot boiling water to unclog the drain quickly.
Plunging shower drain made it worse
It is a very disgusting experience to stand in bathroom water because it is dirty and irritating.
The plunging method is usually used for clearing the clog in the shower drain, but if it does not work, use a drain snake, boiling water, white vinegar, and baking soda to clear the clog.
Reasons for the clog in the shower drain
- Hard water is the main reason for shower drain clogs. In areas where underground water contains water sediments, these sediments or minerals are gathered in the drain pipe to corrode the pipe. So, if you use hard water to take a shower and for other daily household purposes, then filter this water before you use it.
- Dust and dirt also stuck to the shower drain pipe to make it difficult for water to flow, so maintaining your plumbing pipes after two months is very necessary.
- If you take a shower and use extra shampoo to give shine to your hair, then extra shampoo lather is gathered in the shower drain to block it.
- Some soap contains grease and animal fats stuck in the pipe to clog. The water is not cleared from the clogged pipe.
- If your home is too old, like 40 to 50 years old, the old metal pipes may be broken due to rust, so there is a chance that your drain pipe is broken from somewhere due to rusting or sometimes due to tree roots.
- If you have enough budget, then replace the whole plumbing system in the home; otherwise, hire a plumber to repair the broken pipe.
Plunging shower drain
Some think the plunger is as effective in clearing the shower drain as it is used to unclog the pipe. But it is terrible to use a plunger in a shower drain.
The primary reason to prevent plunging into the shower drain is to push the clogged material more profoundly into the pipe, making it difficult to clear.
When you push the plunger into the shower drain to pull out the debris, it does not pull out like a toilet but moves it further deeper into the pipe.
So, it is suggested to you not to use the plunger for shower drain unclogging and use the following methods instead of plunging.
Boiling Water
If you face shower drain clog problems, then your first go-through method is to rinse the hot boiling water into the shower drain opening.
This method is easy to start, and there is no danger in using boiling water to unclog the dust and debris.
Take half a bucket of water and heat it in a vessel for half an hour. Now open the shower drain hole and carefully pour hot water into the drain.
You must be very careful pouring hot water into the shower drain because if you do not hold the bucket tightly, then you may damage your asking from hot water.
If there are PVC pipes, then you don’t use hot water because it will damage the plastic pipes. If you have metal pipes made from copper, always use hot boiling water to unclog the shower drain.
Hot boiling water will break down the debris gathered in the shower drain, so wear gloves on your hands and put your hands in the hole to get out the clog.
It may look awkward to you, but you need to use your hand to pull out the remaining clog from the pipe.
Use a Drain Snake
If hot boiling water does not change the flow of water and there are still dirty puddles on the bathroom floor, then the next tip to clear the clog is to use a drain snake.
Turn off the water supply, hold the drain snake in one hand, and push down the drain snake tool into the shower drain.
Make sure you are not pushing the drain snake at an angle because it will create more issues. When you insert the drain snake inside, it will lose the blockage in the pipe.
If you regularly remove clogs from the pipe, then it will take some time to open the clog. Ensure you push the drain snake further into the shower drain to clear the debris.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda and white vinegar are very useful ingredients because they are used for multiple purposes, like cooking and cleaning surfaces. They are also used for unclogging the deep shower drain.
Baking soda and white vinegar are easily available, and it’s your choice whether you want to use them separately or you want to make a natural mixture of both these quantities for unclogging the shower drain.
There is no danger in using natural ingredients because they do not damage plastic pipes or metal pipes.
Use the following steps for the best results.
- Take one cup of distilled vinegar and pour it into the shower drain hole, which is already opened.
- After five minutes, pour one cup of baking soda into the drain.
- Leave the shower drain for one hour to let the natural ingredients do their job.
- Both the baking soda and vinegar will break down the debris and other clog and soften them.
- Pour boiling water into the shower drain to clear the broken debris.
- Check the water starts clearing from the shower drain.
Use chemicals cleaners
Nowadays, different chemical cleaners are available in the market in hardware stores to unblock sewage lines.
- Wear safety gloves on your hands and goggles on your eyes to protect yourself from dangerous chemical cleaners.
- Before using any chemical cleaner, read all the instructions in the user manual.
- If you do not follow the instructions and use an extra chemical cleaner, it may damage your plastic pipes.
- Use only one chemical cleaner at once.
- Carefully pour down your chemicals down the shower drain.
Hire a plumber
If all the above troubleshooting tips fail, and water is still on the bathroom floor, don’t hesitate to contact professional plumbers.
Stop using that bathroom and explain the situation to your plumbers because they know what is required to get rid of the clog.
The professional plumber will examine all plumbing systems to fix the problem.
Conclusion
The bottom line of the article is using plunging techniques to unclog the shower drain is unsuitable because it creates worse conditions.
If plunging the shower drain has made the conditions bad, don’t worry because you can use a plastic drain snake, hot boiling water, vinegar, baking soda, etc., to clear the dust and debris in the shower drain.
Maintaining your plumbing system is necessary to get things going well, and always a proper cleaning session after two months to avoid the blockage in the drain pipe.
Otherwise, you have no option but to hire a plumber to unclog the shower drain.
Related Guides