You can check by inserting a snake into the shower's drain. If you hit water soon after entering the drain, you most likely have a P-trap. It may also be visible with a flashlight, depending on the shower's design. If you do not have one, you'll want to leave the installation to a qualified plumber.
Is your P-trap working properly? If you detect any foul odors near the P-trap that remind you of a smell similar to rotten eggs, then it means that there is hydrogen sulfide present.
A blocked p-trap will cause water backflow to occur. The first sign that your p-trap is clogged is when the water in your sink takes longer than average to flow down the sink.
If you don't have a plumbing wrench, adjustable pliers can also help. Once the nuts are loose, slide them away from the p-trap and pull the trap out. You'll most likely find a lot of gunk inside the trap. Remove this with your fingers or run water through the trap into the bucket to flush out the gunk and any clogs.
This happens most often in winter. To prevent your P-trap from drying out, run the sink or shower for a minute or two once a week to keep water flowing and your P-traps from drying out. Are you having an issue with your P-trap running dry? Do you think a clogged drain or one of the issues above could be to blame?
Simply pour a few cups of water down the drain and wait a few minutes. Check the drain with a flashlight again to see if the water is there. If water did not accumulate after you pour water into the drain, the p-trap is problematic. Call a plumber to check for a crack in the p-trap.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
It is also a relatively simple one – all you need to do is fill a cup with baking soda and pour it down your drain. Once you have done this, wait a few minutes and follow it with a cup of white vinegar. All you have to do now is let it work its bubbling magic.
Pour some baking soda down your drain and then pour boiling water down after. Sometimes this will clear the clog. Use a plunger on your sink drain to try to force the clog out of the trap.
If the P-trap is made of metal, inspect it for any signs of rust or deterioration—common issues that afflict older plumbing fittings. Should you encounter water leaks under the sink regularly, it likely means that the integrity of the P-trap has been compromised, necessitating immediate attention.
For standard P-trap repairs or replacements, where the P-trap is easily accessible and no significant complications are encountered, the cost can range from about $150 to $250. This includes the cost of a new P-trap and labor.
Why is my shower not draining? As unpleasant as it sounds, the most common cause of a blocked shower drain is a build-up of hair, dead skin, soap scum and other debris. Removing hair from the plughole after every shower and regularly cleaning the drain are the best ways to prevent blockages.
Make sure the top of the P-trap and the bottom of the sink's tailpipe are properly aligned, then tighten the slip-joint nut by hand and then with slip-joint pliers until you feel moderate resistance. Repeat the process where the end of the P-trap meets the drainpipe that disappears into the wall or floor.
P-traps, named after their shape, contain a u-shaped bend that filters wastewater as it enters a plumbing system. The trap is connected to a sink, bathtub, and shower with a J-bend on one end and exits into your drainage system. The J-bend is the section of the p-trap that resembles the letter J.
The Importance of Regular P-Trap Inspection and Maintenance
Signs can include drains that are not draining properly, sewer odor from the drains, and pests coming from drains in the home. If you spot any of these signs, it is important to contact a professional plumber quickly to prevent further damage.
Unlike other plumbing fixes, there is no need to turn off the home's main water supply. You only need to make sure water going into the specific area you're working on is off. It's important to remember that this is still a wet process.
You should clean your P-Trap every one to three months. This will help to ensure that you do not smell any sewer smells in your home. It will also help to ensure that your drainage system runs as it should.
Slow shower drains are often caused by a slimy buildup of everything that runs down the shower drain: soap and shampoo, dirt and debris, dead skin cells, and hair.
In conclusion, sewage gasses, biofilm accumulation, bacterial development, and P-trap drying up can all be responsible for the foul odour emanating from a shower drain that appears to be unclogged.
The rubber gloves allow you to get a tighter grip when attempting to loosen the P-trap nuts by hand. If the rubber gloves don't work, go ahead and use the plumbers wrench. Hold the P-trap with one hand while you twist the P-trap nut with the wrench. Once you have loosened it, finish unscrewing by hand.
Other than draining slowly or not at all, the smell in your shower will let you know if the P-trap needs cleaning. If your shower smells like sewage or has a foul odor, your P-trap is most likely not functioning properly.
A drain stick is effective at clearing clogs in a P-trap or S-trap caused by hair. A plunger can clear a clog if the blockage isn't too far into the pipes.
Slowly pour about a gallon of water into the drain. This will refill the trap and recreate the seal to block sewer gases. For long-term prevention, consider adding a small amount of mineral oil on top of the water in the P-trap.