A plunger can also clear shower drain clogs. Remove the drain cover and put the rubber cup of the plunger over the drain opening. Apply some petroleum jelly to the edge of the cup if you have trouble getting a good seal. Then run enough water in the shower stall to cover the lip of the cup.
The good news is that a plunger won't damage your shower as long as you are careful. To begin, simply turn on your shower and fill it with a small level of water, no more than an inch. With the shower drain removed, place the plunger fully over the drain and start plunging.
How do you unblock a shower drain with standing water? The plunger method is ideal for standing water. You can also buy a dedicated drain plunger as not to contaminate the shower from anything that was in the toilet. Place the plunger over the drain, making sure that it is flush against the floor.
Mix together 1 cup of vinegar (distilled white vinegar works best) and 1 cup of baking soda. First, pour boiling water down the drain to loosen; then follow with the baking soda-vinegar mixture and wait 15 minutes. Rinse with more boiling water.
You can easily unclog your bathtub drain with a standard cup-style plunger, but you have to seal the overflow drain first. Tubs essentially have two drains: There's the familiar one at the bottom of the tub that you close to fill up the tub with water.
But a larger clog or one that's deep into your home's plumbing system may not respond to the pressure of a plunger. Never use excessive force to plunge a clog. If the drain won't open with normal plunging pressure, you need a professional's help. Forceful plunging can damage the drain line and cause leaks.
For this home remedy, all you need to do is pour a pot of boiling water down the bathtub drain. Then pour a mixture of one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar into the drain. Insert the drain plug, or close the filter, and wait 5–10 minutes. Finally, flush the drain with another pot of boiling water.
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup salt and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar in a jar that seals. Close jar and shake to combine ingredients. Pour half the jar's contents down drain, and save the other half for later. Follow the solution with a pot of boiling water.
Pipe Clogs
The issue may not be with your actual drain, but rather a case of a blockage deep within the pipes. This happens over time from regular use, since hair, dirt, grease, and soap tend to bind together.
Use Boiling Water
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Boiling water helps break down grease and soap holding the clog together to clear the blockage. This method is easy and only requires one or two steps. Most important is to boil water on a stove using a kettle or saucepan.
Pour about a cup of baking soda down the shower drain, followed by an equal amount of vinegar. Let the solution bubble and foam for a few minutes, and then follow with the kettle full of hot (but not boiling) water. Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours. If the drain still isn't flowing freely, repeat the process.
For maintenance purposes, we recommend cleaning out your bath and shower drains once a month of hair and sludge using the above methods. To have a stubborn clog cleared by a pro, contact us to schedule a service call with a Cedar Park plumber.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Most of the time, you'll find that the water clears through the drain eventually. However, some blockages are serious enough that the water simply can't pass through.
If water is not draining fast enough in the shower, you likely have a clogged drain. If you are standing in a puddle of water at the end of your shower, your drain is likely clogged. A clogged shower drain often smells terrible as well.
If your drain is clogged with hair, baking soda can dissolve hair in a drain. To try this safe and easy method at home - first, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar (white vinegar) down. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes.
Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain.
You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
Coke and Pepsi are loaded with phosphoric acid, which breaks down the buildup that can clog your drains! Phosphoric acid can even remove lime scale and another tough buildup that regular cleaners struggle with. This is an effective and refreshing home remedy if we ever saw one!
Is it bad to plunge a shower drain? While it won't necessarily cause damage, you should not plunge a shower drain. It will only cause the clog to travel further down your plumbing.