Shower drain unblocking

Why a shower drain gets blocked

Not much solid dirt goes down a shower, but hair, soap and skin oils do, every single day. That sounds harmless. Yet that very combination can almost completely block a drain within a few months.

Hair in the drain and the trap

Hairs slip past the grate and catch on the insert inside the drain. They form a kind of net that holds on to residue from shampoo, conditioner and soap. Over time this becomes a dense grey clump that lets less and less water through. It happens faster in a household with long hair, but everyone loses hair down the drain every day.

Soap scum, sand and small objects

Where the tap water is hard, limescale builds up in the drain and the first few metres of pipe. Soap reacts with that limescale to form soap scum: a greasy, stubborn layer that other dirt sticks to. On top of that, all sorts of things that don't belong there vanish down the drain, such as sand after a day at the beach, a bottle cap, a razor blade or a hair tie.

What can go wrong beyond the drain

Not every blockage sits just under the grate. A shower often has very little fall towards the soil stack, especially where an old shower tray has been swapped for a walk-in shower without raising the floor. The water then flows slowly and dirt settles more easily.

What's more, the shower, washbasin and sometimes the washing machine often share a single pipe. If that shared pipe gets dirty, you usually notice it first at the lowest drain in the bathroom: the one in the shower.

Spotting when it's more than a slow drain

A drain that's a little slow isn't an emergency yet. But blockages build up gradually, so it pays to take the warning signs seriously.

• After a shower, a layer of water stays behind and only drains away after a few minutes.
• The drain gurgles or bubbles as the water runs away.
• There's a sewage smell in the bathroom, even after the window has been open.
• When the washbasin or washing machine drains, water comes up in the shower.
• Dark patches or loose sealant appear around the shower tray or in the grout.

Pay particular attention to that last sign. If water often stands high in the shower, it looks for a way out along the edges, and a blockage soon turns into a leak.

Unblocking your shower drain yourself: how to do it safely

In many cases you can unblock a shower drain without a plumber, as long as the blockage is still in the drain itself. Take your time and work in this order:

1. Remove the grate. It either lifts out or is held in place by a single screw.
2. Take out the insert or trap. Usually it pulls straight out; sometimes you need to give it a quarter turn first.
3. Remove hair and sludge with a gloved hand, an old toothbrush or a plastic hair removal tool with little barbs.
4. Flush with a bucket of hot tap water. Don't use boiling water from the kettle, as plastic waste pipes don't cope well with it.
5. Put the insert back properly, otherwise sewer smells will keep escaping.

If the water still drains slowly after that, you can try a plunger. Leave a few centimetres of water in the shower so the plunger seals properly, then pump it gently up and down a few times.

Why we don't recommend harsh drain cleaners

A bottle of drain cleaner containing caustic soda or acid looks like the quick fix, but we advise against it. These products get hot when they react, attack rubber seals, sealant joints and older pipes, and are dangerous if any of it splashes into your eyes or onto your skin. If it doesn't dissolve the blockage, you're left with a caustic mixture standing in the shower. A clump of hair just under the grate is quicker and safer to remove by hand.

Stop and call if the water won't go down

Call a plumber if the water still won't drain after your own attempts, if several drains are slow at the same time, or if water comes up in another drain. In that case the blockage is further down the pipe, out of reach of household remedies. Also stop straight away if you see water disappearing along the edge of the shower tray.

How we tackle a blocked shower drain

When unblocking a shower, the plumber starts at the drain itself. The grate and trap come out and are cleaned, as that's often where most of the dirt sits. The plumber then checks whether water flows freely through the pipe.

If the blockage is further down, the plumber feeds a drain snake into the pipe. The rotating spiral grabs hair and soap scum and pulls them loose. For a long or stubborn blockage, the electric drain machine comes out.

If the problem keeps coming back, a drain camera inspection shows whether the pipe has sagged or doesn't have enough fall. Finally, everything is flushed through thoroughly and the plumber explains what caused the problem.

Shower channel, bath and washbasin

A shower channel works differently from a round drain: under the long grate there's a tray with a small trap at one end. Dirt mainly builds up in that corner.

With a bath, the trap sits underneath the bath, sometimes only reachable through an access panel, and the overflow can silt up as well. The plumber is familiar with all of these set-ups. If the shower, the bath and the washbasin trap all need clearing, it's all done in the same visit.

Water on the bathroom floor: think about the neighbours and your insurance

An overflowing shower means more than a wet floor. Water seeps into the floor through an open grout joint, a cracked strip of sealant or the gap where the pipe goes through. In a flat, the neighbours downstairs sometimes spot it before you do, as a damp patch on their bathroom ceiling.

Take photos before you start mopping, and warn the neighbours below if water has been standing on the floor. When you make a claim, your insurer will usually want to know the cause; the plumber's explanation helps with that. Whether the damage is covered depends on your policy. If you're not sure whether water has already got into the floor or behind the tiles, we can use a moisture meter to track down the leak before mould or loose tiles appear.

Costs and help outside office hours

What unblocking costs

A standard shower drain unblocking costs from €89. The call-out charge isn't included and comes on top. When you call, we'll give you a price estimate for your situation up front. If more work is needed, for example replacing a sagging section of waste pipe under the floor, you can ask for a quote first and then decide in your own time.

Evenings, nights and weekends

A shower full of water rarely comes at a convenient time: in the morning just before you leave for work, or in the evening when the whole family still needs a shower. That's why we answer the phone 24/7, including Sundays and public holidays. If you need your shower drain unblocked outside office hours, an out-of-hours rate applies, and we'll tell you what it is before the plumber sets off. If the problem can safely wait until the next working day, we'll be honest and say so.

Keeping your shower draining freely

Nobody wants to be unblocking the shower drain every few months. A few simple habits keep it clean for much longer.

• Put a hair catcher over the drain that fits your grate, and empty it regularly.
• Clean the insert of the drain once a month, even if everything is still draining well.
• Run hot water for a moment after showering so soap residue doesn't linger in the pipe.
• Don't rinse muddy boots, paintbrushes or a sandy dog in the shower.

If the washbasin and toilet are getting slower too, something may be stuck deeper in the system; you can read more about that on our drain unblocking page. And if the shower tap keeps dripping after you've turned it off, a repaired or new tap will save you a lot of water.

Where we work

A bathroom used by lots of people gets blocked more quickly. Think of student houses in Groningen and Utrecht, or busy family homes in Zwolle and Nijmegen. Spoed Loodgieter Breeman covers all of those cities, and the rest of the country too. Several cities have their own page with local information; you'll find them all in our service area overview.

Is water standing in your shower right now? Call 085 115 0249 and get your shower drain unblocked before it spills over the edge.