How To Open Shower Tub Drain and Clogs?

Are you struggling with a clogged drain in the shower or bathtub? Stop ignoring drain clogs because they can lead to bigger plumbing problems in the future. A few homeowners are fortunate, they know magical DIY techniques to unclog shower drains that help minimize drainage issues. 

Stop neglecting minor clogs because they can result in larger issues. To fix drain problems, ask professional plumbers like Parzival Plumbing to clean and repair the drain system for homes and businesses throughout Irvine, Newport, and all of Orange County.

Many sluggish drains, clogs, leaks, and other annoying plumbing issues can’t be resolved by DIY techniques.  Call the professional plumbers for better assistance if you want to clean the drain blockage properly. Let’s delve into it!

Common Causes of Shower Tub Drain Clogs

Clogged bath and shower drains become a major inconvenience for homeowners. It not not only upset daily routine but also caused the unpleasant smell and black water blockage in the sewer system. There are a few reasons why shower or bathtub drain systems clog frequently.

Hair Buildup
The most common cause of clogged shower drains is wet hair.  Whenever you take a bath or shower, wet hair goes down the drain. When it crawls down the drain, it gets stuck in the drain or pipe, building up over time and attaching to other materials—like dead skin or soap scum that prevents proper drainage.

Soap Scum 
Soap bars are mostly built with fats or oils which mix with water, that form called soap scum. This scum sticks inside the pipes and drains which gradually clogs the drain hole and leads to drain blockage.

Mineral Deposits from Hard Water
If your water supply is hard, minerals like calcium and magnesium can build up inside the pipes. These mineral deposits not only reduce water flow but also create an ideal environment for other debris to get trapped, causing clogs.

Undisposed Objects
Small objects such as shampoo bottle caps, razor blades, or jewelry can accidentally fall into the drain, obstructing the water flow and leading to blockages. Residue from Oils, Lotions, and Creams, Shower oils, lotions, and hair care products like conditioners are often made of ingredients that don’t dissolve in water. These substances can coat the inside of your pipes and attract other debris, resulting in a clog.

Dirt and Debris
Washing off dirt, mud, and other debris in the shower can contribute to clogging. The buildup of this material over time can create a blockage in your drain. The combination of shaving cream and hair, particularly after shaving in the shower, can form a sticky residue that contributes to clogging the drain.

Signs When to Need a Professional Plumber

As we mentioned earlier, a drain blockage can be caused due to several reasons like a bunch of wet hair, sand or dirt, tree root blockages, and soap scum. If you notice these signs, drop a call near the plumbing center to prevent it from escalating.

Few symptoms that indicate you have a clogged drain. 

• Slow drainage: If you find water is draining more slowly than usual, you may need to call a Professional Plumber to fix it before collapsing. 
• Air bubbles: When water flows down through the drain slowly and you hear a gurgling sound, called air displacement. Better to fix it before it becomes messy. 
• Foul Smell: Does your drain system smell bad while showering? If it does.  Something stuck in drains can cause blockage and generate foul odors.
• Soap scum: Have you noticed a persistent soap scum around the drain system? It’s a sign that your drain system is going to clog soon. Before creating a mess, hire a professional plumber like Parzival Plumbers to unclog the blocked shower drain rapidly.

Steps to Unclog Shower Tub Drain

Clean Clog Manually
Use your hands with cleaning gloves on to pull out the hair from the mouth of the drain.

Homeowners can also use small plastic hooks and needle nose pliers to pull the hair clogs. If you are fortunate enough, you will be unclogged in minutes. Otherwise, you need to call Professional plumbers to deal with clogged drain systems. 

Use the Plunger to Unclog the Drain
Use a plunger if water is standing around the tub drain. Put the head of the plunger over the drain unless the water starts flowing smoothly. While doing this you may get splashed with some dirty water while plunging, so it’s essential to cover yourself with old clothes. Redo this process 1-2 more times if the water is still standing around the tub drain.

Use Boiling Water
Sometimes you can clear a clog by putting the boiling water into the drain without removing the shower drain cover. Avoid pouring boiling water down PVC pipes, because heat can damage pipes or maybe it starts leaking. After pouring the boiling water into the drain, turn on the tap water to see if the clog has cleared.
Use a DIY (natural) Drain Cleaner.

These days many conventional drain cleaners are available in the market to clean the clogged shower drain but they are full of chemical ingredients. Instead of this, homeowners can use baking soda and vinegar to clean the unclogged drain. You just need to mix them at your convenience and pour this mixture into the drain system. 

Keep one thing in your mind first pour boiling water down the drain to loosen and then follow with the baking soda-vinegar mixture. Then, Rinse with clean water after 15 minutes.

Professional Help
If all of the above methods are useless, it’s time to call professional plumbers. Our expert plumbers are equipped with drain-busting tools, techniques, and experience that DIY techniques can’t match with their standard. It’ll probably cost you around a few dollars, but you will get satisfying results with the clogged shower drain.  Otherwise, it will end up being more complex and costly.

Conclusion

Don’t avoid a slow drain or clogged drain if you notice early. Probably you can’t clear them yourself, schedule the appointment with a professional plumber. A clogged drain can worsen over time if you don’t get a solution at the right time.

From plumbing inspections to cleaning the clogged shower drain, call the Parzival plumbing services, when it comes to plumbing in Costa Mesa, CA. We will be happy to assist you.

Want to clear drain blockages and improve water flow? Book an appointment with the Parzival Plumbing team today. Call us.