Is It Time to Clean Out Your Shower Drain? - Weather Master Heating & Air Conditioning

Is It Time to Clean Out Your Shower Drain?

shower-drain-not-draining

March is usually a month of good luck … but not if you’ve got an issue with a clogged shower drain! Here at Weather Master, we’re happy to give you a few tips:

How often to clean the drain

The question of how often to clean out the shower/tub drain, or at least how often to remove the stopper and take a look at what’s underneath, is one we get a lot from customers. And as you’d probably already expect, the answer depends a lot on how many people live in your home, as well as how much hair and dirt you expect them to produce! Our general rule of when to clean the drain would be once every few months, or when you first start to notice water draining more slowly. You certainly don’t want to wait until you start noticing more worrying symptoms, such as a moldy smell. That smell is no doubt from water and dirt stuck in the shower pan, creating mold or mildew.

Whose fault is the clogged drain?

If you’re thinking of blaming your clogged shower drain solely on whoever has long hair, though, that isn’t quite fair. Yes, the longer someone’s hair is, the more quickly it’ll form a stubborn ball in the drain system, that’s true. However, short hair, even the little tiny hairs generated by shaving in the shower, will stick to oil and stick to soap scum too. It will just take longer for a clog to build up. Also, don’t forget about pet hair; if you have pets and give them baths, that contributes to the build-up of shower drain clogs too.

How to remove clogs yourself

You probably have the tools to remove clogs from your shower drain yourself. If you have a pipe snake, or even just a wire hanger, use it to hook the clog so that it dislodges itself. However, you need to be careful. Oftentimes a shower clog is deeper down the line of a pipe where you won’t be able to reach with layman tools. Also, avoid pouring chemical drain cleaner down the drain, because drain cleaner doesn’t usually dissolve hair, and if the drain cleaner gets stuck on top of the clog it could damage your pipes!

What to do if DIY fails

If you’ve tried fixing your clogged shower drain yourself but it didn’t work, or if you don’t feel comfortable with these kinds of projects, call Weather Master. We have more powerful plumbing snakes and ways of removing clogs through suction. If your shower drain in your Raleigh home isn’t draining properly … chances are there’s a clog. That’s something you definitely want to get handled before it becomes a worse problem! Schedule an appointment online or call now: (919) 853-7910

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