Unclogging my shower

MagicToaster

For a while now, my shower has been draining very slowly. I've tried to unclog it using a plunger, but there is very little improvement in the drain... I think it's a hair clog. I'm gonna head to HomeDepot on my way home and I'm thinking of either buying a chemichal clog remover or plumber's snake.

Any suggestions as to which one I should get?

Djeet

Go for the snake. Chemical removers don't work well for most clogs.

John Matrix

I have a similar situation with one of those pop-up drain plugs. I can set it in the up and down positions, but I can't get the plug out - it just turns in circles. How do I remove it?

iglidante

Can you unscrew the fitting around the plug?

Rook

MagicToaster wrote: »

For a while now, my shower has been draining very slowly. I've tried to unclog it using a plunger, but there is very little improvement in the drain... I think it's a hair clog. I'm gonna head to HomeDepot on my way home and I'm thinking of either buying a chemichal clog remover or plumber's snake.

Any suggestions as to which one I should get?

I usually just stick a knife or comb down ours to hook out a bit of hair, and then pull it all out as it's usually formed a matted congealed mess. Although this technique probably isn't for the faint of heart.

Count Funkula

See if you can unscrew the little cap on the top of the plug. There is usually a screw hidden under that cap that will let you remove the plug.

Or, try these:

http://www.trytheturbosnake.com/default.asp?tcode=asp3&bhcp=1

MagicToaster

Man, I am afraid of seeing what ever nasty stuff comes out of that drain.

Sir Carcass

Yeah, this used to happen in our old place when I had really long hair. I'd just occasionally pop the grill off the drain and pull out what looked like a dead cat.

Szechuanosaurus

We have successful results with mr muscle. They do some stuff that is in two seperate sections inside the bottle, foams up when they mix in the drain. Seems to eat through anything. Then we try and keep the drain clear with regular doses of the vanilla mr muscle drain cleaner.

Elin

I wouldn't go with a chemical clearer in the tub, if it doesn't eat through you're left with a mess of chemicals in your tub. We would get those compressed air things for the tub, they worked pretty well.

iglidante

Sir Carcass wrote: »

Yeah, this used to happen in our old place when I had really long hair. I'd just occasionally pop the grill off the drain and pull out what looked like a dead cat.

That happened at my apartment last year. I ran an entire bottle of Draino Max through the tub, plus two kettles of boiling water. No dice. Took the grate off the drain, and pulled out an enormous hair and chemical snarl. Then, I put some water in the tub, plunged it, and produced what looked like shit and vomit. Literal black and yellow balls of nastiness. I bet that thing hadn't been cleaned for years.

Arminas

iglidante wrote: »

Sir Carcass wrote: »

Yeah, this used to happen in our old place when I had really long hair. I'd just occasionally pop the grill off the drain and pull out what looked like a dead cat.

That happened at my apartment last year. I ran an entire bottle of Draino Max through the tub, plus two kettles of boiling water. No dice. Took the grate off the drain, and pulled out an enormous hair and chemical snarl. Then, I put some water in the tub, plunged it, and produced what looked like shit and vomit. Literal black and yellow balls of nastiness. I bet that thing hadn't been cleaned for years.

I like that I read this right after lunch. Yum! :winky:

Alternate_Theory

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

We have successful results with mr muscle. They do some stuff that is in two seperate sections inside the bottle, foams up when they mix in the drain. Seems to eat through anything. Then we try and keep the drain clear with regular doses of the vanilla mr muscle drain cleaner.

I've had luck with this style of drain cleaner as well. If you have a slow drain (as opposed to a clogged drain) then they work wonders.

Just make sure you're on the sewer line and not a septic tank.

iglidante

Arminas wrote: »

iglidante wrote: »

Sir Carcass wrote: »

Yeah, this used to happen in our old place when I had really long hair. I'd just occasionally pop the grill off the drain and pull out what looked like a dead cat.

That happened at my apartment last year. I ran an entire bottle of Draino Max through the tub, plus two kettles of boiling water. No dice. Took the grate off the drain, and pulled out an enormous hair and chemical snarl. Then, I put some water in the tub, plunged it, and produced what looked like shit and vomit. Literal black and yellow balls of nastiness. I bet that thing hadn't been cleaned for years.

I like that I read this right after lunch. Yum! :winky:

Heh, isn't that always the way it goes? But seriously, it was nasty. My wife is squeamish. She didn't even want to HEAR about it, let alone see it. Which was a letdown, because I wanted to share.

The LandoStander

I haven't had any problems just pouring some of that foaming drain cleaner stuff (I usually spring for the Liquid Plumber brand) down the drain and giving it an hour or so to do it's thing then thoroughly rinsing out the tub.

With the little pop up things in the sink (I'm assuming it's a sink) but even in a tub the ones I've encountered you can just give a nice yank on and pop them out. I may just have been luck and not had ones that were screwed in or something fancy like that.

iglidante

The LandoStander wrote: »

With the little pop up things in the sink (I'm assuming it's a sink) but even in a tub the ones I've encountered you can just give a nice yank on and pop them out. I may just have been luck and not had ones that were screwed in or something fancy like that.

Were you able to get the pop-up stopper back into place afterward? I've gotten them out before, but they have this hook on the end, and I can never get that back around the pin that holds them in place, so they just sort of rest on it.

Siska

I have successfully used dishwashed detergent as a replacement declogger when I don't have the real stuff available.

Richard_Dastardly

Is this just a standup shower, or is it a bathtub with the overfill drain thing?

EggyToast

Note that the OP does not technically have a clogged drain, but rather a slow-draining drain due to buildup (likely the same things mentioned, though -- hair, gunk,etc.).

My wife and I have the same thing -- a drain that works wonderfully for a while, and then starts to drain slowly. We used to just put drano down it and rinse it out after 15 minutes, but the drano stuff is really best for full clogs (well, a plunger is good too). For slow-draining drains, though, the foaming stuff mentioned above is great, precisely because it eats through hair and gunk without just whisking on by (because there's technically no clog).

There's a few brands you can try out, and I'm not sure there's really much difference between then. You should be able to find them at most any store -- Home Depot, Lowes, even Target.

Psychotic One

Drain-o Max has always worked for me. I learned when I let my beard grow out and shaved in the shower. Clogged it up right good. Drain-O will literally melt any hair thats Clogged in the drain. Course open a window and turn on the fart fan cause the room will smell of burnt hair. Has always worked for me. If the chemicals don't fix it then a snake would be the next bet to get in there and destroy the clog.