How Can You Tell If You Have a Blocked Shower Drain?

Here at Coastal Drains, we understand the frustration and worry that comes with having a blocked drain anywhere in or around your home. It can be especially concerning if the problem is coming from a blocked shower drain, as you won’t be able to carry out your normal hygiene routine until the problem is fixed. Imagine not being able to wash as you usually would, feeling more uncomfortable the longer it continues, all because of a single blocked drain. There may have even been an issue for some time, as blockages often go unnoticed until the problem escalates.

This is where we are determined to step in and help. As a professional firm with many years of experience in our industry, we want to ensure that our customers have nothing but the best in terms of their household drainage and sewage disposal. This is why we have created this guide, in order to help you determine if there is a blocked shower drain somewhere in your property before the problem becomes unmanageable. Our advice may even help you to find the quick fix you need, or a full solution that prevents the problem from happening again.

If you discover a blocked drain in your bathroom, kitchen, or anywhere else in or around your property (or even if you only suspect it because of strange smells coming from sinks or showers), call or email our team today. We can send one of our highly trained and fully qualified engineers to your property as soon as you need them, and they will be fully equipped with everything they need to get your clogged drain clean and clear again in a short amount of time. 

Signs that You Have a Clogged Shower

There are a number of signs that you can watch out for, if you think you may have a blocked shower somewhere in your property. Some of these signs are more noticeable than others, and many can apply to other appliances in your home. For instance, they may be present in your kitchen or bathroom sink, as well as showers or baths.

Signs that you have a blocked shower drain include:

A Stink Coming From Your Drains

One of the most noticeable (and unpleasant) signs that you have a blocked drain anywhere in your property is a distinguishable sewage or “rotten egg” smell. It often indicates that something is clogging the drain to the point where the matter has begun to rot, creating the stink that you will want removed as soon as possible. 

Bad smells often come from blocked drains long before there are any visible signs of a problem, so if something is making a room in your home smelly and you cannot identify the cause, it is important that you don’t ignore it. There may be a drainage problem you haven’t yet found!

Unusual Sounds in Your Home’s Pipes

As well as having smelly drains when there is a blockage, you may also find that they start to make a series of odd sounds. This will normally sound like gurgling, and is caused by pockets of air that have been trapped in your pipes becoming displaced and being pushed up through the system.

Slow Drainage

One of the most obvious signs that you need to unclog your shower is that there is a puddle of water in the tray at the bottom that doesn’t drain away after you have used it. This indicates that the blockage is preventing the water from flowing away and joining your foul water pipe with the rest of your property’s sewage. 

If you spot any one or more of these signs happening in your bathroom, we highly recommend getting it investigated by a professional drainage company. They should be able to come up with the correct solution to unclog your drain in no time.

What Causes Showers to Become Blocked?

Most shower blockages will be caused by buildups of soap scum, dirt or other products which have been washed into the drains. These may have caked together and solidified in the pipe, causing it to become blocked up inside. A hair clog may also be responsible, as long strands of hair which are washed into the drains may group together and block the way. This then becomes worse if soap is involved, as this allows hair to stick to the inside of your pipes more easily.

If you find that you are having to unclog your shower on a regular basis, despite frequent unblocking and cleaning work, this may indicate a more serious problem with your entire household drainage system. In these cases, we would suggest using a drainage firm to carry out a CCTV drainage survey, offering a quick and accurate method of determining the cause of your drainage issues. This should also help the engineer to pick out the right solution to fix the problem.

Unclogging a Shower When it is Blocked

There are several home methods you can use to try and unclog your own shower. These include:

• Pouring hot water down the drain (doing this regularly will also help to keep the drain clean)
• Using drain cleaners to unclog the blockage (follow the instructions carefully if you intend to use this method, and open all of the room’s windows)
• Using a plunger to pull hair or other blockages out from near the top of the drain
• Fashioning a coat hanger into a hook to pull out blockages from near the top of the drain
• Pouring a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar, then following this after about fifteen minutes with boiling water

When to Call a Professional Service

These home methods to fix the problem of your blocked shower drain may be all you need to get the water flowing as it should. However, this may not always be the case; not every method will work on every blockage and some may even make the problem worse if performed incorrectly. 

Trying to unblock or clean out a problem drain in a shower, sink, bath or toilet by yourself may even end up costing you more in the long run. This is because you will spend more on resources to help tackle the issue, and you may even have to begin the whole process again with a professional drainage firm to ensure the work is done right. This will result in a fee, which would have been less to pay by itself.

Get in Touch for Fast and Efficient Unblocking Services

When you contact Coastal Drains to unblock any suspiciously smelly or backed-up drain in your home, you will not have to worry about paying a large amount of money to get what you need for your property. We are more than happy to unblock or repair any drain that requires work, all at a price which will suit your budget.

We are passionate about what we do, and we want nothing more than to see you comfortable and happy with the drains that you have. Get in touch with us for our swift and efficient assistance today, and let us show you what we can do to get rid of that stink in your drains, as well as the blockages that are causing it.