slow shower drain

[Paul O.]

First of all, did a google and have been reading the info there. Was wondering just what is safe for the plastic pipes of my mobile home. Two soloutions I read that I liked is (1) baking soda and vinegar, and (2) pouring boiling water down the drain. Don't want to use the chemical if I don't have to. Also, I'm not to crazy about crawling around underneath, spiders ya know, if I don't have to. I did try a plunger last nite which helped. Tonite I tried the boiling water, which made a lot of noises, the cold plastic I suppose. Thanks for your input.

Paul O. [e-mail]

[Doug Kanter]

I like hot water with metal pipes, but not plastic. Try the plunger again. The main reason it may not work is that as you're trying to build up pressure under the plunger, some of it's going out the overflow drain. So, wet a washcloth and hold it tightly in the overflow drain. Put enough water in the tub to cover 2" of the plunger.

Baking soda and vinegar....I dunno. Sounds to me like it would not help, but would do no harm.

The final, and probably best solution is to peek under the home, estimate the length of pipe that could be clogged, and go buy a cheap snake of that length. Cheap because unless it's warm enough where you live to hose the snake off outdoors when you're done with it, how are you gonna clean it when you're done with it? If you can, fine. If not, just toss the thing. It doesn't have to be a motorized snake - a manual one is good enough.

Finally, when you're done, change the tub strainer to a dome-shaped one if you don't already have such a thing in place. I find they catch more hair than the flat screens.

[Joseph Meehan]

So I am guessing that the shower drain is slow. Have you cleaned out the gunk that is right at the drain? Remove the drain plug if there is one and take a look. Do you see hair and gunk stuck there. Try removing it using whatever tools seem to make it easy. I suggest tweezers.

If that does not do it, try a snake or try the plunger again, this time have someone hold a wet towel over the over flow (usually a metal covered hole above the drain) to block it making the plunger more effective.

[jackjohansson]

I have to clean my shower floor drain out once every 6 months or so, (gets a lot of use, with kids & all) It is gross, but necessary.

I screw off the top plate/screen. Then I reach down with my specially created tool (10 inch long chunk of coat hanger wire, end bent into a small hook-like formation) I reach it down, it comes up with gobbs of hair and other unmentionable spooge. I usually put it into a used orange juice can, or some other rigid disposable cup, (so it wont leak) and carry it right to the outside garbage. Sometimes it take a few plunges/retrievals, but it seems to really clean it up.

[JerryMouse]

(1) baking soda and vinegar,

Which generates unbelievable, astronomical, amounts of CO2 that will blow your "stuff" into the next county. But that's probably what you want.

Copious amounts of ammonia will sometimes help.

Actually, it depends on what's down there. Hair and chimpmunks, for example, are almost totally insoluable. In anythng.

[Goedjn]

Only an idiot tries to use chemicals to clear drain problems. Drains should be mechanically cleared using a plunger and/or a snake. If the problem is recurrent, then the afflicted area should be taken apart and rebuild properly.

[Matt]

Oh I dont know. Pop rocks and coke can clear almost anything.

[Doug Kanter]

Yeah. Tell that to the chimp who installed the horizontal part of the pipe that takes my bathtub drain across the basement ceiling to the big drain pipe. It angles upward in the direction of water travel. That'll be demolished & replaced soon.