Recommendation for good shower drain cleaner ??

[James Nipper]

I have used general purpose shower drain cleaners from Ace Hardware, and several types from Home Depot, and Lowe's.

The last one I use was the Enforcer 10 Minutes Hair Clog Remover.

These mild liquids help a LOT for a week or so (or sometimes just a day or so) then the drain begins to drain very slowly again. I assume I am not getting much "cleaning" in the first place.

Is there a more powerful, specific brand that I might try next ? My drain is not stopped up, but is just slow.

Thanks !!

--James--

[Speedy Jim]

Hair clogs don't respond to drain cleaners because hair is virtually indestructible, unless you use very powerful acids and risk dissolving the waste piping too.,

Might try a plunger; that works once in a while. You may have to snake it out.

Jim

[Vox Humana]

Next time you are at Home Depot, take a look in the plumbing department for a newer product to clean the drain. It is a thin, 1/2 inch flexible tape with barbs on the edges. You push it down the drain and when you pull it back, the barbs catch the hair. It only costs a couple of dollars and I have seen it on end caps. Here is a link:

[James Nipper]

Thanks, I will look for that at Home Depot !!

--James--

[Edwin Pawlowski]

If the drain is cleaned does it flow properly? If not, there is a problem in the piping.

Rather than waste a lot of money on chemicals, use a mechanical cleaner and/or plunger. If there is a clog in the horizontal section of the drain, the chemical will seep along the bottom and make a small opening but not touch the rest of it. A few minutes with an auger will clear it.

[Clark Griswold]

I was in a box store the other day and saw a plunger device with a pressurized cartridge attached to it. Similar to the ones used in paint ball. It was reasonably priced. Has anyone had experience with this?

[John B]

For as long as I can remember, I never had anything good to say about liquid drain cleaners...until I discovered Drano Gel. It cleared my slow shower drain! I didn't have to use my snake!

I applied a dose, not too too much, but I let it sit overnight. Then I chased it with a pan full of very hot water, heated on the stove. Who knows, maybe my soapy hair clogs are just being moved further down the line.

If you shed hair, then a big strainer at the drain is a good idea.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I eliminated the problem over the past few years. :)

[Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.]

Hi James

Cleaning your shower drain really depends upon what type of trap was used when it was installed, and if the plumbing was installed correctly in the first place.

There are two places clogs normally occur. The most obvious being in the trap and/or waste line, not so obvious is an obstruction in the vent, often at the fitting between waste and vent lines.

A plunger is most effective on P-Trap type traps, but offer very little relief if a drum trap was used, and often what little relief you do get is only temporary.

Assuming the drain used to flow freely and is now running slowly with frequent clogging, if no foreign object is lodged in the trap, the most likely culprit is simply a buildup of soap and hair in the trap and/or waste lines.

Since your drain is only slow running, I would suggest pouring 3 gallons or more of near boiling water down the drain, pouring 1 gallon then waiting about 2 minutes, pour the 2nd gallon and wait about 5 minutes, then pour the 3rd gallon of near boiling water. Then run only the hot water tap for about 5 minutes to carry the waste all the way to the street. A follow up of flushing the toilets will keep it all moving and out of your waste system.

TTUL Gary

[James Nipper]

Thank you all for all of the good replies here !!

What a group !!

--James--

[Melba's Jammin']

I've had the best luck with a long plastic gizmo from Home Depot - about $2-3. It's flexible and has jaggysnaggy teeth (more like barbs) on it. It's about two feet long and you push it down the drain as far as you can and pull it back up. Wouldn't believe the cruddy hair clogs it hauls out. Especially afte my long-haired son has visited.

[TOM KAN PA]

____Reply Separator_____ If you're squeamish, I wouldn't reccomend this. It really pulls out some nasty $h!t.

[peggo]

cool.

peggo

[Mike Grooms]

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr."

Ummm, and this comes from the plumbing newsgroup, you're nuts.

[Beachcomber]

If you have to use a chemical liquid, I've had good luck with chlorine bleach. Just poor it straight in and let stand for a few hours before flushing with water. It does seem to work on hair clogs.

In my old apartment, the janitor would use sulfuric acid in the bathtub drain for those situations in which Draino did not work. The stuff was so strong it clear the drained ( and who knows what else). The white porcelin of the bathtub was temporarily turned black because of the fumes.

Beachcomber

[scott_z500]

A snake is my #1 pick. My second pick is "Zep 10 minute hair clog remover", which I use in generous quantities and leave in overnight. I have so many bends is a realtively short span in the drain that it makes it difficult for a snake to work, so I switched to chemicals. The Zep stuff really works because it's made for hair clogs. Since I knew for a fact that hair was my problem it helps to know exactly what's causing the clogs so you buy the right product to unclog it with. And I bought this on a recommendation of another customer at Home Depot who said that he had three teenage daughters whose hair is always clogging up the shower drain.

[John B]

It's my hairy legs and balding head that's probably doing it. How would teenagers' long hair ever get into a drain, if a strainer is used? So what's the active ingredient(s) in that Zep hair remover? Is it acidic? I thought hair was inert to lye. I wouldn't put acid in my pipes, and I have seen acidic products on the market in the past; notwithstanding the probable objections of municipalities and their sewage treatment operators. I'm always looking for a good chemical.

[ilaboo]

yes can be super dangerous if you have used any drain cleaners before

many good for a stuffed kitchen drain

hth peter

[ilaboo]

i agree with using a snake--except what would happen if the snake gets stuck?

i tend to use chemicals

what i have found that sort of works is to run very hot water or even boiling water tehn i pour celar ammonia down the drain stopper the drain and leave overnight seem sto sort of work

sulfuric acid is hell on pipes lye stuf is not worth the danger

i have tried 2 part cleaners that foamed up a lot but did not really help

hth peter

[The Ranger]

I have this tool, too. I won't go back to using liquids.

One caveat, as Melba mentions... "Cruddy hair clogs." You won't believe the amount of detritus washed down that those strands were able to hang onto. You also will be shocked at the ease it whips about as you're trying to clean the tool. Be sure to wear gloves, clothing that you don't mind getting spattered, and eye protection.

The Ranger

-- "Why don't you talk to yourself?" "Because I get too many stupid answers." -- Abbot and Costello, "Hold that Ghost"