Shower drain blocked? How to clear it

A shower drain doesn't usually block all at once. It starts with water that stays a bit longer, until one day it no longer drains away. The sooner you tackle it, the easier it is.

What causes a shower drain to become blocked?

• Hair. By far the most important cause. Hair wraps around the parts of the trap and then catches all other debris.
• Soap and care products. Soap, shampoo, conditioner and oils together form a sticky layer in the drain.
• Limescale and dirt. Limescale from the water and sand or dirt from feet and clothing build up in the drain.
• Building residue. After renovation, remnants of tile adhesive, grout or sealant may have ended up in the drain.
• Insufficient gradient. If the shower tray or pipe runs too flat, dirt accumulates more quickly.

Which shower drain do you have?

How you clean the drain depends on the type:

• Shower drain with grate. Under the grate there is usually a removable trap (a cup or bottle trap).
• Shower channel. A long, narrow channel with a grate or tile insert. The inner part with the trap can usually be removed.
• Shower tray. Has a plug or drain plug with a trap underneath, sometimes accessible via a hatch or the front panel.

Unblock shower drain: step-by-step plan

1. Remove the grate. Sometimes it is secured with a small screw, usually you can carefully lift it with a screwdriver.
2. Remove the trap and remove the hair. Wear gloves. A hair removal tool (a plastic strip with barbs) is handy for pulling hair out of the pipe.
3. Clean everything with hot water, washing-up liquid and a brush.
4. Use a small plunger on the drain opening, with a layer of water in the shower tray or on the floor.
5. Work carefully with a hand snake if it still doesn't drain afterwards. Don't force anything, especially not in a narrow shower channel.
6. Replace the trap properly. This is often forgotten or done incorrectly, and then sewer odour enters the bathroom. Run water afterwards to check that everything drains freely.

What you'd better not do

• No chemical drain cleaner. It damages rubber and sealant joints. Especially with a shower, a damaged seal can later lead to leaks.
• No sharp objects that could damage the seal of the drain or channel.
• No boiling water in a PVC drain.

When is it more than a blocked trap?

Does water come up in the shower when someone flushes the toilet or the washing machine pumps? Then the blockage is not in the drain itself, but in the shared drain further along. Searching further yourself makes little sense. See also drain or toilet gurgling.

Do you see a damp patch on the ceiling below the bathroom, or do the tiles around the trap feel damp? Then there may also be a leak. Read how to recognise a leak from a shower drain. And if the bathroom smells of sewage after cleaning, the trap seal is probably faulty. More on this in sewer smell in the house.

How to prevent a blocked shower drain

• Place a hair strainer on the drain and empty it after showering.
• Remove hair from under the grate every week.
• Clean the trap approximately once a month.
• Flush occasionally with hot water.