Published October 3, 2024 - 7 Minute read
Summary
Blockages in poorly designed shower trays are common, making it essential to install a well-designed and manufactured tray to prevent clogs. This guide offers methods to unblock various flat shower tray styles, such as quadrant, rectangular, and walk-in trays.
In this easy-to-understand guide, we'll break down various ways to unblock your shower drain. These methods will work on a variety of flat tray styles such as quadrant shower trays, rectangular shower trays and walk-in shower trays.
Shower trays are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to the traditional showers. The benefits of shower trays include comfort, style and extra space for your suite. Their sleek and convenient design can make them a great option for many bathroom styles.
Image alt: An image of true stone offset quadrant shower tray.
If you do not select a shower tray that has a well-made/solid design, then you may have to deal with damaging and irritating clogging issues.
When selecting a shower tray, it is essential to choose one that has been designed with the geometry of the surface in mind during production and installation. All Merlyn shower trays are designed to a premium industry standard to help reduce the frequency of clogs.
Discover Merlyn's Shower tray collection here
Quicklinks:
- Tools and products you'll need to unblock your shower drain?
- Methods for unblocking a shower tray?
- How to prevent your shower tray from blocking
- You may need a new shower tray!
Tools and products you'll need to unblock your shower drain
These are the main tools and products you may want to consider:
- Gloves - These are essential to keep your hands protected from chemicals, cuts, etc.
- Hose pipe - A hose is one of the most important pieces of equipment for unclogging drains. Simply plug the hose into the tap and the drain will be flushed with a high-pressure stream of water. The water will dislodge waste clogs that prevent the drain from flowing freely.
- Natural unblockers - Vinegar and baking soda are great natural unblockers as they are much less harsh when compared to chemical products.
- Drain unblockers - These are cleaning products which you can easily buy in shops that effectively clear out drains using chemicals.
While they may appear to be less effective, there are other methods that can be used to unclog shower tray piping, such as
- Drain snake - A drain snake is a device used by plumbers to clean and unclog pipes by reaching further down the plug hole than other tools
- Plunger - Useful for bringing the blockage closer to the surface of the pipe. The plunger must be quickly pushed upwards and downwards for a few minutes over the drain
- Flathead screwdriver - You may need this screwdriver to unscrew the drain cover.
- Wire coat hanger - This can be useful for reaching further down the drainpipe.
Tools and products you'll need to unblock your shower drain
- Clean your bathroom siphon: If you have a bad smell in your bathroom, it's probably because of stagnant water in your shower tray. Most of the time, the source of the smell is in your bathroom's siphon. Wearing gloves, take the cover off your bathroom siphon and get rid of all the dirt and grime that's built up by simply using your hands.
- Use the shower hose to wash with hot water: Utilize the shower handle to insert the hose in the drain. Heat the water and allow it to run for several minutes. If there is a dirt plug in the drain, it will need to be loosened in order completely drain the water.
- Vinegar and baking soda: Natural unblockers: One of the most effective and ecologically friendly home remedies for clogged pipes is vinegar and baking soda. Begin by pouring one cup of baking soda down the drain and follow with one cup of white vinegar. You'll likely see or hear a fizzing reaction but don't be alarmed as this reaction will help to clear the blockage. Wait at least five minutes and using this time, boil some hot water. Flush the water down the drain and check to see if the blockage has cleared. If your siphon hasn't been cleared in a long time, you may need to repeat this whole step again. Although, be careful not to repeat this method too much as vinegar and baking soda can damage piping if overused.
- Reach further into the drainage pipe: If the other methods haven't proven useful, you'll need to reach further into the pipe: Remove the cover from the plughole. The cover may have a screw attached to it so you may require a flat-headed screwdriver to unscrew it. Before doing anything else, using a torch, look as far down the pipe as you can. If you can see the blockage, with gloves on, pull out what you can. If you have one available, a plunger can be very useful. Place the tool over the plughole and repeatedly push it up and down. The built-up pressure can help dislodge blockages and pull them to the surface for you to then grab. If the plunger by itself is not providing a strong enough suction over the plughole, apply Vaseline to the area and try again. If nothing is moving and the debris is too far down the pipe to reach, you'll need a hook to pull it out. You can easily make a hook by straightening out a wire clothes hanger. Use the hook to grab at the blockage and pull it out. If the hook isn't long enough, you may need to use a drain snake. Push it through the drain until it hits the debris. Then, twist the handle and pull the tool out.
- Use a drain unblocker: If the water still won't flow properly, a drain-unblocking product can be used. These products are powerful and very effective at clearing blockages in drainage pipes. Although, their strength can lead to pipe damage, so it's advised to leave this as a last option.
- Finally, if all the previous methods have failed, it's time to call a professional plumber: Make sure to think about whether what you're doing is safe or beneficial. If not, then professional assistance may help you avoid making the situation worse.
How to prevent your shower tray from blocking
- Use a shower drain cover: A drain cover is one of the most effective ways to prevent a shower drain from becoming clogged. Not only is it one of the best ways to prevent a blocked shower drain, but it is also one of the most affordable. There are many different types of drain covers available, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be made from silicone, plastic or stainless steel. A drain cover works by trapping the hair and other debris that would be washed down the plug hole. This helps to prevent clogged drains that can be costly to repair.
- Avoid oil-based products: A lot of people use oil-based hair products. Oil-based products leave grease residue that can clog your shower drainpipe. So, it's definitely worth considering how much you need these in your shower routine.
- Keep the shower on: It's easy to turn off your shower right after you finish, but if you want to avoid blockages, it's a good idea to leave the hot water on for a bit longer. This will help get rid of any sediment that might be clogging up your drainpipes, so it doesn't stick around and build up.
- Keep on top of blocked drains: Once drainage issues have begun, and clogs start to build up, the problem can often worsen over time. Blockages that started off small and inconvenient can become serious maintenance issues. To avoid paying for a professional, it's best to clear small blockages quickly. Make sure to keep the tips listed above in mind.
You may need a new shower tray!
If your shower tray is regularly clogged or not draining properly, it may be time to purchase a new shower tray. Alternatively, it may not be as drastic as that and it might just be a case of swapping out the shower waste trap. If the former, here at Merlyn, we have an incredible selection of designs and shower tray sizes so you can make your dream shower a reality! On top of this, many of our shower trays come with a minimum of a ten-year guarantee. Meaning you can trust that our products will last throughout the years. If its a case of just needing a new spare part for shower waste trap, then we have a selection of them at that link.
View our range of beautifully crafted shower trays here.
Download one of Merlyn's brochures for bathroom inspiration.
