How do clear a shower drain ?

[Dave7]

Situation is......l live in a ground floor flat with solid floors.
Circumstances mean the slope/angle from drain hole to main pipe is only just enough.
The result is a gradual build up of gunge.
OK, I can and do clean it manually BUT.....I keep seeing ads for magic powder (various brands) that you literally put down the plughole followed by hot water and BINGO it miraculously clears.
Others suggest a wonder mix of bicarb' of soda, together with washing up liquid etc.
So........my question is, has anyone on here had success with any such powders ?

 

[Profpointy]

Shove a load
of caustic soda down in, leave it a while, then run water through. Do wear rubber gloves and goggles, and be wary of dropping so much powder down all at once that you get a solid plug of caustic (I speak for experience). Strictly speaking you're supposed to dissolve it in water first - adding caustic to water rather than the other way round else it boils and spits

 

[Alex321]

Situation is......l live in a ground floor flat with solid floors.
Circumstances mean the slope/angle from drain hole to main pipe is only just enough.
The result is a gradual build up of gunge.
OK, I can and do clean it manually BUT.....I keep seeing ads for magic powder (various brands) that you literally put down the plughole followed by hot water and BINGO it miraculously clears.
Others suggest a wonder mix of bicarb' of soda, together with washing up liquid etc.
So........my question is, has anyone on here had success with any such powders ?

Only used them in sinks, not showers, but the magic powders do work. I think we just got one from Tesco.

 

[fossyant]

Other option is net curtain wire with the hook on the end - that is if you can bend down to do it and have a curtain wire ! Safest bet might be 'sink unblocker' from the super market. Slightly safer than caustic soda.

 

[Dave7]

Only used them in sinks, not showers, but the magic powders do work. I think we just got one from Tesco.

Can you remember what it was ?

 

[Sharky]

I bought a "drain snake" kit for about £20 off Amazon. Successfully cleared a blocked toilet connected to a maserator.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Retired plumber here - DON'T use bits of curly wire etc poked down the hole - I've seen many a disaster caused by such methods. The soda crystals and plunging are the preferred methods.

 

[T4tomo]

Pop a squirt of bleach down the plug hole whenever your cleaning the loo, that helps to keep stuff clear, prevention is better than cure and all that.

Then every couple of month you can always use a drain unblocker product, or Bicarb and vinegar (chuck a kettle of boiling water down it, then chuck bicarc into it - flush that down with vinegar leave 10 mins then another boiling water flush)

 

[Cycling Badger]

Shove a load
of caustic soda down in, leave it a while, then run water through. Do wear rubber gloves and goggles, and be wary of dropping so much powder down all at once that you get a solid plug of caustic (I speak for experience). Strictly speaking you're supposed to dissolve it in water first - adding caustic to water rather than the other way round else it boils and spits

I'd support caustic soda as a cheap and effective solution (no pun intended). But please be careful with it. I made the mistake of adding it to water that was too hot causing a rather violent reaction - fortunately a near miss rather an accident. Though, if I remember correctly from H&S training many years ago I think you're suppose to capture and document near misses(?).

Other practical bike related uses for caustic soda - dissolving and aluminium seat post that has bonded to steel frame due to galvanic corrosion. It's was the last resort before binning the frame and the reason we had the caustic soda in the house. (I share this to give some measure of how strong the chemical is and the reason for taking care when using it.)

 

[Profpointy]

PS whilst caustic soda is the stuff for this, do be careful as I still have some scars from a cocked up attempt to unblock my kitchen sink. I have used it fine over many years before and since so no need to be unduly scared, but do remember it (quite literally) turns flesh into soap, so use a bit of sense

 

[Alex321]

Can you remember what it was ?

Still got a bottle - https://www.tesco.com/shop/en-GB/pr...p3i9DY_TOzKHwi7LdUHCu4MOSaGRON_XXREtLc1PqWuTv

Edited for right link

 

[Dave7]

Still got a bottle - https://www.tesco.com/shop/en-GB/pr...p3i9DY_TOzKHwi7LdUHCu4MOSaGRON_XXREtLc1PqWuTv

Edited for right link

Ahh, a liquid as against a powder .
Thanks

 

[presta]

I've never dared to try the drain unblocking liquids, because when you read the small print they always warn that they dissolve something or other that you're planning to put them on.

 

[welsh dragon]

Mr muscle drain cleaner? I can't use it because we have a septic tank but you should be OK

 

[fossyant]

TNT is probably safer than caustic soda. Give that a try, B&Q might not sell it. ACME does though, ask the coyote !