A shower that leaves you standing in water is one of the most common drainage problems in any home. The good news is that most shower blockages sit within the first few centimetres of the waste, where you can reach them.
Why shower drains block
- Hair is the main culprit. It wraps around the waste and traps everything else.
- Soap and shampoo residue binds with hair into a sticky mat.
- Limescale builds up in hard water areas, including Southampton and much of Hampshire, narrowing the waste and giving hair something to cling to.
- Low-profile trays and wet rooms often have shallow traps and small wastes that are more easily slowed by build-up.
Step 1: Remove the waste cover and clear the hair
Most shower wastes have a cover that lifts or unscrews. Underneath there is usually a removable hair catcher or a dome over the trap. Wearing gloves, pull out any hair and sludge you can see, then rinse the parts. This alone fixes most slow showers.
Step 2: Use a drain hair grabber
A cheap plastic hair grabber (a flexible strip with barbs) can reach further down the trap than fingers. Push it in, twist, and pull it out slowly.
Step 3: Try a plunger
Fill the tray with a few centimetres of water, place a small cup plunger over the waste and pump firmly a dozen times. The water gives the plunger something to push against.
Step 4: Hot water, not boiling
Pour a kettle of hot, but not boiling, water down the waste to soften soap residue. Boiling water can soften some plastic waste pipes and joints.
What to avoid
- Mixing chemicals. Different drain products can react dangerously. If you have already used one, tell anyone who comes to clear the drain. Our guide to chemical drain unblockers explains the risks.
- Forcing wire coat hangers into the waste, which can damage the trap seal.
When the problem is further down
If the shower is still slow after the waste and trap are clean, the blockage is probably in the pipe beyond. Signs that it is more than a shower problem include:
- the bath or basin is also slow;
- water gurgles in other fittings when the shower runs;
- water rises in the shower when the toilet is flushed.
In that case, see blocked drains or our guide to gurgling drains.
Keeping it clear
Fit a hair catcher, clean the waste every few weeks, and run hot water for a minute after each shower. If the shower keeps blocking despite this, the waste pipe may have poor fall or too many bends.
If you cannot clear it, we can help with blocked showers across Southampton and the surrounding area.