If you have ever been standing in your shower stall or shower/tub combo enjoying a nice, hot shower after a long day only to realize that you are ankle-deep in water, then you have experienced the unpleasantness of standing water in your tub or shower. At Sun Plumbing, we know this is not ideal. We will share with you what could be causing this and how to fix it.
What Can Cause Standing Water in a Tub/Shower?
I’m Taking a Shower, Not a Bath! Standing in a shower stall should not feel like standing in a bath or puddle. In a shower stall, the water should immediately drain. The floor is often built in a concave fashion in which the four sides very gently slope toward the middle where all water is supposed to drain. So, why isn’t that happening?
Shower drains are usually covered by a small metal grate that is screwed in over the top of the drain opening. The purpose of this is to keep items from going down the drain that do not belong there. However, things will make their way down the drain whether we like it or not. One of the main things that sneak down there is hair.
If you have long hair, you may notice that you are able to pick up some long strands from the shower floor. Hair, along with built-up scum from soap, body wash, shaving cream, shampoo, and conditioner, forms a perfect storm for a shower drain clog.
I Have a Shower/Tub Combo
If you have a shower/tub combo, then this likely has a different type of drain cover, one that is more like a plug than a grate. While it may seem impossible for anything to get down there to clog it, it is exposed to the same hair and built-up scum that a shower stall experiences. For this reason, your shower/tub combo may also experience a slow-down in water drainage or a complete clog.
What Can I Do to Fix It?
First of all, the best “fix” is actually prevention. According to the Home Depot website, pouring a kettle full of boiling water down your shower or tub drain once a week can help prevent clogs. While it will not break down the hair, it can help dissipate the built-up scum from your hair and body products. They also recommend pouring a mixture of ⅓ cup baking soda and ⅓ cup vinegar down the drain once a month to help prevent clogs.
However, if these preventative measures do not fix the problem, you may need to call a plumber as the clog may be bigger than you thought. It is also possible that the clog is further down in the pipes and is simply not something that you can fix yourself.
CALL SUN PLUMBING TODAY!
If you have a shower stall or shower/tub combo with a slow or clogged drain, and you can’t get it flowing again, then please give us a call today at Sun Plumbing! We have been serving Brevard County for over 45 years. Nothing in your shower drain is going to surprise us. Getting your plumbing back to excellent working order is our business and having satisfied customers is our priority!
