My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?
--
Dave Baker

On 03/01/15 12:58, Dave Baker wrote:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?

Quite likely to be hair blocking the trap. If so, the best thing to use
is caustic soda, which will simply dissolve hair in a few minutes.

I have my own method of using it which is pretty extreme. However, once
you have got the pipe unblocked, it is sensible to put a tablespoon of
caustic soda crystals down the pipe every 3 - 6 months to help keep it
clear.

--

Jeff

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in
the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then
goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a
sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?


Sink plunger. About 30 bod at your local hardware store and worth a go.

On 03/01/2015 12:58, Dave Baker wrote:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078


Suggestions?
I used something similar on my shower two weeks ago - worked a treat!

Peter

In article , lid
says...

On 03/01/15 12:58, Dave Baker wrote:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?


With those plungers you do run some risk of causing more trouble if any
of the pipe joints aren't strong.

I use something like this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002AT7QJ2

to clear hair from the drain. It's low tech, easy, cheap and unlikely
to do any harm.


--
Sam

"Mr Pounder" wrote in message
...

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in
the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then
goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a
sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only
a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?


Sink plunger. About 30 bod at your local hardware store and worth a go.

+1. Way to go. Best done once or twice a year to clear the gunge out.

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in
the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then
goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a
sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?

Before ordering anything or buying anything, just pour a pint of water from
height (six foot) directly onto the drain, this often dislodges hair / body
fat etc and frees up the trap.

It may need a small bucket full and it might be worth trying it a few times
before spending money.

I used to use caustic every few months, but after running out I tried the
above method and it works perfectly well.

In article ,
"Dave Baker" writes:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

Used to happen every few months to the shower here.

My showering technique is now changed. I start showering with my foot
blocking the waste hole so the shower tray fills with water. By the
time I've washed and rinsed my hair, the water level will be coming
close to the top of the tray, and I move my foot so it runs away.
This rapid flow clears the debris from the pipe which tends to collect
with only the normal show rate. In 10+ years, it has never blocked again.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 03/01/2015 18:40, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In ,
"Dave writes:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

Used to happen every few months to the shower here.

My showering technique is now changed. I start showering with my foot
blocking the waste hole so the shower tray fills with water. By the
time I've washed and rinsed my hair, the water level will be coming
close to the top of the tray, and I move my foot so it runs away.
This rapid flow clears the debris from the pipe which tends to collect
with only the normal show rate. In 10+ years, it has never blocked again.

Ditto

"harryagain" wrote in message
...

"Mr Pounder" wrote in message
...

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in
the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then
goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a
sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only
a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078

Suggestions?


Sink plunger. About 30 bod at your local hardware store and worth a go.

+1. Way to go. Best done once or twice a year to clear the gunge out.

Its the bits of coal in the bath that get down the plug hole here.
Perhaps I should move down south?

On 03/01/2015 12:58, Dave Baker wrote:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078


Suggestions?

Do you have access to the under-floor space? If so, perhaps you could
crawl under and remove the trap from underneath and clean it out?

If there's no access, it's very bad practise to fit a trap whose innards
cannot be removed from above. Are you *sure* that yours can't? Mine *is*
accessible from above. You simply prise out the spoked wheel bit from
the top, which enables you to get at a bit which has to be rotated
anti-clockwise and lifted out.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 19:02:59 +0000, ss wrote:

On 03/01/2015 18:40, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In ,
"Dave writes:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

Used to happen every few months to the shower here.

My showering technique is now changed. I start showering with my foot
blocking the waste hole so the shower tray fills with water. By the
time I've washed and rinsed my hair, the water level will be coming
close to the top of the tray, and I move my foot so it runs away.
This rapid flow clears the debris from the pipe which tends to collect
with only the normal show rate. In 10+ years, it has never blocked again.

Ditto

Ditto, except that I don't think the waste trap would appreciate even
a portion of my bodyweight on top of it so I use a Travel Plug. No,
not the sort with pins sticking out at odd angles. This:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/h-UAAOSwo8hTovJT/$_35.JPG?set_id=880000500F

Nick

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely.

Well they didn't have a plunger up at'th farm next door so I took the
plunge, ahem, and ordered a cheap one off Ebay for £1.95. Then Sod's Law
strikes as usual while I'm round at friends just a short while later on and
they've got one in the kitchen. Brought it home, ran some water into the
shower tray, couple of pumps and job jobbed. Will still be handy to have my
own one just in case for the future.

I had loads of trouble with a regularly blocking sewer pipe outside the last
house so I got pretty handy with drain rods over the years but I've never
had a U bend I couldn't easily get to to pull apart if it blocked so I've
never had occasion to use a sink plunger. This shower tray drain is
definitely not removeable from the top though and I didn't fancy pulling up
floorboards to get into the sump under the house so I'm quite pleased it was
such an easy fix. Thanks for all the suggestions.
--
Dave Baker

In article ,
"Dave Baker" writes:

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely.

Well they didn't have a plunger up at'th farm next door so I took the
plunge, ahem, and ordered a cheap one off Ebay for £1.95. Then Sod's Law
strikes as usual while I'm round at friends just a short while later on and
they've got one in the kitchen. Brought it home, ran some water into the
shower tray, couple of pumps and job jobbed. Will still be handy to have my
own one just in case for the future.

I had loads of trouble with a regularly blocking sewer pipe outside the last
house so I got pretty handy with drain rods over the years but I've never
had a U bend I couldn't easily get to to pull apart if it blocked so I've
never had occasion to use a sink plunger. This shower tray drain is
definitely not removeable from the top though and I didn't fancy pulling up
floorboards to get into the sump under the house so I'm quite pleased it was
such an easy fix. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Might be worth a check that the plunger hasn't just blown off
the waste pipe, and it's now draining into the subfloor ;-)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 04/01/2015 10:08, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
#
Might be worth a check that the plunger hasn't just blown off
the waste pipe, and it's now draining into the subfloor ;-)


If its a traditional rubber sucker type it would be very hard to get it
to do that. They suck.

On Sunday, 4 January 2015 13:28:16 UTC, Dennis@home wrote:
On 04/01/2015 10:08, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
#
Might be worth a check that the plunger hasn't just blown off
the waste pipe, and it's now draining into the subfloor ;-)


If its a traditional rubber sucker type it would be very hard to get it
to do that. They suck.

The plastic version of the traditional rubber sucker type that I have, very
definitely blows! There's an initial phase where you blow out the air
sideways, then you fill the plunger bowl with water, and it blows out the
blockage.

On 03/01/2015 13:41, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 03/01/15 12:58, Dave Baker wrote:
My shower tray has been draining slower and slower recently and finally
blocked completely. It's a bungalow so on the ground floor, the grid
in the
tray is not the removable type as far as I can tell and the waste then
goes
under the house into the "sump" (suspended floor) and runs 15 feet under
there to an external exit. The only methods I can think of using are a
sink
plunger, a very slim snake spring thingy or chemicals. A plunger is
only a
couple of quid on Ebay but I also see bicycle pump type thingies for a
fiver. Are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAIN-BUST...item51c12a9078


Suggestions?

Quite likely to be hair blocking the trap. If so, the best thing to use
is caustic soda, which will simply dissolve hair in a few minutes.

The gel formulation sold in the sheds/supermarkets is safer to handle
than the raw chemicals but you should wear gloves and eye protection
with caustic. Put something over the top to cover the plughole and don't
look down it to see what is going on - a blowback of hot caustic
although rare is no fun at all. Flush afterwards with plenty of water.

I have my own method of using it which is pretty extreme. However, once
you have got the pipe unblocked, it is sensible to put a tablespoon of
caustic soda crystals down the pipe every 3 - 6 months to help keep it
clear.

I only do it when the shower is becoming slowish to drain.
I'd say no more often than every couple of years.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown