Unblocking shower/sink - what else can I try?

[PeterPipersPepper]

Looking for more ideas for things I can try to unblock the waste pipe from my shower and sink.

I have tried a bottle of bathroom drain unblocker, bleach, and boiling water with washing powder. Not going to try caustic soda as been told not to in the past by a plumber!

Thank you

Have you tried a drain snake or an unwound coat hanger to remove any hair blockages? That’s usually what causes my shower to drain slowly?

Paging @PigletJohn
The MN plumbing guru.

None of those have ever worked completely for me either. I ordered a metal drain unblocker from Amazon (looked like a long coiled spring with a handle) and a drain brush and manually unblocked them that way.

If it's likely to be hair I like the plastic snakes with Velcro on the ends. They are great for dragging it all out.

amzn.eu/d/ja9LD0q

Have you got a plunger? Sometimes you just need to get the blockage shifted a bit to get the drain cleaner all round it.

A complication is that the water has to travel a long way to leave the house, via pipe work under the floorboards - it has to travel from the back of the house all the way to the front. So I’m not sure a manual method will work as the blockage could be at any point!

You can purchase a plunger with a pump like this one https://www.screwfix.com/p/sink-bath-unblocker-125mm/13894

If you are trying to unblock a basin, it's essential to block the overflow with a wet rag, or the pressure you are trying to push down the pipe will come out the overflow. Sometimes it's helpful to have an extra pair of hands helping to do this.

Make sure you put water into the basin/shower tray before using the plunger and press firmly to get a seal.

I use a snake. They are in the middle of Lidl this week.
Otherwise, go to Screwfix. They have drain unblocker that you chuck half a bottle down and leave it overnight, and it clears everything. It’s highly acidic, you wouldn’t eat it on your skin, but it does the job. It’s around £8 from memory.

My kitchen sink has a very shallow and long fall from it. I have to use a wet and dry vacuum on the plug hole and the external exit. Usually clears it for a few months and have to repeat

Yeah as above post you can get a stronger drain cleaner than say mr muscle. It'll be more pricy but should do the trick, just leave it on long enough if you have long pipes under the floor boards

Thank you everyone I will try both the plunger and the unblocker from screwfix tomorrow (not at the same time!)

PLUNGER

If it's hair then a good squeeze of hair removal cream can start it flowing again. I leave it overnight (windows open, door closed) then rinse with a kettle of boiling water.
I got one of the plastic spiky things and it got stuck. Took me ages to get it back out again

I’m pretty sure it’s post partum hair loss

There's a long metal twisty drain unblocker for sale in Lidl's this week.
I'd try that.

Buster plughole unblocker is the best I've come across particularly for hair!

If it's thick sludge, sometimes i use washing powder, dishwasher tablet and fairy liquid, froth it up in warm water and pour is slowly and gently in and leave it for a few hours. it breaks it down. has worked for me.

or it could be that you have something clogged up that isn't "dissolvable"

I’ve always used soda crystals/plunger/hot water, so is that bad then? 😬

Best thing to do them is just to pull the hair out - it’s usually very close to the plug hole in my experience. Much quicker and easier than pouring nasty chemicals down and no toxic fumes with a newborn in the house. It’s a bit gross when the clumps of hair come out - they don’t look or smell great - but oddly satisfying at the same time!

+1 for Buster Bathroom Unplugger left overnight, but you need to pour boiling water down the next day if it's a serious blockage.

Then use the same product every few weeks so that it doesn't build up again.

A bottle of washing up liquid down the plug hole, leave overnight.

Is this a bathroom that was added or altered after the house was built?

How far is it from the soilpipe stack?

Hello @PigletJohn yes it’s an en suite added in a loft extension. Done by the previous owners. Water has to travel the full length of the house to get out (small Edwardian terrace house so about 20 feet). En suite is at the back, waste water comes out the front

I can thoroughly recommend Mr Muscle drain gel. As it says on the bottle, it unclogs even the worst blockages (or your money back) and it's really quick too. My mum had a partial blockage for months and had tried all sorts to clear it. This stuff worked in 10 minutes.

I've tried all the recommendations bar the plunger and nothing seems to work.

Very frustrating.

Not the snake, soda or solution.

The only thing that's has worked is calling someone out to unblog.

Same with me until I wet vacuumed it from each end. Could you borrow one to try?