Why Is My Shower Draining Slowly?

A shower should be a relaxing experience, but standing ankle-deep in a puddle of soapy, dirty water quickly ruins it. A slow-draining shower is one of the most common plumbing complaints, and ignoring it will eventually lead to a complete blockage and potential water damage to the floor below.

The Usual Suspects

Unlike a kitchen sink, which deals with grease and food, the enemies of the bathroom drain are hair and soap scum. When soap scum mixes with long strands of hair, it forms a dense, matted net inside the P-trap (the curved pipe directly beneath the drain). This net catches everything that washes down, slowly restricting the flow of water until it stops entirely.

Why Liquid Cleaners Fail

When faced with a slow drain, many homeowners reach for a bottle of liquid chemical drain cleaner. We highly recommend against this. These harsh chemicals generate intense heat to dissolve the clog. If your pipes are older PVC or thin metal, the chemical heat can literally melt or weaken the pipe joints, causing a massive leak inside your walls or floors.

The Professional Fix

At Pipedex Plumbing & Drains, we fix the problem mechanically. Our technicians use specialized, non-marring drain augers (snakes) to reach deep into the P-trap and completely extract the hair and soap blockage rather than just pushing it further down the line. If the slow drain is affecting multiple bathrooms, we utilize a fiber-optic camera to ensure the main sewer branch isn't compromised.

Get your shower draining perfectly again. Call us today for fast, friendly drain cleaning service.