Bath water backs up into shower tray - shower slow draining

[johnson293]

We moved into our house 4 years ago. The bathroom has a bathtub with a separate shower tray, with its waste connected into the bathtub waste.

About two years ago, the shower began to fill with water while the head was running, but when finished it would drain slowly away. Then we noticed when we used the bath, on removing the plug, it started to fill the shower tray as it was draining away.

We assumed a blockage in the pipe somewhere and tried putting down various bathroom drain cleaners. This helped, but after a few months the problem recurred.

It has now got to the point where the shower tray is filling with water during use, and we have stopped using the bath, as last time, it almost overflowed into the bathroom while draining, as it backed up into the tray.

Can anyone advise what could be causing this and what we can do to sort it, as its a problem which is clearly getting worse, and needs sorting.

Cheers

MJ

 

[HERTS P&D]

You have a blockage, you can clear it with a wet vac.

(Wickes £40)

Andy

 

[johnson293]

Ah right... the fact the problem seemed to be getting worse and recurring more often, I though it was potentially something more than a blockage.

I've tried plunging it too, but that just draws up a load of c**p from the pipe, and it doesn't make it drain any quicker.

There's also a bit of 'gurgling' after plunging, but then it just drains as slowly as before.

 

[HERTS P&D]

A wet vac will clear it.

Andy

 

[johnson293]

Well, I haven't gone down the wet vac route yet, but bought a couple of bottles of Mr Muscle drain foamer, and put one down the shower plug and the other down the bath plug... left them for an hour, and then poured boiling water down each.

After a little rinse and a plunge of the shower drain, it appears to be draining ok again. Just had a shower, and the water wasn't building up around my feet as it had been, and what was left, swirled away quickly.

So in the short term, it appears my blockage has been (at least partially) cleared.

Not sure I want to go to the expense of a wet vac that I wont use too often for anything else, just yet.

But will buy some caustic soda and put some of that down every few weeks to try and keep the pipes clear.

 

[gigz]

It'll be soap and flakes of skin building up over time, clear it regularly and it should be ok.

 

[Charnwood]

When re-siting our washing machine trap last year I looked down the waste pipe run. There was a 1/4" thick layer of gunge. Soap scum, dead skin, cloth fibres, hamburger stands..... Whoops, lapsing into Derek and Clive mode.

 

[johnson293]

Posted about another subject, and remembered this post... Just revisiting this 6 months on.

The shower backed up again, but still hadn't gotten a wet vac. Tried some drain unblockers which didn't work, but ended up buying one of these...

http://reviews.diy.com/2191-en_gb/11247601/reviews.htm?sort=rating

Cleared the blockage straight away, and now I give a blast every few weeks to keep it flowing and it hasn't backed up since.

They really are much more effective than a traditional plunger.

 

[fsh123]

Hi johnson293,

I have the same problem with the shower flooding when the bath drains, what did you end up buying to clear the problem? As the link is now defunct.

Was it a Super Drain Sink toliet Plunger??

I'd be very grateful if you could let me know, thanks.

 

[Madrab]

Hi johnson293,

I have the same problem with the shower flooding when the bath drains, what did you end up buying to clear the problem? As the link is now defunct.

Was it a Super Drain Sink toliet Plunger??

I'd be very grateful if you could let me know, thanks.

Unfortunately johnson293 hasn't been on the site since 2014 so unlikely to answer.

As per the site rules ..... you really need to start your own thread to avoid confusion