Blocked Shower Drain

[securespark]

I have a Mira shower tray with the letterbox style drain. For a while now it has been intermittently draining slowly.

But now it fills up the tray within a minute.

The shower is above the garage and the waste goes into the stack, with a run of about 3m.

Mrs S has medium long hair which I suspect may be blocking the pipe.

I'm wondering if anyone has any tips?

If it were a round drain, I'd stick a plunger over it. I'd shove a snake down but I'm not sure it would find its way through.

Looking online there's something called Green Gobbler ( ) which claims to clear (dissolve?) all sorts of matter in its way.

Also, the drain lets foul smells up from the stack. Is an airlock the best thing to add to the pipe run to stop this?

 

[Roy Bloom]

Also, the drain lets foul smells up from the stack. Is an airlock the best thing to add to the pipe run to stop this?

It sounds like you need a trap under the shower.
I had a similar problem. When the shower was installed, when the provided 'trap/outlet' was new and in bits, i couldn't understand how it would work as a trap. It didn't, and allowed smells up.
I fitted a trap in the outgong waste pipe under the floor, at a small distance from the drain in the shower.
An easily accessible point without distubing the cubicle.

 

[securespark]

Yeah, I thought the "box" waste that attaches to the underside of the tray would have a trap incorporated, but my snozz tells me otherwise.

The black pipe you see running right to left is the waste from the tray. It doesn't run directly into the soil pipe but turns a corner and joins the stack behind me.

Hoping in the long term to fit a HepvO trap and redo the waste pipe from the tray directly to the soil pipe opposite.

But for now if I can unblock the waste that would be great.

 

[securespark]

Trying to find the spec for the Mira Flight Level waste.

Hoping it might be 50mm.

It seems that's the best size to use for a shower waste.

 

[noseall]

The black pipe you see running right to left is the waste from the tray

Push fit! -
Don't use a plunger. If you can, change that pipework to solvent weld. Your waste should be accessible for cleaning from above...?

 

[securespark]

Planning to do just that, as well as add a hepvO. Want to take the pipe straight into the soil pipe instead of the convoluted route it currently takes, involving four 90 degree bends, not swept.

I have read 50mm pipe is better than 40. But if the shower waste outlet is 40mm, is using 50mm a pointless exercise?

 

[noseall]

Planning to do just that, as well as add a hepvO. Want to take the pipe straight into the soil pipe instead of the convoluted route it currently takes, involving four 90 degree bends, not swept.

I have read 50mm pipe is better than 40. But if the shower waste outlet is 40mm, is using 50mm a pointless exercise?

The equivalent (to push fit) 40mm solvent weld stuff is slightly bigger bore in any case. Its more about the bends or obstacles, especially the trap. My own shower waste rarely blocks, until my eldest sprog and his missus come home from uni.

 

[securespark]

Just had a good furtle with an old toothbrush, but doesn't seem any better

I'm planning to get some baking soda and white vinegar later. If that doesn't work, would that aforementioned green gobbler work? As long as it doesn't eat through the pipework...

Might have to do something drastic if these solutions (no pun intended) don't work.

 

[securespark]

Liquid plumbr seems another one that is recommended.

 

[crystal ball]

I think we use Mr Muscle drain cleaner, works ok