shower drainage - intermittent problem

[Tom10001]

Hi,

I have a drainage problem in the shower which I'd really appreciate some help with. The drainage during a shower is so slow that the water will come up to the top of the tray (3-4 inches). It will then drain away after 5-10 seconds when the shower is turned off.

The weird thing is, I can shower at other times and it'll flow down without any issues at all. (although this seems to be happening less and less and I get slow drainage most days)

The shower is 5+ yrs old and has drained well up to now (so no issues with the fall / drop etc). Also, the shower waste is connected to the bath and sink waste (I mean the pipes of each all drain into the same waste pipe) and neither the bath nor the sink have any slow drainage problems.

Its been plunged several times and I've used litre after litre of full strength drain chemicals, none have helped.

if it's some gunk in the pipe from the tray to the main waste pipe, I don't understand a) why it's occasionally intermittent and b) why the chemicals and plunger haven't shifted it.

what should my next step be to solve it?

 

[Nige F]

If the shower trap has a removable top outlet - take out and you should see the waste pipe going off from the side. Work out the aprox. distance to the soil pipe and use a sani snake to clear the pipe. The plunging and chemicals may have bypassed a lump of hair/soap lodged somewhere.

 

[Tom10001]

thanks Nige, will try that. i''ll need to get someone in as the trap is integrated in the tray and can't see the pipe

 

[dilalio]

Aqua vac if you have one.