No homeowner wants to deal with serious plumbing issues. Unfortunately, many people miss some early warning signs of problems that end up costing them hundreds if not thousands of dollars. One of those early warning signs? The clogged shower drain.
It seems so benign, an easily fixable problem that is nothing more than an inconvenience at the start of the day. Want to catch a critical problem before the water rises above your head?
Here’s how to address three different clogged shower drain problems.
If Your Shower Drains Slowly
If you find yourself in the shower every morning standing in an inch or two of water, it’s possible that you have a partial clog. For clogs that do not completely obstruct your drain, you may not think you have much to worry about.
The water is still going down, isn’t it? You just have to wait a bit longer.
This type of clogged shower drain often requires a simple fix—perhaps you just need to remove a bunch of hair and debris that has built up. However, if removing an obvious clog does not improve your slowly draining shower, you could be looking at a more serious problem.
For instance, your sewer line might be obstructed by a tree root. Call a plumber if you think your problem is serious.
If Your Shower Smells Bad
Every drain in your house has a trap and a vent. These plumbing features keep foul smelling odors from escaping up into your home from the sewer, so if you notice bad smells coming up from your drains, something could be off.
First, try running the water in the room where you notice the smell. If doing so removes the odor, that means your trap was dry. Monitor it to make sure that it doesn’t return too quickly. If it does, you could have a leak in your trap.
If you still notice the smell after filling the trap, you could have a cracked vent, which can be much more difficult to remedy. You will need to the length of the pipe leading to the vent to find the crack, which may require some drywall demolition.
If Water Is Coming Out of the Drain
The plumbing in your home is all connected, which means whatever you send down one drain has the ability to pop up in another. If you notice that water is backing up into your shower after flushing the toilet or running the sink, it’s because you have a clog somewhere far down your pipes. As noted above, you may have a tree root obstructing your sewer line.
You could also be looking at grease and dirt buildup in your sewer line, which can be difficult to clear without professional help.
Fix Your Clogged Shower Drain before It Costs You
As soon as you notice that your shower is not draining properly, get in touch with us. We can help you prevent a serious—not to mention costly—repair in the future by taking care of a small problem today!