by Greg W Huffman

Created on: May 24, 2010

I live in a house with two women.  My bathtub drain is clogged at least twice a week.  You would swear that Edward Scissor-hands gives Chewbacca haircuts in my shower.  I can weave ropes out of the hair I pull from the drain.  I have tried many techniques to unclog the shower drain, but this technique proves to work best:

Start by purchasing a brand new plunger.  The plunger is the ultimate tool in unclogging a shower drain.  Turn the water on to your shower or bathtub and begin to let it fill with water.  The water will be used to cause suction or force when plunging the drain.  I have found the most success when using suction with the plunger to pull the hair out of the drain.  If you are not dealing with hair, use the plunger to force water into the drain to force the object through the piping system.  If you can not fix the problem by using suction or force to free the clog, use your fingers to free debris from the drain area and try plunging again.

If the plunger was unsuccessful, purchase Drano Gel from your local hardware store.  This gel works well to break clogs that form in drains.  This stuff will eat through hair, soap, and whatever seems to be clogging the bathtub drain.  There are many products on the market that claim to be the best at household clogs.  Drano Gel has worked the best for me.  You simply squirt the gel down the drain and let it set for about 12-24 hours.  After the gel has set for 12-24 hours, try to run water in your bathtub.  If the water goes down the drain with no resistance, your problem is solved.  If not, try plunging the bathtub drain again.  The Drano Gel will normally break up the clog enough for plunging to become effective. 

Using Drano Gel and a plunger has worked for me over and over again.  I have never had to call a plumber to fix my shower drain.  Using these two items in conjunction with each other is the perfect cure for my shower drain troubles.  So, give my method a try and see what you think.  I'm sure you will be happy with the results.

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