“I think everyone has the household chore they hate,” Bill said. “For me, it’s dealing with the stupid shower drain. It feels like every single week my wife or daughter is saying “Dad, it’s clogged again!”
Why does the shower drain always clog up? As NYC plumbers, this is a question we hear a lot. When we hear it, one thing we do is look at the hairstyles of the people living in that household. When you have lots of hair on people’s heads, it absolutely can form clogs in the shower drain.
Solving the Shower Clog Problem
There are two relatively easy solutions to help reduce how much hair gets into the shower drain to form a clog. Option number one is to have everyone in the household shave their heads. Some people may say this is both ridiculous and extreme. That’s true – but it does solve the problem.
If for some reason you don’t want to go that route, there are silicon drain catchers that are designed to keep hair out of the shower drain. These cost only a few dollars. These drain catchers actually do a good job in reducing the number of times you need to call the plumber for drain cleaning when used consistently.
Regular Drain Cleaning Also Helps Keep Everyone Happy – Even Dad!
Persistent clog issues may involve more than clumps of hair. Over the years, soap scum, conditioner, shampoo, and lots of dirt and grime get washed down the shower drain. These materials can accumulate and stick to the interior of the pipe. This narrows the passageway and eventually water can’t get through.
Fixing this type of shower clog is really a job for the local plumber. Drain cleaning removes all that accumulated material from the inside of the pipes so water can flow freely. Most households need the drains cleaned once every couple of years.