shower trap gunge removal

[Anonymous]

The waste outlet beneath our shower tray cannot be accessed.
What is the most effective way to unblock it and keep it clear?
PS Before we are challenged about relevance, it is a period shower with pretty ancient gunge in it!

 

[Anonymous]

There are loads of products on the market for de-gunging drains. However, a lot of them are pretty nasty chemicals, so I would urge caution if you're on a septic tank or cesspit.
Alternatively, I have a useful gizmo that I bought from some mail-order catalogue years ago. It's a pump with a rubber sealing flange around the bottom. You just press it on the plughole and then pump away like b*ggery - it clears most blockages, and is, of course, environmentally friendly. I believe I may have seen something similar in B&Q - might be worth a look.
A good alternative to this might be a hosepipe jet connected to a hot water tap. Jam it well into the drain and wedge in lots of rags as tightly as possible to get the best seal you can. A good whoosh of really hot water should clear most gunge.

 

[Anonymous]

I have found the most successful way to clear any blocked U bend (be it shower or kitchen sink) is the black rubber plunger. They are especially good on showers because there is no overflow to reduce the air pressure. Keep back though - sometimes you can get quite a backdraft of black gunge!

 

[Anonymous]

If the gunge is tangled up with lots of hair like mine always is then theres a nifty little gadget you can buy from lakeland limited which is a little knob with the hooky bits of velcro on the end that you twizzle in the plughole and it grabs all the hair so you can pull it and all its associated gunk out and throw it out.. I've got rid of several hair monsters that way <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> won't work on the deep down gunk probably but a worthwhile investment to stop it getting that way again once its clear..

 

[Anonymous]

I fish about with a bicycle spoke using the hooked end to fish the hair out...

 

[Anonymous]

Won't the Daleks mind you taking their plunger tools?

 

[Anonymous]

Have you checked to see if it is a 'special' shower trap that can be cleared without getting underneath? I have one that allows me to lift off the chrome trim and then by reaching down the hole I can twist the inner part through 90 degrees and lift it out. Once the inner bit is removed, the trap just flows straight through and doesn't trap anything so a quick blast with the plunger removes all the gunk.

 

[Anonymous]

forget the chemical approach.... use a short length of wire coat hanger to hook the gunge out (usually a well soap binded mush of hair)