Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    Pstrampe's Avatar
    Pstrampe Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Sep 18, 2012, 12:05 PM
    New shower drains slow until plunged
    Just replaced tub with shower. The tub always drained fine but the new shower won't start draining until you plunge it. Then it drains fine as long as water is running down the drain. Ideas?
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
    		  
    #2

    Sep 18, 2012, 12:20 PM
    It sounds like you disturbed some gunk built up in the pipe walls when you made the conversion. The solution would be to remove the strainer and snake the shower. M Run out about 12 feet. After. Flush with a large pan of boiling water. Good luck, Tom
    Attached Images
     
    Pstrampe's Avatar
    Pstrampe Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #3

    Sep 18, 2012, 12:55 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by speedball1 View Post
    It sounds like you disturbed some gunk built up in the pipe walls when you made the conversion. The solution would be to remove the strainer and snake the shower. m Run out about 12 feet. After. flush with a large pan of boiling water. Good luck, Tom

    Snaked it already but did not follow with boiling water. Why would it flow fine with one plunge each time and stop up right after the water stops flowing? A friend did the work and I don't think he removed the original trap under the tub and added one when he relocated the drain to the center. Could this cause my symptoms?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
    Uber Member
    		  
    #4

    Sep 18, 2012, 01:09 PM
    Sounds like you might have a venting or restriction issue. When you plunge, it opens up a way for the air to go down. Make sure your friend didn't install another trap in addition to the one from the tub. This draining problem is not uncommon in new undermount sinks that don't have an overflow drain. You need a special sink drain to allow air in. Tubs have an overflow, showers do not. There is very little head pressure in a shower but lots more in a tub.
    Pstrampe's Avatar
    Pstrampe Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #5

    Sep 18, 2012, 01:23 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by ma0641 View Post
    Sounds like you might have a venting or restriction issue. When you plunge, it opens up a way for the air to go down. Make sure your friend didn't install another trap in addition to the one from the tub. This draining problem is not uncommon in new undermount sinks that don't have an overflow drain. You need a special sink drain to allow air in. Tubs have an overflow, showers do not. There is very little head pressure in a shower but lots more in a tub.
    So does it need a vent stack or would removing the other trap do it?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
    Uber Member
    		  
    #6

    Sep 18, 2012, 01:27 PM
    If properly installed to begin with you should have a stack within the distance requirements. Are there 2 traps?
    Pstrampe's Avatar
    Pstrampe Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #7

    Sep 18, 2012, 01:37 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by ma0641 View Post
    If properly installed to begin with you should have a stack within the distance requirements. Are there 2 traps?
    I believe so. It's within 4 feet of the main stack.
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Shower drains slow [ 1 Answers ]

My shower drains very slowly. The problem just started, so I am going to try to plunge it. It's a shower only, with a 4"plate over the drain. My question is... if the plunger doesn't work, is Draino or Liquid Plumber OK to use on a septic system? When I have had problems with my bathtubs, I...

Basement shower drains slow / toilet gurgles [ 0 Answers ]

I recently put in a full bath in my basement (shower, toilet, and sink). The plumbing was redone and venting was connected to existing venting. The drains were all tied to existing waste pipe. After using the shower once I realized that I had a vent issue as the toilet gurgled. I...

Tub/Shower drains slow, trap is clear [ 4 Answers ]

I have a slab house about 50 years old. The tub/shower drains slowly and during the bathroom remolding I was able to remove the trap for the tub which was filled with black sludge. I also bought a rubber attachment that you put on a garden hose and it expands inn the pipe forcing water through. I...

Old Shower drains slow [ 7 Answers ]

Helllo, my name is Holly. I am almost at the end of my contingency period to find everything I can find on a bank owned property I am buying in California. I hired a home inspector that found hardly anything wrong with the property and then a pest inpector that found several things. The major...

Shower Drains Slow/bad smell [ 1 Answers ]

I just remodeled my bathroom. I removed the tub/shower and installed a new shower stall only. The new plumbing is built like this: I removed the tub drain and over-flow pipe just above the p-trap and attached a new 24 inch, 2 inch diameter ABS pipe just above the old p-trap, using an elbow. This...

View more questions Search