A shower drain being clogged is one of the most frustrating struggles in a household. Even minor pipeline blockage is crucial as it can cause severe issues with time. There are different reasons a shower drain can be leaked.
But can a clogged shower drain cause a leak? Yes, excessive pressure and corrosion are highly responsible for the water leak. Also, inappropriate design and damage caused during unclogging come in the same category.
In this article, we will talk about the possibility of a leak due to the blockage of the drain. You will also learn the common signs, reasons, and fixing methods of the clogged drain. Therefore, let’s go through the article!
Can A Clogged Shower Drain Cause A Leak?
Yes, a clogged drain can cause a leak. There are three logical reasons why the clogged drain causes the leak.
1. Not Designed For Standing Water
Generally, the shower drain is designed for continuous water flow. Thus, those drains are inappropriate for holding the standing water inside them. As a result, there is a high risk of leak generation.
2. Corrosion
This event is more applicable to metal pipework. When there is a blockage in the pipeline, water will stand in one place for an extended period. As a result, there is a high chance that corrosion will occur, and this will cause leakage.
3. Excessive Pressure
Water can’t move forward when there is a blockage in the shower drain. Water backs up behind those blockages. There will be a rise in the surrounding pressure of this standing water. This increased pressure will force the water to leak through the joints and seals.
What Are The Signs Of A Clogged Shower Drain?
A leak caused by the clog in the shower drain pipe may become severe with time. Identification of the clogging at the early stage is mandatory to avoid more severe damage to the pipe. Here are five signs of the Clogged drain pipeline:
- You may find water dripping from the wall or bathroom flooding due to the drain blockage
- You will notice molds are growing gradually on the floor or wall where the surface is always moist due to leaking water
- The shower will take time to drain the water flow thoroughly, even after turning it off
- Due to the debris growing on the pipe’s inner wall, an unpleasant odor will spread from the drain pipe
- In a standard drain pipe, you will hear the typical flowing sound of the water. But, if in case, you can listen to any gurgling noise from the pipe, this is one of those indications of pipeline blockage
What Are The Reasons For Clogged Shower Drain?
Before fixing this clogged pipeline damage, firstly, you must have explicit knowledge about the reasons behind this. These reasons will help you to handle this problem perfectly. Here are those:
- The main reason for this issue is due to the generation and compilation of soap foam, debris, and hair on the drain pipe.
- The excessive soap foam helps to stick the long hairs on the inner wall of the pipe. As a result, more thick blockage surface occurs.
- Sometimes, when you face drain blockage frequently, even after repair, then the problem is more critical. The reason responsible behind this is the blockage in the main sewage line.
How To Unclog Shower Drain?
As you are now aware of the causes behind the drain pipeline blockage, it will be easier for you to fix those. You can do unclogging by yourself or with the help of a plumber.
If the blockage is severe and complicated, it’s wise to ask for professional help from plumbers. However, you can unclog the drain by following these steps:
1. Boiling Water
When you diagnose any kind of blockage in the drain pipe, the first thing you should try is boiling water. When you discard the boiling water, a heat transfer will occur from the water to the soap foam buildup.
This heat effectively and efficiently will break the scum buildup into pieces. As a result, the flow will become usual again.
2. Use Of Chemicals
You can also use suitable chemicals in the unclogging operations. Those chemical materials are affordable and also function effectively against the drain clog.
But, most of the time, these chemicals are hazardous to health and have a higher risk in handling. Sometimes, those chemicals are capable of causing more severe pipe damage. So, be careful while using chemicals.
3. Vinegar And Baking Soda
In this method, you can use vinegar and baking soda for the unclogging operations. You need to add a cup of baking soda inside the shower drain. After letting it sit for a few minutes, add vinegar to it. This process is quite helpful in dissolving the clogs of soapy foams and hairs.
4. Using A Plunger
With the help of a plunger, you can mainly remove hair blockage. The air suction will help you pull the hairs from the blockage buildup.
5. Pulling Out The Debris
You can also pull out the debris and the hairs clogging the drain path with your hands. If you can’t reach the clog points with your hand, you can use any simple tool, like drain clog remover. Using the tool, you will have access to the clogged end to pull out that debris.
FAQs
In this FAQ section, we will discuss the most asked question about the clogged shower drain and the leak caused by it.
Generally, it will cost you around $250 to unclog a clogged shower drain. But, if you have minor clogging, the plumber will charge less than $150 for the unclogging task. On the other hand, the cost may increase up to $1000 or more if your main sewer line is clogged.
No. Fixing shower leaks is a relatively more complex task than unclogging the shower. Sometimes, plumbers might need to break the wall to check and repair the leaks.
Conclusion
So, can a clogged shower drain cause a leak? Yes, due to the inappropriate design, corrosion, and excessive pressure of the pipe for the standing water will cause a leak.
If you don’t fix the blockage in the initial stage, the blockage will keep developing. That’s why you need to know the reasons and diagnose the process of the shower drain blockage. With this idea, you can quickly unclog the drain pipe by following the above!