How to Diagnose Sediments Coming Up in a Shower

Remove the screw in the middle of the shower drain’s cover, and then pry the cover out of the drain using your fingers. Spread dish detergent around and inside the drain body, and then run hot water down the drain while you scrub the drain’s inside with a large bottle brush.

Running hot water down the shower’s drain for two minutes after you finish cleaning ensures that no loose slime stays in the drain. Shine a flashlight inside the drain once you have finish rinsing and look for the presence of slime. Clean the drain again if necessary.

Run an auger line down the shower’s drain, spinning the crank on the auger’s body clockwise. Push the auger’s line through any clogs you feel it contact, and then pull the line out of the drain while turning the crank counterclockwise. Running hot water down the drain for two minutes loosens any leftover debris from the clog.

Place a ladder next to your house and climb the ladder to the roof. Look down the plumbing vent pipe that sits roughly above the bathroom where the shower is located. Use a flashlight and see if any clogs are inside the pipe.

Spray water down the vent pipe if you see a clog or if you cannot see down the pipe. Stop spraying water down the vent pipe once you hear the water flowing down the pipe freely, signaling that the clog has been dislodged.

Locate the sewer drain line cleanouts that sit between your house and the sewer or septic tank. If you see water coming out from around the cleanouts’ covers, this signals a clog is blocking the wastewater’s flow through the sewer drain line. Remove the cleanout covers by clamping and adjustable wrench to the knob on the cover and turning it counterclockwise. If you see debris or standing water in the cleanouts, this also means a clog exists in the sewer drain line.