A shower backing up is common occurrence unfortunately. Have you ever gotten in the shower and before you know it, you’re standing in a puddle? Standing in dirty water is not just unpleasant; it means something is wrong with your plumbing. Industry statistics show that most emergency plumbing calls are a result of drainage issues, and clogged showers are a sizable part of the mix. Let’s find out what the most likely reasons are that the shower is backing up in your bathroom.
Reasons for Internal Clogs
The simple answer to why the shower is clogged is generally one answer: something is obstructing the drain. Internal clogs make up most shower drainage problems.
- Hair and Soap Scum
Hair and soap scum account for most shower drain clogs. Hair continuously falls from our bodies during a shower, which means long hair (from our head) and short hair (from shaving). It simply washes in, along with soap scum, and collects in the drain a little bit at a time. Soap creates a sticky surface in your pipes and hair sticks to this sticky surface, or visa versa. Over time, this sometimes complements the soap scum, so the clumps get tangled and as it forms a thick net, it collects increasingly larger amounts of debris. Even short hair creates surprisingly strong clogs, since soap and hair appear to stick together.Â
- Bath Products and Residue
What feels great, can be terrible for your plumbing. Bath bombs are made up of salts, oils and glitter or flower petals that do not always dissolve. Oil products are the worst because they solidify when cooled down. Homes that use bath oils on a regular basis have more clogs compared to those who do not use them. Everyone can relate to the shower backing up a week later because of the glitter or particles not dissolving in the pipes! Considering vegetable oil-based soaps over animal fat-based soaps can help.
- Foreign Objects
Children’s toys, brush bristles, razor parts, jewelry (particularly rings), and even washcloths can easily go down drains and be a pain to remove. Small things could still be a source for hair and soap scum even when they don’t immediately block the drain. Later, when hair gathers around the small object it then can strategically anchor the collecting hair and soap scum causing continuity backup eventually leading to a blockage.
- Soap Scum and Mineral Buildup
People who live in hard water areas may be more prone to drain clogs. Hard water contains high concentrations of calcium and magnesium, which react with soap leaving behind residue. Eventually, this residue builds up as mineral deposits inside your pipes, and slows down the water flow. Once this mineral build-up occurs, it can reduce your pipe diameter significantly, reducing drainage productiveness until you experience a full blockage.
External and Systemic Causes
Sometimes, the reason for a shower backing up is not a problem with the shower drain, but with the main plumbing they connect to.
Main Sewer Line Clogs
A shower backing up could be an issue with your sewer line! A problem with your main sewer line is similar to having a traffic jam along the highway: when a clog occurs along your sewer line, everything backs up. Main sewer line clogs account for approximately 20% of all shower backup cases. The pattern in the history of a “main line” clog usually will expose itself. For example, it may manifest as multiple drains backing up at the same time or have an issue with fixtures that seem to be unrelated (i.e., your shower backs up while you run your washing machine). Main line clogs will occur from excess debris, collapsed pipes, or an issue with the municipal sewer system. These clogs typically do not resolve themselves without help.
Tree Root Infiltration
Nature never quits. Tree roots naturally grow toward water sources (which often come from inside sewer lines). When sewer lines crack, tree roots will pursuit any amount of water. Over time, tree roots will grow within pipes to file a clog or break pipes apart as they grow. Root infiltration accounts for alot of external sewer line clogs, and is overwhelmingly more in older neighborhoods with larger trees. Generally speaking, the tree root invasion grows worse in spring and summer months. If you have an older home to where there are larger trees approximately 30 feet away, and your shower backs up when it is spring or summer months – that may lead to root infiltration.
Collapsed or Damaged Pipes
Pipes break, rot, and collapse over time as they deteriorate, and each material has its own life expectancy. Cast iron and clay pipes in older homes are especially susceptible as cast iron has an expected life of 75 – 100 years and clay pipes have lifetimes that range from 50 – 60 years. Damage can occur to pipes from the ground shifting, frozen earth, work done from construction, and the weight of vehicles driving over pipes that are buried. A collapsed pipe does not only stop flow, it can eliminate it completely. Some serious shower backup incidents have some form of pipe collapse, this number increases in areas of extreme temperature changes or seismic activity.
Drain pop-up or mechanism
Frequently the drain pop-up aka drain plug mechanism, can accumulate hair, soap, and grease that slows or stops the drain. This is a relatively simple fix. Remove the mechanism and clean it by hand. It only takes minutes, and frequently cures a slow shower or sink drain.
Improper Pipe Installation
Occasionally, the reason for the shower backing up is a result of installation mistakes. Pipes need a proper slope (typically ÂĽ inch drop per foot) to allow gravity to maximize the flow of wastewater and its content. Improper junctions, insufficient support or using a wrong type of pipe can all have a negative effect on draining. While less often in professionally installed plumbing, the chance of making these kinds of mistakes increases with DIY plumbing.
Vent Pipe Issues
Your plumbing system requires air to work properly. Vent pipes help permit air to enter the plumbing system to allow atmospheric pressure to help water flow while letting sewer gases exit without obstruction. When vent pipes become blocked — from ice, leaves, or animal nests, for example — the plumbing creates a vacuum effect which can slow drainage significantly. A small portion of shower backup cases are due to ventilation issues. Signs of vent issues can be numerous slow drains throughout the house, gurgling noises, sewer smells — along with your shower backing up!
Warning Signs of a Backed-Up Shower Drain
Being aware of early signs can help take care of the reason why the shower is backing up before this becomes a real problem.
Slow Drainage
The most common early warning sign is simply slow drainage. If you have a shower with water that would previously drain immediately and now sits for 30+ seconds, you’re starting to restrict the flow of water. Typically a complete clog develops over time; slow drains generally slow week by week until they finally stop all together. It’s very important when the drain stops draining to remember what happened 1, 2 or 3 weeks before it finally became sluggish. A shower or a bathtub that is slowing with the sense of time is complaining of increasing blockage that just won’t fix itself!
Standing Water
When you’ve gotten out of the shower, and the tub has water an inch deep or deeper, you have clearly passed warning signs, and have a problem that is active – how deep it is shows the level of blockage. Water that eventually drains suggests a partial clog, while water that doesn’t drain indicates a complete blockage. About 60% of homeowners wait until they have standing water before seeking help—missing easier intervention opportunities.
Unusual Noises
If you hear gurgling from the shower drain or from nearby fixtures, then you are experiencing air being pushed through water. In other words, either the drain has a clog that is developing or the venting system has a problem. If more than one fixture makes the gurgling noise at the same time, pay attention to what is happening. For example, if your toilet gurgles when you drain your bathtub, or if your sink is noisy when you are running the washing machine; then it could be a problem with the main line and not just a clogged shower drain.
Cross-Fixture Symptoms
By far the most indicative symptom of a significant problem is cross-fixture symptoms:
- Water coming into the shower when running the laundry
- Toilet bubbling when draining the sink
- Multiple fixtures backing up at the same time
These symptoms point toward something in the main line rather than just a localized issue. Sometimes when homeowners are asking why their shower is backing up has to do with a main line clog affecting multiple fixtures.
Conclusion
Knowing why your shower is backing up helps you fix it the right way. Most backups occur from hair, soap scum and products to clogging your drain. Those types of simple clog issues can become real problems if left unresolved, especially if you have a clog in your main sewer line, broken pipes, or venting issues. Don’t let the slow drainage alarm go off on you—you’ve got to listen to it. It’s always easier and cheaper to fix a little clog before it develops into a complete blockage. You can’t miss getting a drain cover and keeping up on regular maintenance; it saves you from the nasty experience of being ankle-deep in backed-up shower water. Â
