Slow shower drain

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Helmsman

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Joined
Oct 3, 2020
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1,135
Location
Chattanooga
Vessel Name
Mishy Jean
Vessel Make
Helmsman Trawler 38E
A friend of mine is struggling with a slow shower drain.

1) he has cleaned the sump and pump out.

2) he has poured boiling hot water down the drain a couple of times.

3) The shower continues to drain slowly.

Any thoughts?

Edit: Found this post with some possible solutions by searching another word set. Any other thoughts?
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s31/shower-problem-58179.html
 
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Kinked hose.
 
rgano said:
Kinked hose.
Click to expand...

My thought exactly. Or Plugged. In any event if it's possible to replace the hose it should fix the problem, especially if the hose is old.
 
Agree on replacing the hose. Did the boiling water get through the hose?
 
The other thing that I used to do was the baking soda and vinegar trick. Boiling water followed by baking soda, followed by vinegar. Let sit for a while - ten minutes seemed to work best - and then more hot water. Worked okay until the hose was sorted properly. Always use the baking soda and vinegar in the rest of the drains.
 
Just changed my hose today. What a PITA! Probably been in there since 1988. Attached a small line to it so I could pull the new hose back the same path. Came loose at the last minute so had to fish the hose out with my mechanical fingers. My wife helped but not real enthusiastic. Took most of the day. BUY A BOAT AND HAVE FUN!!!!
 
Thanks! It is draining. Just slowly. I will tell him to try the different solutions offered. Getting the drain pulled would be a difficult proposition where it is.
 
I just tried this on my boat yesterday and it worked great.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Green-Gobb...Clog-Dissolver-Dual-Chamber-Bottle/5001486121

There used to be standing water in the shower because it was so slow, now water goes down as fast as I can pour it. There are 2 bottles in 1 package. I poured 1 down the drain and left overnight. Then poured 2nd bottle and waited about 4 hours (actually went boating) then flushed with water and it went down quickly. Today I will flush with more water to clear out the sump. I assume it is safe enough for hoses and overboard discharge compares with other drain cleaners. I've also used it in the past on cockpit drains with good results.
 
Slow drain

This was on our 2000 390
 

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We have the same issue with our forward head shower drain. Very slow! After cleaning/blowing the hose out I came to the conclusion it is gravity. The drain in the shower pan forward is what appears to me to be at almost the same level as the hose exit in the sump further aft.

Fortunately for us, the aft head shower/bathtub (which drains properly) is what we use 99.9% of the time.

Just lends credence to one of my favorite sayings: "Gravity. It's not just a good idea, it's the law!"

;)
 
gotfw said:
This was on our 2000 390
Click to expand...

If this was the problem, I'd assume it was always slow. But if it was fine at some point and now getting slower, I would try to clear whatever is clogging it. Again, the drain cleaner I suggested did wonders for me, not sure why nobody had a reply, for or against. Not only did it work great, it's easily the cheapest and easiest thing to try.
 
backinblue said:
If this was the problem, I'd assume it was always slow. But if it was fine at some point and now getting slower, I would try to clear whatever is clogging it. Again, the drain cleaner I suggested did wonders for me, not sure why nobody had a reply, for or against. Not only did it work great, it's easily the cheapest and easiest thing to try.
Click to expand...

I sent your solution to him, he picked some up, it is working a little better after using it once. He had to leave the boat, and will use it again when he gets back. Hopefully, that clears it up for him. I appreciate the guidance!
 
Helmsman said:
I sent your solution to him, he picked some up, it is working a little better after using it once. He had to leave the boat, and will use it again when he gets back. Hopefully, that clears it up for him. I appreciate the guidance!
Click to expand...

Hope so. I would pour in 1 bottle and wait overnight then pour the other bottle and wait half a day or so then flush with hot water. That's what I did. Worked great. Obviously, no bar soap should be used on the boat, only liquid. I also suggest adding a screen to the drain opening to catch hair.
 
No bar soap? Please elaborate, as I've not heard that.
Thanks!
 
Rkarran said:
No bar soap? Please elaborate, as I've not heard that.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Bar soap has compounds which can contribute to clogging better than body wash type soaps. You know, like the analogy of sticks of butter to squeeze butter as regards artery clogging. :)
 
Is there an inline strainer? Mine requires cleaning after a couple months of use. It's an easy 5 minute job.

Before installing the strainer, I found I was fouling my pump so bad with shower gunk that I'd have to open it up and clean the pump valves. After installing the strainer, no problems with the pump.
 
Think about how a bar of soap gets gooey/sticky if it sits in some water. It's not a perfect cure, but IMO liquid soap is less likely to goop-up in your sump.
 
Agree. Our shower drain had minimal slope to the top of the sump box. Removed the box and put a run dry Jabsco pump lower in the bilge. Problem solved.
 
Helping gravity a bit made my shower drain3x faster

Helmsman said:
Yes it did. Helped a little.
Click to expand...

I had similar problem (1988 Bestway). An old salt friend suggested I replace the drain line with slightly smaller clear, smooth tubing (not wire-wound hose) and leave a coil or two of extra tuning in place. Sure enough, shower drain works sorta like a landslide toilet, with the water flowing down the tubing creating suction behind it and acting as a siphon. It gurgles a bit every 5 or 10 seconds and acts like there is a shop vac in the sump. That was ten years and 2 daughters with long hair that felt it necessary to shampoo a couple of times a day. I have to clean out the sump still, but have had zero issues with drain since then.

-Greg
 
I have had a similar problem , and i took the water hose from the dock and sprayed it through my drain ,you won't belive what came out. works perfect now. I also do my galley and head sink and scuppers to keep them clean.
 
Barefoot said:
I have had a similar problem , and i took the water hose from the dock and sprayed it through my drain ,you won't belive what came out. works perfect now. I also do my galley and head sink and scuppers to keep them clean.
Click to expand...
Barefoot, I recently experienced a near complete blockage of my galley drain. I removed the hose from the PVC connection point and used hot water from the drain on my hot water heater to shoot into the hose. Nope. All that happened was that pressure built up until it came right back at me. What a mess. Not until I took everything apart, including the PVC connection plumbing, did I find masses of a white, gooey substance that had almost fully occluded the hose and PVC where they connected. High pressure hot water did not push this mass through. That drain had been slow since owning the boat for 7 years and living aboard for 5 years. Anyway, I removed the goo and now the galley and interconnected head sinks drains well.
 
Check the drop on your pipes and hoses. Do they actually run down hill? I'm not being a smart a$$: mine don't and the shower water is expected to run uphill before exiting. This slows the flow and makes a awful gargling noise for a few hours after a shower.
 
backinblue said:
Think about how a bar of soap gets gooey/sticky if it sits in some water. It's not a perfect cure, but IMO liquid soap is less likely to goop-up in your sump.
Click to expand...

Not only will body wash/liquid soaps help in the shower sump and drains, it also lessens accumulated soap scum on the glass shower doors as well.
One minute with a squeegee on the vertical shower walls is also a great option to keep the space cleaner and drier.
 
Southern Boater said:
Not only will body wash/liquid soaps help in the shower sump and drains, it also lessens accumulated soap scum on the glass shower doors as well.
One minute with a squeegee on the vertical shower walls is also a great option to keep the space cleaner and drier.
Click to expand...

Clean with rain-x occasionally and squeegee works even better.
 
Six years ago I cleaned the shower sump(s) for the last time. It was up there with my least favorite jobs. I purchased a Whale Gulper pump and took the hose from into the sump and connected it to the Gulper pump and the overboard discharge to the output side of the Gulper eliminating the sump entirely. I wired it to a simple on off switch. One of the best improvements I've made. No more cleaning. It pumps out soap, hair, and maybe even pebbles and it can run dry. FYI: https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/product.aspx?Category_ID=&Product_ID=10037&FriendlyID=Gulper-220
 
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