Clogged Drain Repair
Fast clogged drain repair for sinks, tubs, toilets and main lines across Philadelphia, with the cause found and explained before we leave.
Clogged Drain Repair details
24/7 drain cleaning
Shower and Bathtub Drain Cleaning in Philadelphia
Standing in ankle deep water is not a shower. We clear hair, soap scum and buildup from shower and tub drains across Philadelphia and the suburbs, and we protect your tub and tile while we work.
Open 24/7Emergency drain service
Camera ProofSee inside your line
Fully Insured7 years in business
Upfront PricingQuote before work starts
Quick answer: We remove the strainer, protect the shower pan and run a small auger through the drain and trap to grab the hair mat and pull it out. Pulling the hair out is more effective than pushing it down the line, where it can catch again. Then we flush with hot water and test at full flow.
Shower drain cleaning and bathtub drain cleaning remove the hair, soap scum and body product residue that collect in the drain opening, the trap and the line beneath the floor. Hair binds with soap into a stringy mat that catches more hair every day. The result is a shower that pools water, a tub that takes forever to empty, and eventually a drain that will not move.
Tub and shower clogs usually start in the first foot or two of pipe: the stopper assembly, the drain body and the P trap. Many can be cleared from the drain opening or through the overflow plate on a tub. But if your tub also backs up when the toilet flushes or the sink drains, the clog is further down in the shared bathroom line or the main, and fixing only the tub will not help. In older Philadelphia homes, bathrooms on the second floor drain through cast iron or even lead bends into the stack, and those old pipes catch debris more readily.
We use a hand auger or a small drum machine sized for tub and shower drains, working through the drain or overflow to protect the finish. We remove the clog, flush the line and test at full flow. If the problem is deeper, we track it down. You get an upfront quote first and a clean bathroom when we leave.
What we clear
Common Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning Situations
Hair Clogs
Hair is the number one cause of shower and tub clogs. It wraps around the stopper linkage and drain crossbars, then grabs soap and more hair. Pulling the mat out with an auger clears the drain faster and more completely than any chemical.
Soap Scum and Product Buildup
Bar soap, conditioners, oils and shaving cream leave a waxy film inside the pipe. Hard water, common across the Philadelphia region, adds mineral deposits that make the film thicker and rougher, so debris catches more easily.
Stopper and Overflow Problems
Pop up and trip lever stoppers collect hair on their linkage and can stick partly closed. A drain that seems clogged sometimes just has a stopper that is not opening. We check and clean the assembly as part of every tub job.
Shared Bathroom Line Clogs
If the tub fills when the toilet flushes, the clog is in the line the fixtures share or in the stack. We clear it from the right access point, which may be a cleanout, the roof vent or the main line in the basement.
Know the warning signs
Signs Your Shower or Tub Drain Needs Cleaning
- Water pools around your feet during a shower.
- The tub takes a long time to empty after a bath.
- You see hair or a dark slimy mass at the drain opening.
- The drain gurgles or smells musty or sour.
- The tub fills with water when you flush the toilet or run the sink.
- Chemical drain cleaners and plungers have not fixed the problem.
What is included
What Our Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning Service Covers
- Inspection of the stopper, strainer, overflow and drain body
- Upfront quote with clog location explained
- Removal of hair and soap scum from the trap and drain line
- Protection of tub, shower pan and tile surfaces during work
- Reinstallation of stopper and overflow with gasket check
- Full flow test and clean up of the bathroom
How it works
Our Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning Process
Inspect the Drain
We check the stopper, strainer and overflow, run water in the tub or shower and in nearby fixtures. That shows whether the clog is local to the tub or shower or further down the bathroom line, and tells us the best access point.
Quote the Work
You get an upfront quote for clearing the drain and an explanation of where we think the clog is. If we suspect a main line or stack problem, we tell you before starting so there are no surprises.
Clear Hair and Buildup
We remove the stopper or overflow plate, protect the tub surface, and run an auger through the trap and line. We pull out hair and soap buildup instead of just pushing it down. For deeper clogs we work from a cleanout or the stack.
Flush and Reassemble
We flush the drain with hot water, reinstall the stopper and overflow with fresh gaskets when needed, and test at full flow. We wipe down the tub and floor and show you a simple hair catcher option to slow the next clog.
Philadelphia drains
Why Shower and Tub Drains Clog in Older Philadelphia Homes
Most Philadelphia rowhomes put the bathroom on the second floor, with the tub and toilet draining into a cast iron stack that runs down to the basement. In homes from the early 1900s, the tub drain sometimes connects through an old drum trap or a lead bend that collects hair and sludge for decades. Drum traps are round canisters set in the floor, often under a small cover plate near the tub, and they are hard to clean without knowing they are there. We know where to look in rowhomes across South Philly, West Philly, Germantown and the river wards.
Hard water in the region also leaves mineral scale in tub and shower lines, and it builds up faster in homes with older galvanized pipe. In the suburbs, newer homes with PVC drains clog for the same reason everyone's do: hair and soap. Either way, a proper cleaning clears the line and resets the clock.
Pricing
What Affects the Cost of Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning
The cost of shower and tub drain cleaning depends on where the clog is and how we reach it. A hair clog at the stopper or trap is a straightforward job. An old drum trap, a clog in a shared bathroom line or a blockage in the stack takes more time. Stuck or corroded stoppers, tiled in access and after hours visits also factor in. You get an upfront quote before any work starts.
Call (518) 776-7838 for an upfront quote. We answer 24/7 and explain the price before any work starts.
Prevention
How to Keep It From Coming Back
- Use a hair catcher on every shower and tub drain and empty it after each use.
- Brush long hair before showering to keep loose strands out of the drain.
- Pull and clean the tub stopper every couple of months.
- Flush the drain with hot tap water for a minute once a week.
- Run water in a guest shower or tub weekly so the trap does not dry out.
Real photos from our jobs
Recent Drain and Sewer Jobs
No stock photos here. These are our own technicians, our own equipment and real repairs.
Local service
Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning Near You
We provide shower and tub drain cleaning across Philadelphia and Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties.
FAQ
Shower and Tub Drain Cleaning Questions, Answered
We remove the strainer, protect the shower pan and run a small auger through the drain and trap to grab the hair mat and pull it out. Pulling the hair out is more effective than pushing it down the line, where it can catch again. Then we flush with hot water and test at full flow.
Your tub and toilet drain into the same line. When that shared line or the stack below it is clogged, water from the toilet flush backs up into the lowest opening nearby, often the tub. That is a sign of a deeper clog, not a tub clog, and it needs clearing further down the line.
A drum trap is an old style canister trap, often set in the bathroom floor near the tub under a round metal cover. Many early 1900s Philadelphia rowhomes still have one. They collect hair and sludge and are hard to clear from the tub drain alone. Our technicians know how to find and service them.
It can. Harsh chemical cleaners can dull tub finishes, attack old metal drain pipes and loosen gaskets. They also often fail on hair clogs, which leaves a pipe full of caustic water for whoever opens it next. A hand auger or professional cleaning clears the hair without the risk.
Yes, almost always. We access the shower drain through the strainer opening and clear the trap and line from there. Tile only has to come up when the drain body itself is broken or the pipe below is damaged, and we would show you why before recommending that.
With a hair catcher and regular cleaning of the stopper, most tubs go years without a professional cleaning. Households with long hair or heavy use may need it every year or two. If the tub drains slowly again soon after clearing, there may be a drum trap or deeper restriction worth checking.
A smell from a working shower drain usually comes from soap and hair sludge rotting in the trap, or a trap that dries out in a seldom used shower. Cleaning the trap and line removes the source. If the shower is rarely used, run water weekly to keep the trap seal full.
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