Drain Clogged With Hair?

Identifying a clogged drain

When it comes to your household drains, the presence of a blockage is usually not too hard to identify. The tell-tale signs include water not draining properly from sinks or showers, and sometimes unpleasant smells rising from the plughole as matter accumulates around it.

The cause of a blockage, however, is often more of a mystery.

The list of possible culprits can be narrowed down by figuring out which of your drains is blocked. If the problem is confined to your shower or bathroom sink, there’s a good chance that you’re looking at an accumulation of hair, along with soap, shampoo, cleaning products and oils washed off your skin.

Hair clogging your drain?

While it’s easy to turn a blind eye to this issue, it’s something you’re probably going to have to deal with at some point. It’s better to do this sooner rather than later, as in most cases a blockage isn’t going to dislodge itself, instead becoming bigger and more solid over time as new hair and other particles build up around it.

Keep in mind that there are many possible causes of a blocked drain. If multiple drains across your home are blocked, or there are other issues like dampness in walls or ceilings, the problem will need more in-depth investigation.

How to fix the problem

The good news about this type of pipe blockage is that, unlike those occurring underground or inside your walls, you may be able to dislodge it yourself. While this does depend on the severity and location of the blockage, it’s certainly worth trying one of the methods below.

Hook it out manually

This can be done using a tool such as a plumber’s snake or drain stick. You can even use a wire coathanger - just unwind the wire and reshape into a long, flexible stick with a small hook on one end. You can put this down the drain and try hooking the offending article, then pulling it out and disposing in the bin.

The effectiveness of this relies on the blockage being within reach of your tool. If it’s your sink drain clogged with hair, you may be able to unscrew the U-bend for deeper access.

Boiling water

In most cases, it’s not hair alone that’s causing the blockage. Soap and other cleansers, along with grease naturally occurring in the skin, can solidify part way down the drain and cling to the walls of the pipe. This gives hair something to cling to, and build up into a mass over time.

For this reason, methods used to unclog fats and oils from drains can sometimes dislodge hairballs. Simply boil a pot of water and pour it down the drain, repeating several times.

Call a plumber

This is by far the easiest and most effective way to unclog a drain, regardless of the blockage type or location. A good plumber will be able to inspect the inside of the pipe using a CCTV drain camera, eliminating the guesswork and cutting straight to the most efficient treatment.

The qualified plumbers at Drainpro can dislodge even the most stubborn blockages using high pressure water jets. This technique uses specialised equipment to clear pipes effectively, and has the benefit of cleaning out any smaller blocks that may be building up, giving you longer lasting results.

We’re here to help

Got a sink or shower drain clogged with hair? >The experts at Drainpro can accurately diagnose this issue and get it fixed quickly, with lasting results. Call our team on 1300 303 247 to make an appointment, or use our simple online form.