01 May. 19

Can Your Toilet and Shower Clog at the Same Time?

A clogged drain pipe can block the water from a shower stall and also from a toilet because the water from the shower stall and from the toilet does eventually flow through the same pipe. The water will not quickly flow down the drain if an obstruction is blocking the water inside the pipe. The drain for a shower stall can be clogged by hair and soap residue. A toilet can be clogged by an accumulation of dry and hard residue inside the pipe.

Drain Pipe for a Shower Stall

The drain pipe for a shower stall has a flow of water that can be mixed with shampoos, bar soaps, body washes and strands of hair. If the strands of hair are very long, then a clump of hair could clog the drain. There are several different types of shampoos, bar soaps and body washes that have different ingredients, which may or may not cause a problem by leaving some residue inside a pipe. Some products with natural ingredients may cause fewer problems, such as homemade shampoos or homemade soaps.

Sewer Line for a Toilet

The water that flows through a sewer line could be mixed with oils that would leave a residue on the inside of the pipe, which could eventually cause a problem by blocking the flow of water through the pipe. The problem from a buildup of residue inside the pipe may initially be noticeable because there is a much slower rate of flow for the water that is flowing down and out of the toilet. When the slower flowing water is first observed, there are preventative techniques that can be used to remove some of the buildup of residue that is inside the pipe.

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

The deposits of residue inside a pipe may initially be soft but could become harder if there is not a constant flow of water through the pipe. Two key preventative maintenance techniques are to control the types of substances that are put into a drain and to take immediate action for resolving a problem from a slower rate of flow for the water through a drain pipe. The water that flows through a toilet is usually cold, which would have a temperature that could cause a soft, oily residue to then become a solid mass, such as coconut oil.

Professional Advice for Problems

A filter type of drain cover could be used over the drain for a shower stall to prevent hair from flowing down the drain. Hot water can be poured through the drain to cause some soap residue inside the pipe to soften and to then flow down the pipe. A toilet can be repeatedly flushed to cause a flow of water, without any debris, to flow through the pipe in an attempt to remove some residue from inside the pipe. If a problem has escalated to the level for professional help, then our Woodbridge plumbers can offer professional advice and professional services for handling that problem.