Slow Shower drain 2000 Suncruiser 35U

[Romer1]

What is the recommended way to fix a slow shower drain? Have tried an enzyme product that doesn't really help. Don't want to use Drano.Can't see way to remove drian cover, 2000 Suncruiser 35U

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[Morich]

Sounds like time to "tool up"!
There are several ways to go, depending on what exact drain you have. We can look at drawings and see it should be a part 132150-01-01A but since shower drains tend to get bent and replaced, that may not be what you have, so moving on to things that might help more?

If the cover won't just pop up and off, it may be a type that screwed into the base and you may need to either work on getting it unscrewed or work through it. Removal can be made a lot eaiser with a tool like this to unscrew it:
https://www.amazon.com/Armour-Line-R...842158285&th=1

With this you stick the points down the holes and it gives you leverage to get it unstuck.
Downside is that really stuck ones may bend the thinn metal of the strainer to the point of needing replaced. I don't like leaving sharp point sticking up in my shower!

It may/may not come loose easy!
Sometimes we can get it started by putting some tool into a hole and tapping with a screwdriver to get it started unscrewing?

Another way is to avoid removal if that works out to be too hard and work through the strainer holes. It takes a thin tool like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pypthon-...P001/206405608

A thin plastic flex tool that has barbs that you force down and snag the hair ball, etc and pull it up. Good that it often fits the holes or we can drill larger pretty easy in the thin metal.
Downside is that it won't often come out the small holes when you get much hair snagged on the end!

My choice when faced with too much work is to go for chemicals that desolve hair as the most likely suspect. If I'm in a campground and not wanting to kill the good bacteria in the camp septic system, I can drain the grey water, do the chemicals and the catch the small amount in a bucket for correct disposal as a seperate dump!

[Romer1]

Sorry for the delay, work gets in the way.



I'll probably try some Zep Drain Defense since they claim no corrosive chemicals. Will be camping this week, let you know next weekend.

[teddy]

Originally Posted by Romer1

What is the recommended way to fix a slow shower drain? Have tried an enzyme product that doesn't really help. Don't want to use Drano.Can't see way to remove drian cover, 2000 Suncruiser 35U

__________________

Resist adding chemical drain cleaners into your plastic plumbing and grey tank gate valves.
Instead, start with simple non-corrosive solutions.
1. For example, gently pour saucepans of boiling water gently down the drain.
2. Next, try an inexpensive flexible plastic drain tool with the plastic barbs.
3. If you have a removable access cover outside the shower adjacent to the drain, you may be able to locate and clean a removable trap.
4. If all else fails, crewcuts for everybody and no more body products .. just good ole baking soda and a stiff brush.

Good luck.
-Teddy

[deckape]

Should be able to remove cover and fish a hair removing device to hairball . Most shower drains have a duck-bill type of valve allowing flow one way , to tank . Don't use wet-vac as this will damage valve . Ask me how I know . Pour hot water to flush line when done .

[creativepart]

I would agree with the no chemical solutions!

I carry a clean, drains only, plunger with me and that’s alway done the trick for me.

Also, Amazon sells a flexible plastic barbed clog remover. I’ll bet you can find these at Walmart and Home Depot, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Upgra.../dp/B089R694YM

[danhannah]

I don't know about the barb-type drain clear devices. You may have a duck-bill kind of a device under there, in place of a P-trap. Barbs could mess that up.

Google duckbill check valves, that's what Winnie put in mine. They are easy to clog, and easy to clear.

Drag a hose in the shower, and just shove lots of water through the drain with lots of pressure. That works for me every time!

Good Luck

[marudnick]

Originally Posted by danhannah

Drag a hose in the shower, and just shove lots of water through the drain with lots of pressure. That works for me every time!

Our shower head has a hose attached to it. I have popped off the drain cover, placed the shower head in the drain (fits perfectly) and flushed with hot water. That helps for a time but I have to repeat every few months. I may try the plastic clog removers that creativepart mentioned to see if that gives me a longer lasting solution.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by marudnick

Our shower head has a hose attached to it. I have popped off the drain cover, placed the shower head in the drain (fits perfectly) and flushed with hot water. That helps for a time but I have to repeat every few months. I may try the plastic clog removers that creativepart mentioned to see if that gives me a longer lasting solution.

This is another one of those times when we need to check closer for what we have on our own specific RV as the traps on older can be cleared in different ways that will ruin the newer design!

I was unable to pull up the 2019 year of your model as they are doing some work.
But if we look at the 2018 and 2020 models we see they both use waterless traps and that can make a BIG difference in what you want to do to clear them!
Parts drawings here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

This is what they show on the two before and after your year and I would guess the same on your year?


The yellow item is the waterless trap and can be spotted due to no low hanging section for water to stand in as the seal for odors.

This is something that we might think of as a one way "check valve"?
Not the same but somewhat!

The difference in clearing the older trap and this one can make a big difference in what we want to do.
If we clear debris as in the older by running some kind of snake down to clear it, there is a good chance the snake gets caught or damages the waterless trap up to the point it no longer works!

Big time trouble to get under there and replace it, so it pays to know which trap you have before going too heavy on things to clear it!

If the trap is just a curved section of solid pipe, we can bang around pretty heavy or use chemicals to clear it. Not so true on the waterless trap!

Be alert as we can actually shoot ourself in the foot!

[marudnick]

Originally Posted by Morich

This is another one of those times when we need to check closer for what we have on our own specific RV as the traps on older can be cleared in different ways that will ruin the newer design!

Well, thank you for pointing this out. I would never have thought that this would be an issue. That’s why I like this forum.

Maybe the best approach for me is to continue doing what I have done previously, force hot water down the drain every few months when there is a problem.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by teddy

Resist adding chemical drain cleaners into your plastic plumbing and grey tank gate valves.
Instead, start with simple non-corrosive solutions.
1. For example, gently pour saucepans of boiling water gently down the drain.
2. Next, try an inexpensive flexible plastic drain tool with the plastic barbs.
3. If you have a removable access cover outside the shower adjacent to the drain, you may be able to locate and clean a removable trap.
4. If all else fails, crewcuts for everybody and no more body products .. just good ole baking soda and a stiff brush.

Good luck.
-Teddy

Exception; do not use a zip-tool if the drain has a HepVo valve instead of a "P" trap.

[Morich]

Dan Hannah's post above came through with the name of the inside part of the waterless trap and it makes it easy to see why we should be a bit carefull when trying to clear them as the are just a small, flexible piece of silicone, etc that lets the water push it's way trhough but then closes when the water is past so that fumes stay out.



This is the part inside the part we can see but if we run something to solid down the drain and hang in the end of this little flap, we will ruin it! You can run a coathanger down an old trap but if you hang one in this duckbill, it's gone!

[Romer1]

I used the ZEP Drain Defense for the past 3 days. Drainage not quite back to where it had been, but is much better. Drain Defense is a combo of bacteria and enzymes.


Now if I could figure out how to remove the drain cover, I would try some of the above suggestions

[danhannah]

Pressed in - just pry out. See the squared off holes on the perimeter? Those are tabs holding pressure on the sides. Just pressed in, I think...

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by danhannah

Pressed in - just pry out. See the squared off holes on the perimeter? Those are tabs holding pressure on the sides. Just pressed in, I think...

It's the I Think oart that bothers me. With my luck, the shower base will crack and I'll have a very very unhappy wife

[Morich]

Originally Posted by danhannah

Pressed in - just pry out. See the squared off holes on the perimeter? Those are tabs holding pressure on the sides. Just pressed in, I think...

Fully agree with Dan on this one!
When they are stamping these out, instead of cutting a full hole, that space is punched with a three sided point and the "flap" is pushed down to snap into the main body!
Likely semi-rusted to it so a couple hard taps may help to break it loose.

And before we get things too confused, I looked at the drawings for the drains on your RV and you do have the sturdy older style p-traps, so you can go with less fear of tearing something delicate!

One of the little differences in RV versus house plumbing is the way we use the water. If we had a tub full of water and suddenly drained it, there is a good chance any hair /soap clogs will get washed on down but in an RV and shower only, that is less likely, so it collects in the trap until we force it to move!
Something that eats hair and soap or something rougher like a drain snake to run down and grab it to pull it up and out!

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by Morich

Fully agree with Dan on this one!
When they are stamping these out, instead of cutting a full hole, that space is punched with a three sided point and the "flap" is pushed down to snap into the main body!
Likely semi-rusted to it so a couple hard taps may help to break it loose.

And before we get things too confused, I looked at the drawings for the drains on your RV and you do have the sturdy older style p-traps, so you can go with less fear of tearing something delicate!

One of the little differences in RV versus house plumbing is the way we use the water. If we had a tub full of water and suddenly drained it. there is a good chance any hair /soap clogs will get washed on down but in an RV and shower only, that is less likely, so it collects in the trap until we force it to move!
Something that eats hair and soap or something rougher like a drain snake to run down and grab it to pull it up and out!

Thanks. Like I said, the ZEP drain defense seemed to cleared most of it. Now it almost keeps up with the flow out of the shower head

[Morich]

Originally Posted by Romer1

Thanks. Like I said, the ZEP drain defense seemed to cleared most of it. Now it almost keeps up with the flow out of the shower head

You may be the victim of sand! I once bought an old trailer and talking to the previous owners, they told me it was probalby from going to the beach and hosing the kids down after.

Showers in RV run so slow it can leave the heavy stuff hanging out in the bottom of the trap.
After is is stored and the trap may dry out, it can get like concrete!
Maybe a hose with hot water and stuck straight down in the opening would do a lot?

[Ray,IN]

When my shower drains gets slow, I cover the drain screen with a washrag and allow water to build up to near overflowing, then remove the washrag. Once in a while I can see when any blockage clears, the water begins to swirl down the drain.
Someone mentioned it already; baking soda and vinegar treatment.