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Stesso
Project

Remove Hair and Debris — Remove Visible Obstructions

Beginner45 mins

Part of project

Unclog a Shower Drain: A Step-by-Step Guide · Step 2 of 3

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In this video

Inspect the removed drain stopper. The grate mechanism for catching debris is part of the stopper itself. Manually pull out any large clumps of hair or other debris caught in the grate. If hair is tightly wound, you may need to carefully cut it to facilitate removal.

Goal: Clear large debris from the stopper

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FAQs

What specific tools will I need for this shower drain unclogging project?

You'll primarily need a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the drain cover, and tweezers or pliers to extract visible obstructions. A kettle or pot to boil water is also essential for flushing. The mention of "Wire Connectors" in the project description seems to be an error and is not needed for this task.

What safety precautions are important to take when using boiling water on the drain?

Exercise extreme caution when pouring boiling water to avoid splashes and burns to your skin. Never mix boiling water with chemical drain cleaners, as this can create dangerous fumes or explosive reactions. Ensure good ventilation in the bathroom before starting.

The project mentions 45 minutes; is this realistic for a beginner, and what if it takes longer?

Yes, 45 minutes is a realistic estimate for a beginner tackling a common hair or soap scum clog. If the clog is deeper or more stubborn, it might take longer or require additional steps like using a drain snake, which is beyond the scope of this guide. Don't rush the process.

What should I do if the boiling water and baking soda method doesn't fully clear the clog?

If the clog persists after trying the boiling water and baking soda method, you can try using a cup plunger for more forceful suction. For deeper clogs, a drain snake might be necessary. If these DIY methods fail, it's best to contact a professional plumber to avoid causing further damage.

Transcript
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to the side. If you look inside of the sink drain there's no grate like literally I could just put my finger right down there. There's no grate. So with that being said make sure no debris is going to fall down there. I'm holding onto my wedding ring extra tight. You want to make sure nothing falls down there. Now this pop-up drain stopper is fairly clean because it's fairly new but I'm going to show you exactly what you would do even if it's not clean and new. Even if your drain stopper was filthy this is the steps that you want to follow. First and foremost you want to remove any hair that is in the pop-up drain stopper. In this case as you can see there's just a little piece of hair. There's a couple pieces of hair right over there. This is actually my and my parent's house. So to be honest with you I don't know if my dad's going to be watching this ever to be honest with you but this is probably when my dad ended up trimming his chest hair. That's where the hair is from. Funny little thing to know. Alright so you want to get rid of any hair. Now you might have to be pulling it out. You might have to cut it out if it's really intense. Now what you want to clean are essentially three different things. You want to clean the actual drain stop itself. Then you want to clean the threads right here that allow it to be threaded into place and then you want to clean the threads on the inside that allow it to be threaded into place because you're not going to get a solid closing if the threads are not clean. So let's go ahead. You can use soap but to be honest it did all the pens. This isn't that dirty. So in this case I could probably just use my fingers. So I'm going to turn the water on as

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