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Common causes of shower and bathtub clogs
Hair is the most common cause of a slow shower or tub drain. Hair washes down with every shower, gathers in the strainer and the trap below, and slowly forms a mat that lets less and less water through. Soap and shampoo leave a film on hair and on the inside of the pipe, which makes the mat thicker and harder for water to pass. In a bathtub, bath oils, bath salts, and skin-care products can add to the same buildup. Over time, mineral scale from hard water can narrow the pipe as well, so a tub that once drained well starts to drain more and more slowly. A shower drain and a bathtub drain can clog in slightly different ways: a shower drain usually clogs at the strainer and the shallow trap just below it, while a bathtub drain can hold more hair and soap deeper in its trap and waste pipe.


