Istanbul Shower and Bathtub Drain Unclogging
For bathroom drain unclogging, Cantley works through the floor drain, the shower tray or the bathtub trap and clears hair and soap buildup without breaking any tiles. The bathroom is where a blockage creeps up on you most quietly in a home: with every shower a few strands of hair and a little soap go down, and over weeks they collect inside the pipe. One day the water rises to your ankles while you shower, or the bathtub simply will not empty. In most homes the shower drain, bathtub drain and floor drain join the same line, so when one blocks, the others are affected too.
Bathrooms use a variety of drain types, and each one is opened differently. Classic round strainers, the shallow traps under shower trays, the bathtub overflow pipe and the long or rectangular channel drains that have become common in recent years all need a different approach. In channel drains, hair and soap build up especially fast in the narrow chamber under the grate. The crew sees the drain type on site, chooses the right tool and works without damaging grout or silicone. After the bathroom blockage is cleared, the strainers and covers are refitted and the flow is tested with running water.
Signs of a blocked bathroom drain
Bathroom drains usually block gradually, and spotting the signs early makes the job easier.
Water pooling in the shower
If water collects in the tray or on the floor while you shower and takes a while to drain after you finish, a clump of hair has formed under the strainer or in the trap. As the blockage grows, the risk of water spreading towards the bathroom door increases.
Bathtub drains slowly
If no whirlpool forms at the plughole when you empty the bathtub and the water goes down slowly with a gurgling sound, there is a narrowing in the bathtub trap or where the overflow pipe joins it. Because bathtubs hold so much water, even a small narrowing makes emptying noticeably longer.
Smell from the floor drain
If a sewer or rotten egg smell comes from the bathroom floor drain, sediment has built up in the trap or the water seal of the drain has dried out. A smell caused by sediment will not go away for good until the trap and the line are cleaned. Scented products only mask it.
Overflow at a channel drain
If you have a long bathroom drain or a rectangular channel drain, water spilling over the edges of the grate or foamy water collecting in the chamber shows that the narrow section under the grate is full. Buildup in these drains is out of sight, so it is noticed late.
Shower and toilet affect each other
If water or air bubbles come up through the shower drain when you flush the toilet, the blockage is in the shared line where the bathroom drains meet. In that case cleaning the shower strainer is not enough, and the main bathroom line also needs to be cleared with a snake or a robotic cutter.
What causes blockages in bathroom drains
Hair is the main culprit in bathroom blockages. Long hair sheds easily in the shower and catches like a net right below the strainer. That net holds the greasy substances in shampoo, conditioner and soap, and over time forms a dense, matted plug. Even in homes with short hair, shaved stubble and fur shed while washing a pet have the same effect. The plug can sit too deep to be seen from the strainer and cannot be reached with a rod.
The second cause is soap residue combining with limescale. The fats in bar soap react with hard water and leave a grey, hard layer on the pipe wall. On its own this layer does not stop the water, but it creates a rough surface for hair to cling to. Bath salts, clay masks and the grains in body scrubs also mix into this layer and gradually turn the line stony. This hard layer cannot be removed from the pipe without pressurised water or a robotic cutter, and it gets a little thicker with every shower.
The third cause is the plumbing itself. The traps under shower trays are small and shallow, and hard to reach for cleaning. In channel drains, a chamber laid with too little fall holds the water back. In older buildings the bathroom line joins the building's shared stack through a long, barely sloping horizontal pipe, and that pipe is where sediment piles up most. Pieces of grout filler or silicone that slip into the pipe after a bathroom renovation can also cause unexpected blockages.
How shower, bathtub and floor drains are cleared
Every drain in the bathroom has its own point of entry, and we start from the nearest one that needs the least intervention.
Strainer and chamber
The shower strainer or the channel drain grate is opened, the trap insert underneath is removed and the chamber is cleaned of hair and sediment. In channel drains, the narrow groove running along the grate is cleaned separately. Many bathroom drains run freely again at this stage.
Trap and overflow pipe
On a bathtub, the plug mechanism and the overflow cover are taken off and the buildup behind them is removed. On a shower tray, the trap is reached through the strainer with a fine-tipped snake. The tray or bathtub is not lifted out. The work is done through the drain opening and, where there is one, the service panel on the side of the bathtub.
Shared bathroom line
If the blockage is beyond the trap, a motorised drain snake is run towards the shared bathroom line, and the matted hair plug is broken up and pulled out. If the line is coated with hard sediment, a robotic cutter scrapes the pipe wall, followed by a high-pressure water flush. The floor and wall tiles are not broken at this stage.
Flow test
The shower is left running for a while, the bathtub is filled and emptied, and the toilet is flushed to see how all the drains behave together. If anything looks doubtful, the line is inspected with a CCTV drain camera. The strainers and seals are refitted, the bathroom is left clean and dry, and the work done is explained to you.
Protecting your bathroom while you wait
- Stop using the shower and bathtub. Water that collects in a blocked drain can seep through the tile grout into the flat below or the next room.
- Pick up any hair visible on the strainer with a glove, but do not force off the grate or the channel drain cover.
- Collect the water on the bathroom floor with a squeegee and a bucket, and lift rugs and mats so they do not get soaked.
- If you have already poured bleach or a drain opener into the drain, tell the crew. Mixed products can give off harmful fumes.
- The toilet may be connected to the same line, so flush it as little as possible.
Shower and Bathtub Drain Unclogging by district
We provide this service in all 39 districts of Istanbul. Choose your district.
Frequently asked questions
Do tiles get broken when a shower drain is blocked?
No, almost all shower drain blockages are cleared without breaking tiles. The strainer or channel drain grate is opened, and the trap and then the shared bathroom line are reached with a snake and a robotic cutter. Breaking is only discussed if the pipe is cracked, a joint has separated or the line has collapsed, and the camera clearly shows it.
How do you clean a long bathroom drain?
The grate is lifted, and the groove and trap insert underneath are removed and cleaned. A long bathroom drain or rectangular channel drain has a narrow chamber under the grate where hair and soap build up easily. If the water still runs slowly after the chamber is cleaned, the problem is in the pipe the channel drain connects to, and it is cleared with a snake.
Why does bathtub water drain slowly?
It is usually slow because of hair and soap residue that has built up in the bathtub's plug mechanism and trap. In bathtubs the overflow pipe also joins the trap, and this junction is where residue collects. The plug and overflow cover are removed for cleaning, and if the problem continues the line is cleared with a snake.
What causes a smell from a bathroom drain?
The most common cause is the water in the trap drying out, or hair and soap residue rotting under the strainer. In a bathroom that is not used for a long time, the water evaporates and sewer smell comes straight into the room. Running some water down the drain fixes this. If the smell continues after running water, the trap and the line need cleaning.
What should I do to stop a bathroom drain blocking again after it is cleared?
Using a hair-catching strainer in the shower and bathtub is the most effective measure. Throwing away the hair collected in the strainer after every shower, opening and cleaning the channel drain grate at regular intervals, and not pouring clay, salt or gritty products down the drain all help keep blockages away. If it keeps happening, a camera inspection of the line is recommended.
Our other services
No-Dig Drain Unclogging
We locate the blockage with a camera, then clear it with a drain snake and pressurised water. Your tiles stay where they are.
See detailsToilet Unclogging
From an overflowing toilet to the building's shared stack, we clear the toilet drain.
See detailsWashbasin Unclogging
Whether the blockage is in the trap or in the line inside the wall, we clear it cleanly.
See detailsKitchen Sink Unclogging
We jet the whole kitchen drain line with high-pressure water to remove built-up grease and starch.
See detailsCommercial Kitchen Drain Clearing
In restaurant and cafe kitchens, we clear the floor drain, grease trap and shared line without interrupting service.
See detailsBalcony Drain Unclogging
We clear balcony drains clogged with leaves, soil and sand before the rain arrives.
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We work out which drain is blocked, then clear the line in your home or workplace.
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Is the blockage in the trap, the shared stack or the building outlet? We find it and show you the cause so it doesn't come back.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Unclogging
We clear PVC drain pipes without breaking anything, using heads that won't damage them.
See detailsPipe Unclogging
PVC, cast iron, galvanised or concrete pipe: we clear the blocked pipe with a head suited to its material.
See detailsCCTV Drain Unclogging
We look inside the pipe together on a screen and clear the blockage exactly where it is.
See detailsManhole Unclogging
We clear the inlet and outlet lines of an overflowing manhole and get the flow moving again.
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We clear the building's main sewer line all the way to the street connection.
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We use high-pressure water to clear garden lines, ramp and car park grates, and storm drains.
See detailsSewer Cleaning
We regularly clean out sludge, grease and root build-up with high-pressure water jetting.
See detailsSewer Camera Inspection
We find cracks, collapses and root intrusion with a CCTV drain camera and show you the footage.
See detailsSewer Line Renewal
We locate the damaged section with a camera and replace only the part that needs it.
See detailsBackflow Valve Installation
We keep water that comes back up from the street in heavy rain out of your basement and ground floor.
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We replace PVC drain pipes that are cracked, leaking or laid with the wrong fall.
See detailsVacuum Truck Service
24/7 pumping with combination and mini vacuum trucks for septic tanks, manholes, grease traps and flooded basements.
See detailsSeptic Tank Pumping
We empty full or overflowing septic tanks by vacuum and take the waste to an authorised disposal point.
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We clean the sludge at the bottom, the crust on the walls and the inlet and outlet pipes with high-pressure water.
See detailsCombi Vacuum Jetting Truck
One truck jets the line clean and vacuums out the sludge, for blocked main lines and full manholes.
See detailsMini Vacuum Truck
Our small truck gets into narrow streets, steep hills, courtyards and low garage entrances.
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We pump out an enclosed car park flooded after rain and clear the grate and ramp channels.
See detailsVacuum Truck Hire
We assign an operator-driven vacuum truck to construction sites, factories and housing complexes for scheduled or regular work.
See detailsPrivate Vacuum Truck Service
A vacuum truck for your own property that comes on your schedule, with no waiting in a queue.
See detailsVacuum Truck Company
A vacuum truck company that asks about the job over the phone, picks the right truck and transports the waste according to the rules.
See detailsIf your shower is overflowing, call the crew
If your bathroom, shower or bathtub drain is blocked, call 0212 923 66 85 or leave a message on WhatsApp. The crew comes to your address in Istanbul 24/7 and clears your drain without touching the tiles.