Shower drains are an indispensable part of a shower system. It lets the dirty water from the shower flow through and enter the sewage. Thus, shower drains play a vital role in keeping your shower neat and clean.

A shower drain is usually a fixed structure and is flushed against the floor of the shower. There are different types of shower drains available in the market. You can go for one depending on the overall design of your bathroom and your personal choice.

What Are the Different Types of Shower Drains?

Shower drains are available in different styles and designs. Let us have a look at a few of the popular types of shower drains.

  • Point drain: This is the most popular type of shower drain found in almost all bathrooms. This type of drain is fixed in the middle of the shower floor. The floor is sloped so that the water flows directly onto the drain.

The point drain is available in both round and square shapes.

  • Linear drain: This type of drain is long and narrow and is fixed on the side or entrance of the shower. The entire shower floor is sloped so that the water drains into the linear drain. The linear drain is mostly used for its stylish look.

  • Tile top linear drain: This type of drain has a removal tile pan attached to the drain strainer. The tile fixed on the drain matches the floor tile.This type of shower drain is used to camouflage the drain and provide a clean look.

 

What Are the Things to Consider While Purchasing a Shower Drain?

  • Style: The first consideration should be the style of the shower drain. You need to decide whether to go for a point drain, linear drain, or tile top linear drain.This is purely a personal choice and should be based on the overall design of your bathroom. If your bathroom is designed in a contemporary style, you should go for a drain in chrome finish. For a more stylish design, you can opt for rose gold or gold finish. If you want to provide an antique touch to your bathroom, then a shower drain in the antique brass finish would be the right choice.
  • Length and size of the drain: This depends on the size of the bathroom and then the amount of water that is expected to flow through. If you have a large bathroom with a shower panel, then you can opt for a linear drain. For a small bathroom with a simple showerhead, a point drain in round or square shape would be ideal.
  • Maintenance: A shower drain is sure to get clogged by hair and dead skin cells. Thus, the shower drain selected should be such that it is easy to remove and clean it.

Why Should You Remove a Shower Drain?

Under normal circumstances, there is no need to remove a shower drain just to remove shower drain cover. Water flows through it freely, thus leaving you with a neat and clean shower area. But there are certain situations where removing a shower drain becomes imperative. You need to remove a shower drain when

  1. The shower drain is wholly blocked that the water starts clogging in the shower area.
  2. You have renovated the bathroom and want to change the shower drain to go with the latest design of the bathroom.
  3. You are not happy with the look of the shower drain and want to try out one with a different finish.

How Do You Remove the Shower Drain?

1. Lubricate the drain: The first step is to remove all the screws from the drain. Keep some paper towel handy as you might have to clear hair and soap scum while removing the shower drain cover.

Sometimes, if the drain cover is too tight, then it may not come out even after unscrewing it. In such a case, you will have to use a drain lubricant. This lubricant loses up the drain cover thus making it easy to remove it.

Under no circumstance should you use oil or fat to remove the drain cover.

If by any chance, the shower drain is clogged and the water stagnates, then you will have to unclog the drain before removing it. For this, you can either use a drain snake to unclog it or pour some baking soda and vinegar for unclogging.

Once the drain is completely unclogged and the water drains off, then you can apply the lubricant. Make sure that the drain is completely dry for the lubricant to be effective. Once you use the lubricant, leave it for 5-10 minutes before unscrewing the drain.

2. Unscrewing the drain: In case the shower drain is fixed using screws, then you should use a screwdriver to unscrew the same. Once done, insert two nose pliers on the opposite side of the drain opening. Slowly turn it towards the left side to open the drain.

If the drain cover does not move even after trying this, then you might have to apply more lubricant.

3. Pulling the drain cover out: You can insert both the jaws of the nose pliers on two holes and slowly lift the drain cover up. If you find it hard to lift it, then apply more lubricant.

While lifting, make sure that you do not apply any force as this can damage the drain. On the other hand, if you hold it too loosely, then you may not be able to pull it out. Thus, you should have a firm grip on the drain cover.

4. Clean the cover: Once you pull out the cover, you can clean it with water and wipe it with a cloth.

 

How to Re-fix the Shower Drain?

Once the shower drain is thoroughly cleaned, you need to fix it back.

For this, connect the linear shower drain to the drainpipe through the connector. There is no need to use glue as the connector provides a tight fit. But you should ensure that there is no water leakage.

A shower drain needs to be removed periodically to get it cleaned and to remove the clog. Thus, while purchasing a shower drain, you should ensure that it is easy to remove and re-fix it.