ᐅ How to Clean a Geberit Wall Drain in the Shower When It’s Clogged?
Created on: 7 Aug 2018 10:25
M
mh70220
Hello everyone,
After more than 3 years in our house, I unfortunately noticed that the shower drain in the main bathroom, a Geberit wall drain, is showing signs of slight blockage. The water is draining very slowly. I have been regularly cleaning the hair strainer.
Does anyone have an idea how to clean it? I have already got a drain snake, but I can hardly reach past the first two bends. It would also be helpful to have a cross-sectional diagram of the drain, as Geberit’s support wasn’t really helpful.
Thank you very much.
Matthias
After more than 3 years in our house, I unfortunately noticed that the shower drain in the main bathroom, a Geberit wall drain, is showing signs of slight blockage. The water is draining very slowly. I have been regularly cleaning the hair strainer.
Does anyone have an idea how to clean it? I have already got a drain snake, but I can hardly reach past the first two bends. It would also be helpful to have a cross-sectional diagram of the drain, as Geberit’s support wasn’t really helpful.
Thank you very much.
Matthias
I suspect that in hotels, the floor buildup is much thicker, allowing for a steeper slope before reaching a possible branch connection. Another common issue is poor venting. This is the so-called Tetrapak effect. If you cut open a Tetrapak carton and pour it into a glass, it will gurgle and the flow “chokes.” It’s easy to fix by piercing a hole on the opposite side, then the liquid flows smoothly into the glass. It’s a well-known phenomenon.
The same happens with sanitary drains. If the vent pipe is undersized, too far away, or worst of all, completely omitted, the drain will gurgle, and sometimes water even flows back towards you.
However, this actually has nothing to do with the type of drain.
My criticism of the wall drain is that it is much harder to access when maintenance is needed. Cleaning the hair strainer is something you have to do regularly, at least when one user of the shower has longer hair. With a wall drain, this is a real hassle. The insert from a floor drain can be removed and reinserted fairly easily, right?
If a clog does occur, you might still be able to get a drain snake into the wall drain. Forget about using a plunger or other tools, as you would need either an inspection hatch above it (not a great idea in the shower) or have to open up the whole wall.
For me, Geberit has become a synonym for what happens to quality when a company gains a large market share for whatever reason.
That said, I’m not sure if there are affordable and good alternatives. My plumber said there really aren’t any sensible alternatives when it comes to floor drains.
The same happens with sanitary drains. If the vent pipe is undersized, too far away, or worst of all, completely omitted, the drain will gurgle, and sometimes water even flows back towards you.
However, this actually has nothing to do with the type of drain.
My criticism of the wall drain is that it is much harder to access when maintenance is needed. Cleaning the hair strainer is something you have to do regularly, at least when one user of the shower has longer hair. With a wall drain, this is a real hassle. The insert from a floor drain can be removed and reinserted fairly easily, right?
If a clog does occur, you might still be able to get a drain snake into the wall drain. Forget about using a plunger or other tools, as you would need either an inspection hatch above it (not a great idea in the shower) or have to open up the whole wall.
For me, Geberit has become a synonym for what happens to quality when a company gains a large market share for whatever reason.
That said, I’m not sure if there are affordable and good alternatives. My plumber said there really aren’t any sensible alternatives when it comes to floor drains.
Tolentino schrieb:
You can remove and reinsert the insert from the floor drain relatively easily, right?I'd say moderately easy. I always have to use a knife in the slot to pry the grate out. It's just annoying...
A silly question: does the hair strainer actually serve a useful function for the entire drain system, or is it basically just a catch net to prevent items like lost earrings from ending up permanently lost somewhere in the sewer, with the hair inside being the necessary sacrifice to stop that?
No, it’s called a hair strainer for a reason. You wouldn’t believe the nasty soap and hair clogs that can form at narrow points if everything were allowed to go in there. At least the 40-50mm (1.5-2 inches) plastic waste pipes are still quite sensitive to blockages. Once you’re dealing with a DN 100 (4 inches) pipe, personally, I would consider the risk low, at least if there is regular flow.
A 100mm (4 inches) shower drain pipe is, as far as I know, not feasible. The trap still needs to be installed there. Just try to have a soil stack very close to the shower drain with as few bends as possible. Later, make sure the vent is close by and large enough. Or simply show interest early on so they can work with a buffer system...
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