need help with hair clog in shower

[jewelsf]

I have long hair so hair clogs in the shower are a pretty common issue for me. I make every effort to prevent the majority of hair from ever making it to the drain in the first place, but somehow enough makes it down there to cause terrible clogs. I prefer to not use chemicals at all, and especially not at any frequency. Unfortunately I find that even if I get my drain completely cleared it will be clogged again in a couple of weeks.
I have tried a plunger, but it does not seem to do much good. I have tried a few different eco-friendly solutions, such as baking soda and boiling water and/or vinegar, enzyme drain solutions, etc. I have tried a drain zipper, but it doesn't reach the clog. I have tried a manual snake, but it is extremely difficult to get it into the drain further than about 8 inches. I think that the drain pipe bends quite sharply, making use of a snake very difficult. The only thing that provides a slight bit of success is the pressurized air marketed by CLR, but it often takes 2 or 3 cans to clear the drain, and at like $12 a can that is pretty expensive when you need to use it like once a month! I tried one of those pump-up plungers that I purchased at a "as seen on TV" store, but it takes a huge amount of effort to use it because you have to pump it 12 times to get one short burst of air.

So... I'm looking for some new ideas! Whatever you suggest would be preferrably eco-conscious and definately conscious of the fact that I have children and pets at home. Also it should not be time/labor intensive. I'm a mom who works full-time so I can't spend 3 hours clearing the drain every month (i.e. don't tell me to take the pipes apart).

I know this is a lot to ask! But if you have any ideas please share them. I'm getting VERY frustrated and I do not like standing in 3 inches of water while I take my shower!

Julie

[LazyPup]

Is this a stand alone shower stall or a tub/shower combo?

[jewelsf]

tub/shower combo.

[The Builder]

You can try a power snake such as the Super-Vee. Since you mentioned that you can get about 8 inches inside the drain, the problem may be a little further down inside the drain line. In other words you may be clearing a certain amount of the clog but it keeps happening because it is not fully cleared further down, and the hair that continues to go down the drain keeps gathering at the clog that is lower inside the drain pipe. That may be the case, but you yourself have a birds eye veiw on what is going on. But if your worried about the eco, go with a stronger snake.

[Redwood]

Have a good read at this link...

How to fix a clogged tub drain

If that fails you probably are best hiring a pro with a powered snake and some experience...

[jewelsf]

The problem I have is that the pipe seems to turn in some strange direction because I can't get my manual snake past the location where the drain and the overflow connect. I am not hitting a clog, I am hitting a solid surface. I have tried inserting the snake both through the drain and through the overflow, both to no avail. I will need to remove the access panel that is in my living room in order to determine the flow of the pipe underneath the tub, something I am not eager to do as you can imagine, but I suppose I might have to.

[HayZee518]

take a look in the Illustrations that Lazypup has in the plumbing section. Most tub drains are like this unless some home owner plumbed his own house.

[Redwood]

You are probably hitting the trap.