Thanks for the reply.No, the u bend holds water, which is blocking sewer gas from coming up out of the drain.
You need to clean out the trap or the drain line.
It is probably full of hair and soap.
The clog might be right nearby, or could be twenty feet away.
You can try snaking down the tub drain, and also down the overflow opening.
Or try an enzyme cleaner like Zep Drain Defense.
A little plastic snake like a ZipIt will pull out hair up to about two feet away.
Sorry if I was confusing. I squirted the shower straight into the drain. The shower reached. So the volume should be the same. It didn't back up. Didn't look like it was even close to backing up. I then held the U-bend under a tap and poured water into it. It backed up immediately. There is no debris inside the U-bend. It just seems that it can't deal with the amount of water coming through.Your description of pouring water is confusing.
Meanwhile, just pouring in some water is nowhere near the volume of water that would flow down there during a shower.
Try a cheapo ZipIt snake down the tub drain, into the trap bend.
You will find info on ZipIt or other similar hair pullers on Google.
I meant that the shower hose was long enough for me to squirt water straight into the drain pipe after the U-bend.Still making no sense!
The bend is open, clean, and still backs up.
Not possible.
Unless you hold it level, and pour water in.
Then of course it will fill up.
Water does not run uphill or defy gravity.
What does “the shower reached” mean?
Is there anything I can do about that? Even with the shower flow fairly low it still backs up.You may be flowing too many GPM for your tubs waste and overflow arrangement. Like a restrictive strainer.
I see you’re in the UK. I’m not familiar with any of the plumbing there. Sorry, I’m out.Is there anything I can do about that? Even with the shower flow fairly low it still backs up.
OK, thanks for your input.I see you’re in the UK. I’m not familiar with any of the plumbing there. Sorry, I’m out.
I checked in the local plumbing supply shop and all the shallow U-bends have got those fittings on them. It has to be a shallow bend as there isn't enough space for anything bigger. Here's some more pics.The bend of your trap has a fitting molded into it.
It looks like maybe a cleanout plug, to remove hair etc.
Maybe that is causing a restriction.
Look for a new trap without that goofy thing stuck on there.
Take the trap bend off again, and post some pictures of it, from different angles.
Especially of that weird fitting sticking out of it.
Also, your drain pipe is a bigger diameter than the diameter of the trap, so yes it can handle more flow rate.
Post a pic of the screen or grate that is in the tub drain, maybe it needs replacing for one with bigger holes.
Maybe you just have massive flow rate from the shower head.
In the US, the government has required shower heads to be choked way down, to conserve water.
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