Unusual shower waste totally blocked Drainage and wastage systems and plumbing help, advice and answers

[bellspaws]

My shower is completely blocked. The shower waste is as in the photo attached. I can't find anything similar to it online. The shower and all accessories, including the shower waste were bought from Victoria Plum 2 yrs ago, and installed by a local company. Unknown to me at the time they didn't use the shower waste that came from VP but used this very unusual waste. Now it it totally blocked and there seem no way to unblock it. Any ideas at all what type of waste it is and how best to unblock it? Thanks in advance

[stoneyboy]

Hi bellspaws
Sorry there is no picture so cannot advise.
Regards S

[bellspaws]

I wasn't able to upload them earlier, hopefully this will work this time, fingers crossed

[bellspaws]

I hope these photos are viewable, i wasn't able to upload any earlier. Fingers crossed, many

thanks

[stoneyboy]

Hi bellspaws
That’s a wierd one, suggest you take a piece of garden wire, bend a small hook on one end and have a root around in the trap.
Regards S

[dickonS(2)]

We have two wastes identical to yours. They were fitted by subcontractors to Bellway in early 2014. They have never blocked but we do take the precaution of periodically using industrial cleaning agents. Our neighbour at a previous property had a completely blocked waste from a hand wash basin that had been expensively tiled- completely enclosed. Brown malt vinegar and baking powder left overnight did the trick.
(If it is any help the sanitary ware in the bathrooms in question is by Roca.)
D2

[dickonS(2)]

Hi Bellspaws,
My dragon lady moved me on from the ground floor cloakroom (loo) to my en-suite. The shower has (as previously mentioned) a waste trap identical in appearance to yours. It (and the one in her en-suite) have just two screws securing the top ring, these must pass through the flange on the tray, a rubber seal of some description, and into the top of the body of the trap. The two screws are at the three o’clock and nine o’clock positions. The other four holes in the arrangement were left unused by the contractors. I NOTE THAT YOURS LOOKS IDENTICAL. Both of our top rings are disintegrating around the two screws and IMO it is a matter of time before a disastrous leak occurs. I will post an image once I work out how to do it... If you trace the maker of these bastard-I use the term in both it’s technical sense and perjoritively-traps please post accordingly.
Many thanks,
D2

[dickonS(2)]

So: further to that, it seems that two screws are indeed correct! I’ve made an interim fix by cutting the ends from a plastic pipe clip and using them as oddly shaped washers to spread the load onto the broken bits. (The two screws are longer than first appears and they screw into the drum/barrel shaped body of the trap.) Weird is dead right!
D2

[dickonS(2)]

Hi Bellspaws,
The make of trap that you (and I!) have is a ‘Wirquin’. I am reasonably certain that it is a 90mm dia- the size refers to the diameter of the hole in the shower tray. The dia of the chrome cap is about 120mm. They are stocked by B and Q (which says much about the quality and fitness for purpose thereof). I know this does not help you very much but it sure helps me. I’ll be purchasing two of them as soon as my vaccination takes effect and I am released from house arrest.
D2

[dickonS(2)]

I hope that you have managed to solve the problem Bellspaw... I have taken delivery of two new complete traps (but I am going to use only the clamping ring from each).
It is an impressive design based upon a double volute in cross section. The waste leaves the trap IN LINE with a line drawn through the securing screw heads. No amount of poking with hooked wire will access the volute (perfectly sensible rational suggestion but it won’t work). According to the packaging the manufacturers offer a five year guarantee. No good to me as mine are seven years old! Also they claim that it is ‘permanently self cleaning’- that’s a smelly joke.And even if it were replaced under warranty that is scant compensation if you have to a) dismantle the bathroom to get at it b) cut an access hole in the ceiling below to get at it.
I stick by my first suggestion and suggest a one kilo bag of cleaning soda from Wilko’s and a four or five litre tub of cheap brown vinegar from Band M.
Good luck,
D2