DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all! (first post)

Recently bought my first home and am distinctly average at DIY.

My shower was draining quite slowly and instead of just pouring some cleaning liquid down it I stupidly attempted to disassemble it to clean it.

There doesn't seem to be any trap in this room or the room below to easily access the pipes. This is relevant because it is difficult to prop up the pipe beneath the shower try when attempting to screw the top of it back on- hopefully the pictures illustrate my point here.

I think my best bet may to superglue the lower bit so that it is temporarily held up to the shower tray and then screw the top back in.

Unfortunately things took an even worse turn as the waste pipe disconnected from its under-tray fitting during this.

With a bit of difficulty it is possible to reconnect them by reaching down through the hole, however it is tricky to get much purchase and so the connection tends to be quite flimsy. Once I remove my arm and try to lift up the other end of the pipe to reconnect the above-tray part it disconnects again.

Would really appreciate any ideas (even if it is just to say I'm out of my depth and should hire a professional). It's annoying because it feels like it should be fairly simple and doesn't require digging through my tiles- but I've been at it for a few days now and never seem to get a good connection on the pipe, never mind not being entirely sure how to connect the other end even if I do get to this stage!

Plug hole:


Waste pipe- disconnected at wall end:


Waste pipe- disconnected at shower tray end:


Screw in part for above shower tray:

Hi rml
Suggest you bend a piece of garden wire into a U which will fit in the waste and form hooks at either end so you can pull up the waste part below the tray. Clean the mating surfaces and liberally coat them with sanitary silicone then pull up into place using a stick though the wire U to hold it in place. Leave for a couple of days to set then fit the waste centre.
Regards S

Thanks so much stoneyboy, that actually sounds very doable.

I don't think this covers the disconnect at the other end of the pipe though. I can push them together with some difficulty by reaching in through the plughole but it doesn't form a strong connection & they fall apart when I move the pipe afterwards.

It's in the first floor of the house so I'd be concerned with flooding issues if I don't get a solid connection between them.

Hi rml.
It’s not clear from your pictures where the problem is but you could try using a McAlpine (or similar) flexible coupling pipe. Fit this onto the waste fitting and you may then have enough length to form a join in a more accessible position.
Regards S

I know- it's tricky to get a good picture of it due to its location but it's the disconnect shown in the second pic: the main pipe is the grey one poking out of the wall and the end of the waste pipe is the black one sitting on the floor.

It doesn't seem to be a length issue as I am able to push both pipes together, they just don't hold in place when I move the other end.

Nevertheless the flexible coupling pipe looks like it may be easier to manoeuvre down there so I'll give it a go.

Again thank you so much for the help- really appreciate it!