By: ColdInTheNorth Date: Jan 2026
Buy a 12-ft heat trace cable before winter hits. Threading it down the shower drain for 10 minutes is cheaper and faster than any other fix. shower drain frozen
"My 5th wheel’s shower drain froze at 10°F. Since I couldn't run a heat cable inside the plastic underbelly, I poured a gallon of directly down the drain. Let it sit for 30 minutes. It slowly ate through the ice plug. Not a perfect fix (it left pink goo), but the water drained again. Deducted one star because you have to flush it 10 times before the smell goes away." ⭐ 2 Stars – "Plumber Emergency Service – Overcharged" By: DesperateInDetroit Date: Jan 2026 By: ColdInTheNorth Date: Jan 2026 Buy a 12-ft
Lesson learned: If your shower drain freezes, your P-trap (the U-bend) has turned into an ice cube. You cannot snake it. You cannot use salt (it doesn't work in standing water). You will be showering in a plastic tub until the plumber arrives." By: DIY_Solver Date: Dec 2025 Since I couldn't run a heat cable inside
"Saved my pipes. When the shower drain froze last week (single-digit temps outside), I bought a 12-foot (the kind for metal or PVC). I snaked the last 3 feet into the drain via the shower floor, wrapped the rest around the exposed pipe in the crawlspace, and plugged it in. Two hours later: The water slowly gurgled down. No burst pipes.