Hello DIY enthusiasts and home maintenance wizards! Are you finding yourself staring into your shower drain, wondering how on earth you go about lifting it off? Maybe you’re battling a particularly stubborn blocked shower drain, perhaps it’s time for a deep clean to scoop out the scum – or maybe it’s just time to replace that crusty old cover with a shiny and stylish new one. So if you’ve given it a yank and you simply can’t figure out how to remove a shower drain cover, roll up your sleeves – because help is here!
Getting started: How to open drain cover with ease
Ready to grab those tools and learn how to remove shower drain grates? Beware: not every shower drain cover removal is the same – because some screw in, some need a twist, and some need an even more special process. Get it wrong and a simple task could become a plumbing nightmare, but fear not: our step-by-step guide will work, no matter what drain type we’re dealing with.
1. Identify your drain
Clean those glasses before putting them on, because this will require a close look. Is it a flat cover? A snap-in? A screw-in? Can you see visible screws? Identifying the shower drain type is the first crucial step in understanding how to remove the drain cover effectively.
2. Is it a flat cover?
If your shower drain sits perfectly flush with the shower floor, it’s very likely that all you’ll need to remove the shower drain cover is a flathead screwdriver. It’s then just a matter of gently sliding it under the ledge with a little upward pressure. Did it pop right off?
3. Does the cover snap in?
If you can’t see any screws and your shower drain cover is round, it might be a snap-in type. To get these off and learn how to take off the shower drain, grab an obvious part of the cover with some needle-nose pliers and pull straight up. What snaps in may just as easily snap out!
4. Is it a screw-in-cover?
If you can see visible screws, you can already predict the next step – locating a corresponding screwdriver. Unscrew everything but take great care in not dropping those screws down the drain – because you’re unlikely to ever recover them. Once done, the cover should just lift out.
5. Do you see a set screw?
Also possible is that a set screw is sitting just under the cover – and almost all of the time, they’re removed with an Allen wrench. Now, considerably loosen the set screw but DO NOT remove it altogether. When loose, the drain should just come off.
6. You may need a special tool
How have you gone so far in learning how to remove shower drain grates? No success yet? That could be because your particular shower drain cover requires a special tool or an even more special technique – and for those, you’ll need to make a call to your plumber.
Final touches: Ensure success in removing shower drain cover
With a little luck and not much elbow grease, tackling just about any type of shower drain cover should be smooth and hassle-free. But if you do need a little bit of help, don’t hesitate to shout out to the friendly team right here at Drain Masters Plumbing. As you can see from our name, drains are our game – and we’re available with fully guaranteed workmanship around the clock. For a fast response and an affordable price, give us a shout today.
Brisbane drainage, Gold Coast drainage, Tweed heads drainage… we have you covered across South East Queensland and northern NSW!
