A specific question, but maybe someone here knows! My shower has a drain. When I remove the cover and the “thing” inside of it, there’s a stopper with an O-Ring.

We used to be able to pull the stopper out and clean inside the pipe (suggested by a plumber), but I now can’t remove the stopper anymore. It appears to be quite stuck, and the angle is also terrible to get a better grip on it. I don’t want to use pliers, because I’m afraid I might snap the thing that you hold, and then I’m really in trouble.

Can anyone give me suggestions what I can do to get the stopper out? Is there a technique I don’t know? A device I could buy?

Thank you!

  • cecilkorik@lemmy.caEnglish
    2·
    2 hours ago

    You could probably 3d print a square or hex shaped thing that has a slot on one end to fit onto the stopper, which will give you a better angle to grip it, work it from side to side or twist it. Wood would be another easy material option to try to make a little tool out of.

    That said if it’s really stuck enough to break the handle, then you’re going to need a new one anyway, and at that point destructive measures and eventual replacement may be your only option. In this case you might try driving a long screw into it (pre-drilling a hole for the screw as necessary) or even some kind of hollow-wall anchor to give you a more secure attachment on the other side. If you have to destroy the whole thing to get it out of there, that’s an option too. As any mechanic with a blowtorch will tell you about a seized fastener, “it can’t be stuck if it’s liquid”

  • hatedbad@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    6·
    8 hours ago

    assuming you recently took a warm shower, maybe letting cold water run a little bit might help? cold water might cause the plug to shrink a bit and be easier to release

  • d1181055@lemm.ee
    4·
    9 hours ago

    Funny, I have the same shower drain. Did a double take xD I just went ahead and tried removing that thing by either twisting or pulling - no dice without risking to break it.
    If you have drainage issues I can recommend actually using a plunger, got rid of slow draining with this exact drain model this way.