Have you ever got home after a long day at work, wanting nothing more than a deserved warm shower to relax? Probably yes! What about jumping into the shower, turning on the tap, and water starts pooling? Suddenly your relaxing shower experience turns into another stressful event to add to your day.
You look at your shower drain in disbelief as the level of water continues to rise. By the time you realise your shower is not draining properly, you are very upset as you had just spent a lot of money renovating your bathroom.
Unfortunately, this is a quite common story. The humble shower drain is an integral but often-overlooked component of a bathroom’s design. If you get it wrong, your whole bathroom will be impacted, and you will have to deal with this type of issues.
In this article, we are going to take a deep dive into shower drains so you can choose the best shower drain for your bathroom, and avoid a bathroom flooding disaster.
What is a shower drain and how does it work?
First, what is a shower drain? Shower drains are more than just the slits you see at the bottom of your shower. They are a complex system that empties water whilst preventing the back-up of odours into the bathroom. At the same time, the shower drain should guarantee that water drains without seeping beneath the base area and damage the shower area floor.
Shower drain types
There are two types of shower drains - the linear drain and the point drain. They can also come in all shapes and sizes.
Linear drain
As the name suggests, a linear drain is simply a long and narrow drain in the shape of a “line”. It is often called a channel drain, line drain, trench drain, slot drain or strip drain.
With linear drains, the entire shower floor slopes gently and evenly towards the drain, preventing funnelling and reducing the chances of water pooling. They are readily installed as only one gradient is needed.
Linear drains have a large surface area, which allows them to also manage water far more efficiently, keeping the floor dry. From a design perspective there is no need to cut up and disrupt the format of your tiles. Unlike point drains, this drain slots seamlessly into your tile structure.
Developers often employ linear drains when building apartment blocks because this type of drain can reduce the service depth of the drainage, reducing the height between floors.
Keeping all these features in mind, plus the fact that it is modern type of drain, sleek and virtually invisible, it’s no surprise that linear drains are the option of choice for new homes and renovated bathrooms.
Point drain
Point drains are the geometric-shaped drain found in the middle or corner of a shower floor. They are mostly used in older construction.
Although they have fast drainage, they have less surface area for water to drain through and can lead to some shower drainage problems. Let’s look at some of them.
Most common shower drainage problems
Shower drain problems are very common. Here are the two main potential issues to be aware of when selecting the shower drain for your new home or renovation.
Flow rate
If you prefer a gentle stream to come from your shower, then flow rate should not be a problem for you, regardless of the drain. However, if you prefer luxury showers with multiple heads and sprays, you can face water volume issues with a point drain. Linear drains, which generally remove 15 to 60 litres of water per minute, can comfortably handle the water flow from multiple shower heads and avoid flow rate problems.
Clogging
Clogging is another common shower drainage problem. Soap and debris can have a hard time escaping through the small openings of a drain, which can result in a build-up that clogs pipes and leaves shower users in an ankle-deep pool of soapy water. Whilst point drains more readily accumulate build-up, they are easier to clean than linear drains.
What is the best shower drain for my bathroom?
When selecting the best shower drain for your bathroom, consider both technology and aesthetics. Of course, you want to have something beautiful and modern but make sure you also consider a shower drain that is able to minimise or avoid problems.
You also need to think long term and ensure that the quality of your shower drain is enough to keep it functioning properly for years.
For these reasons, we recommend a linear drain solution. It is able to effectively drain the water whilst making a stunning visual statement.
But what about maintenance? Some linear drains can be difficult to access and clean.
The Aquabocci Blade shower drain is a good example as it offers not only the streamline and sleekness of a slot drain but also the easy maintenance of a larger drain.
Besides that, the Blade shower drain is a customisable product available in 4 different colours – black, silver, titanium, and champagne. This product ensures your bathroom tapware is matched (or contrasted) perfectly. Height adjustable spacers clip on the Blade to match any tile or stone thickness for a precise installation. There is no need to cut up and disrupt the format of your tiles, either. Unlike point drains, the Blade shower drain slots seamlessly into the tile structure.
What’s more, you can attach 2 Vulcan Syphons in any location along the Blade to double flow rate and caters for the most vigilant of power showers. And if you do not want an obtrusive shower door you can install a second Blade channel drain across the entry to the shower.
With this cutting-edge drain in your dream bathroom, you can stop worrying about pooling water or messy tile cuts and start showering in style. The Blade shower drain is the ultimate shower design accessory.
Have more questions about shower drains? Our team is happy to assist you. Get in touch with us today. Alternatively, visit our wet room and shower kits page.
0410 505 333