If hair is the problem, half a mug's worth of Oneshot will quickly burn through it and unblock the pipe. I have never had any damage caused by this product. The pipe can get hot because of the chemical reaction of the acid and water/hair in the pipe but I put some acid in the drain, (open windows for ventilatation, follow all instructions to the letter for safety) it burns through hair in only a minute or two then flush with cold water. Repeat as necessary until the water runs quickly, and completely from the shower waste.