Question About Shower Drain

[mike81]

We moved into our first home about 8 months ago. The house is 20 years old and had a little bit of remodeling work done on it right before we bought it. I've been working on remodeling the master bath. I have experience as a carpenter and cabinet maker, but never worked on a bathroom.

I pretty much ripped out everything except the shower, tub, and mirror. I've painted, replaced the floor, reinstalled the new toilet, fixed the door, and replaced the drain & overflow cover in the roman tub. Luckily, we have another 1 & a half bathrooms that wee have been using.

Now I want to replace the shower drain. It probably functions just fine, but I'm just trying to replace everything that can relatively easily be replaced with clean, new parts. I figured out that the top of the drain just unscrews and I'm assuming I can just buy a replacement to screw back in. Is that as much of the drain that can be replaced without removing the shower or cutting a hole in the ceiling below?

The part that the top piece screws into looks like it has tabs that maybe some tool can grab and unscrew. Of course if I'm right, there would be no way of removing the piece through the hole in the shower. There is a closet on the other side of the shower that may give limited access to under the pan.

I've attached pictures of what I'm talking about.

 

[phishfood]

Those tabs are just there to prevent the 2" pipe from being pushed in too far when it is glued in during install.

When you install the new drain, make sure to clean it really well, and apply a bead of clear 100% silicone to the flat section of the shower. Don't use plumbers putty for this, as you won't be able to get it tight enough to make a reliable seal.

 

[Danny6115]

Theres a rubber gasket between the bottom drain piece and the shower floor. Remove and replace it, that rubber ring IS you main seal. It may be a little snug but it should slip out.

 

[mike81]

When you install the new drain, make sure to clean it really well, and apply a bead of clear 100% silicone to the flat section of the shower. Don't use plumbers putty for this, as you won't be able to get it tight enough to make a reliable seal.

I finally got around to getting a drain that will work. Like you, the worker at the store said to use silicone. A guy who said he was a plumber overheard and said to use putty. Is one going to be any better than the other? Would putty normally be used?

 

[johnjh2o]

I finally got around to getting a drain that will work. Like you, the worker at the store said to use silicone. A guy who said he was a plumber overheard and said to use putty. Is one going to be any better than the other? Would putty normally be used?

Normally putty is good on most drains. But with a fiberglass or plastic shower base there will be some movement in it when being used. That ever so slight movement can cause the putty to fail. Use the silicone as phishfood advised.

John

 

[mike81]

Normally putty is good on most drains. But with a fiberglass or plastic shower base there will be some movement in it when being used. That ever so slight movement can cause the putty to fail. Use the silicone as phishfood advised.

John

I will use silicone. Thank you for your time.