Recurring Shower Drain nightmare

[Honeydews4me]

Why am I having such difficulty with what appears to be an easy repair? Is there some trick to installing a standard ABS shower drain?

The replacement drain is a flange screw in to base, here is what I am doing.
1) coated threads and flange with teflon plumbers putty
2) placed flange in opening in shower stall
3) screwed base into flange through ceiling with rubber gasket resting on subfloor and paper gasket under rubber resting on base
4) tightened base with spud wrench while assistant holds flange in place
5) measure, cut glue 2" pipe with coupling to existing drain line and drain base
6) Have leaks at flange in shower, get frustrated, cut it all away and start over

[majakdragon]

Your description of the putty you used confused me. Did you use teflon PASTE or plumbers PUTTY?
Plumbers putty is what goes under the flange between the flange and the shower base. Rolled up into worm and placed under the flange, it seals as the flange is tightened.
Teflon paste is a thread sealer like teflon tape. It will NOT seal the flange.
Post back if you have any other questions.Good luck.

[Honeydews4me]

using a plumbers putty that is teflon based rather than oil based (oil based plumbers putty fails over time as it interacts with abs and pvc pipes)

[majakdragon]

Plumbers putty is not a thread sealant and thread sealant will not seal the flange. You need two products to do your job.

[Honeydews4me]

OK so use teflon tape on the threads and plumbers puttty between the flange and the shower pan. Having done this 2X's so far, the recurring eak occurs between the flange and the shower pan.....the plumbers putty is not sealing.

As I think about it, maybe I am not getting a seal because I cannot sufficiently torque the flange to the base with plumbers putty in the screws? .......using teflon tape solves the problem?

[majakdragon]

OK lets start at square 1.

Remove EVERYTHING,
clean all plumbers putty and thread sealer off the flange and other components.

Starting from the top(inside the shower),
Roll a worm of plumbers putty long enough to completly circle the drain hole about 1/2" in diameter.
Push the drain top through the drain hole onto the plumbers putty.


If you have a screw on type replacement flange(big nut that threads on to the the shower drain to compress it to the shower base from underneath).

Slide the rubber gasket over the shower drain tailpiece (from under the shower pan), slide the fiber(paper) gasket on, this will keep the nut from twisting the rubber gasket. Thread the nut on and tighten against the shower pan and rubber gasket.

If you have the replacement flange that screws down with individual screws:
Roll the plumbers putty as above,
press the drain into the shower pan,
From under the shower pan,
install the rubber gasket and fiber gasket.
Slide the seating ring onto the tailpiece lining up the screw holes.
Install the screws ( no sealant is needed on THESE screws.)
Snug the screws to insure its pulling down evenly and then tighten them .


In either case the drain has to be completley secured to the shower pan (base)ONLY. There should be no subfloor between ANY of the components.

All other drain components(trap, drain line etc..)can be connected at this time.

Plumbers PUTTY is to form a water tight GASKET under the flange INSIDE the shower.

Thread SEALANT is used to lubricate and seal THREADS on PIPE ( normally used on GALVANIZED or other METAL PIPES)

[Honeydews4me]

Thank you very much for walking through the steps. One last question, is there any rule of thumb in understanding how tight the nut should be torqued.

[majakdragon]

Any plastic is NORMALLY hand tight. It's really a bummer when you give it that last little bit and hear a loud CRACK.