Tile shower drain

Captflx · Dec 3, 2007

I have reason to believe that my 5 year old tile shower drain weep holes are blocked. I can not keep caulking at the expansion joint between the floor and wall. The plumber installed an Oatey drain and leaded it to my drain pipe. The Oatey drain is unlike anything I see on the Oatey web site. My drain appears to be made similar to a PVC tile shower drain.
If I remove the grout aroung the screw in portion of the drain, what are the chances that I will be able to unstop the weep holes at that point? I shutter at having to remove an 8 inch square of shower floor tile and mortor bed to find the weep holes.
Thanks.

Cwhyu2 · Dec 3, 2007

I s it leaking? The the whole shower pan and drain should be tested.
To test put a stopper of some sort,I just use plumbers putty to cover drain.
Fill to 1in below curb and look for leaks.Can be caused by stopped weep holes
I take it this is a tile shower stall.Cap shower head and turn it on to see if valve leaks.Splash water on walls to see if that causes a leak.
These are test that I would do for a tile shower .

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Jadnashua · Dec 3, 2007

One unfortuneate mistake (more than you'd think) some plumbers make is install the liner flat on the floor which is a technical violation of the industry standards which apply to the national codes. It specifically calls for the waterproof surface to be sloped, and the tile is not considered the waterproof layer.

If this is the case, the weep holes will have little effect, since any moisture that does get down there will not all get to the drain, weep holes being opened, or not. If that is the case, either live with it or tear it out and redo it right.

The pH of the mortar is high enough so that it will prevent most mold from growing until it eventually gets neutralized by soap scum, urine, etc., that eventually causes the shower to smell like a swamp.

Did you see the thing being built? Is the liner on the floor or a preslope?

Cwhyu2 · Dec 3, 2007

Slope To Drain

jadnashua said:
One unfortuneate mistake (more than you'd think) some plumbers make is install the liner flat on the floor which is a technical violation of the industry standards which apply to the national codes. It specifically calls for the waterproof surface to be sloped, and the tile is not considered the waterproof layer.

If this is the case, the weep holes will have little effect, since any moisture that does get down there will not all get to the drain, weep holes being opened, or not. If that is the case, either live with it or tear it out and redo it right.

The pH of the mortar is high enough so that it will prevent most mold from growing until it eventually gets neutralized by soap scum, urine, etc., that eventually causes the shower to smell like a swamp.

Did you see the thing being built? Is the liner on the floor or a preslope?

That was the main thing we ALLWAYS did.We also enlarged the weep holes.
First to preslope sub floor then pan attached to drain then morter then tile .

Captflx · Dec 4, 2007

I forgot to mention that my house is on concrete a slab so there is no detection of leaks from under. I believe that he put down a sloped mortar bed, then the liner and finally another mortar bed, then tile. So I think the liner is sloped. I ruled out the faucet leaking because that is the last area to have the caulking problem show. I may have to start tearing out the tile floor until I find the problem which I really don't want to do---hope is is stopped up weep holes. I envision having to remove floor and first row of 12x12 wall tiles!!
Thanks for the response.

WestcoastPlumber · Dec 4, 2007

I put a dollar plug in my 2" shower drains, then fill them up, including the bucket of the drain, if you cover the top and fill, it does not properly test the drain.

The plug goes into the drain itself, under the shower drain strainer, if you have an 11/2" drain, which is illegal per UPC, but if you do, they have 11/2" dollar plugs.

Cwhyu2 · Dec 4, 2007

It maybey your shower doors or curb.Test it out.

Tile shower drain

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