Leaking drain in fiberglass shower

Hi,

I am a novice getting involved with a lot of plumbing projects in my first house. This forum is turning out to be an invaluable resource. Thanks for your efforts here!

My latest issue: The ABS pipe literally fell out of the bottom of the shower the other day. It looks like it was sealed to the fitting with a putty of some kind (oakum?). I purchased another drain fitting, and I am getting ready to try removing the existing fitting. Access is limited, but this does appear to be a two-piece assembly (I think i feel threads below the collar on the outside).

I read some other threads about ways to remove these things -- cutting notches and pounding with chisels. That sounds like a risky thing to do in a FG shower. Is there a tool made for this, or is there a specific "right" way to proceed?

Thanks again for your time

Chris

You see those two lugs at 180-degrees? Normally, they are supposed to help you grab the clamping ring and unscrew it. They may even make a tool that fits over that like a socket, but I've not seen one.

Thanks, that helps. At least now I know I am SUPPOSED to be able to remove it. I did not want to find that out after trying for 4 hours. There is not enough access to get a wrench near those lugs; I will try making a tool.

Use a hammer and chisel or long screwdriver, and "drift" the nut using the two bars. Someone will probably have to hold the drain part in the shower to keep it from turning. But do you really have to remove it. Unless it is leaking around the drain, or the drain's finish has tarnished you should not have to do it.

I have no reason to suspect that it is leaking around the drain. I don't know how to deal with the existing fixture though. If I don't remove it, what is the proper way to marry my 2in abs pipe to it?

There is actually no way to anchor an ABS into a bras, or any other metal, drain, unless they make a compression rubber gasket. I would use a short piece of cast iron or galvanized steel pipe. Couple it to the ABS below the shower, and then seal the pipe with a lead/oakum joint. Trying to pour a lead joint around a piece of ABS will soften, or melt, it, and when the joint is calked tight, the plastic will indent rather than seal properly, which is why your piece fell out of the joint.

I've only played with a couple of fiberglass shower bases. the ones I've seen used a rubber tapered sleeve to hold and seal the drain pipe into the drain assembly - essentially a compression fitting. It wouldn't stay sealed very long with just (what looks like) oakum and caulk. Someone may make a system that would work with abs.

I'd be worried about damaging the fiberglass if you tried to pour a lead joint to use CI in there. Might not be a problem, but it scares me - not much mass to that drain, so it would heat up quickly from the molton lead to make that type of joint.

Well, I ended up cutting the fitting out with a cutoff wheel. It took about 5 minutes to cut it in half. Sometimes the problems that stop me in my tracks end up having ridiculously simple solutions

Be thankful you didn't have this situation. That is a crimped shower drain assembly on an E.L. Mustee shower drain and removing it is nearly impossible unless you can trust yourself to cut the flange's rim in numerous spots, bend upwards and remove.

Pan was hairline cracked in numerous spots, time for it to GO.