New Bathtub - Leak between rubber gasket and tub

[Morawski]

I'm doing my first bathtub install and was thinking that progress was just about to be finally be made today after installing the strainer and overflow to the newly placed waste piping. This is an acrylic tub, I did not silicone/putty under the strainer (just to test the rubber gasket, before making things permanent), and I tightened the strainer hand tight, then almost 1/4 of a turn more with leverage. Unfortunately, with some water added to the tub, I was getting a slow drop of water every half minute or so. I tried going almost another 1/4 of a turn with similar results (didn't want to go overboard with ABS).

The drain is centered and appears parallel with the tub. One thing that I noticed just before installation that is making me think it may now be a defect is that there is a very short span of smooth surface before a dip or potential defect for the rubber gasket to mate with. I think this is the general area where the droplets were forming. The 'rubber' gasket has three ribs on top and didn't really feel like rubber should, much more stiff, not sure if that matters here.

Looking for advice on next steps, should I reach out to the supplier (MAAX) or is this something that is easy to fix?

Note: couldn't get the tape right against the surface as I was using a scope from the side so not sure how accurate that is.

 

[Terry]

On a rare occasion I will use some Silicone there. I hate doing it, but that does look a bit rough there.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Morawski]

On a rare occasion I will use some Silicone there. I hate doing it, but that does look a bit rough there.

Thanks Terry! I guess there will always be some cases like this... If I go with silicone should I apply it to the whole gasket or just the corner (maybe a quarter of it) with that defect? Appreciate the advice, and forum in general as it has saved me a few times in the past.

 

[Terry]

I would try to keep the Silicone to the side that is against the fiberglass. Normally I install gaskets clean.

 

[Morawski]

Thank you Terry!

 

[wwhitney]

The 'rubber' gasket has three ribs on top and didn't really feel like rubber should, much more stiff, not sure if that matters here.

Complete guess here, but is it possible the ribs are supposed to go down, towards the tub shoe (which should have a nice flat surface to mate with)? Would that present a flat surface to the tub, with a wider region for sealing against the rough tub surface?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Morawski]

Complete guess here, but is it possible the ribs are supposed to go down, towards the tub shoe (which should have a nice flat surface to mate with)? Would that present a flat surface to the tub, with a wider region for sealing against the rough tub surface?

Cheers, Wayne

The gasket is a one-sided fit as it has a flange on the outer rim that sort of snaps onto the pipe. Fairly certain I got that right. I just called that gasket out as when working with toilets the gaskets there are much more bendable, soft and grippy. This one feels almost closer to plastic. First tub drain I've done so perhaps most are like this? Anyway, I feel that a softer gasket might have done the job, but even still, the defect definitely is reducing the workable area for this thing from the looks of it

 

[Jeff H Young]

they take a grinding disc to it but sometimes they don't get it flat, or get a full clean up. the rubber isn't exactly soft . had it been puttied and 1/4 turn more might have been water tight

 

[Cobalt]

Hi,

Could get some epoxy paste and rebuild/fill the area.
https://www.pcepoxy.com/products/permanent-repair/pc-11-paste-epoxy/

I feel your pain. I installed a MAAX acrylic tub 4 years ago. It started leaking last week. Took the drain apart and noticed that the area under the tub around the drain hole where it mates with the rubber gasket is rough and uneven. Not only that the lip area is not the same width all around.

Very poor/sloppy workmanship on the part of MAAX. I would definitely recommend anyone buying a MAAX tub check the tub for defects before leaving the store.

I had originally used petroleum putty under the strainer. It was dry and crumbly. It failed so clearly sealing the top of the strainer adds a level of protection. I did not notice any discoloration or erosion of the acrylic.

I called MAAX and they recommend using silicon under the strainer. (I was reticent because I had problems with silicon adhering to acrylic. All my tub surround silicon caulking had separated from the acrylic tub.)

1. Why would MAAX recommend using silicon when clearly it does not adhere properly?
2.Would it be alright to DAP 3.0 under the strainer? (Recommended for DELTA acrylic tubs). I feel I need that added protection.
3. How much are you supposed to tighten the strainer? (I bought the special tool ) What is the danger of over tightening?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Plumber69]

OS&B makes a good waste and overflow. It has a gasket that hubs on the shoe. I dislike the flat rubber gasket

 

[Morawski]

OS&B makes a good waste and overflow. It has a gasket that hubs on the shoe. I dislike the flat rubber gasket

OS&B ABS Tub Drain is what I used for my drain

Hi,

Could get some epoxy paste and rebuild/fill the area.
https://www.pcepoxy.com/products/permanent-repair/pc-11-paste-epoxy/

I feel your pain. I installed a MAAX acrylic tub 4 years ago. It started leaking last week. Took the drain apart and noticed that the area under the tub around the drain hole where it mates with the rubber gasket is rough and uneven. Not only that the lip area is not the same width all around.

Very poor/sloppy workmanship on the part of MAAX. I would definitely recommend anyone buying a MAAX tub check the tub for defects before leaving the store.

I had originally used petroleum putty under the strainer. It was dry and crumbly. It failed so clearly sealing the top of the strainer adds a level of protection. I did not notice any discoloration or erosion of the acrylic.

I called MAAX and they recommend using silicon under the strainer. (I was reticent because I had problems with silicon adhering to acrylic. All my tub surround silicon caulking had separated from the acrylic tub.)

1. Why would MAAX recommend using silicon when clearly it does not adhere properly?
2.Would it be alright to DAP 3.0 under the strainer? (Recommended for DELTA acrylic tubs). I feel I need that added protection.
3. How much are you supposed to tighten the strainer? (I bought the special tool ) What is the danger of over tightening?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks, what scares me a bit about the MAAX tub is that the scope I was using has a light on the end of it, its nothing powerful, but when aiming it around the drain area I could see the light coming right through the plastic in the tub in a couple of spots. It worries me about how thin the drain area is. As a first-timer for tub installation, I had no past experience to judge if this was right or not (same with the drain area). I figured paying for a more expensive/positive review tub would have much more quality.

Thought about the epoxy but I trust Terry with the silicone recommendation. Guess I'll have to see once I finish the install (just waiting on adhesive to dry for surround so I can caulk and be done). But no issues with overflow testing/draining in the couple of times I tested.

1. Keep in mind that the top side of the tub is polished, the bottom is rough so it should adhere much better underneath. Can you elaborate on the adhesion issue? Was this after several years or just after the initial application? What'd you do to get around that?
2. Hopefully someone else can weigh in here
3. What I remember hearing elsewhere in the forum was as far as you can go hand tight with the tool and then crank it 1/4-1/2 turn more. Overtightening can crack the nut/threads on the drain shoe from what I saw on this forum, as I had the same thought not long ago. The mechanic in me is wondering if there is some kind of torque value so I could just use my torque wrench