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BILL DORIGHT · Feb 25, 2007, 07:50 PM

The tub drain in my master bath is leaking horribly. If you plug the tub while filling/showering, there is no leak (so I know it's not a pressure leak), but as soon as you remove the plug the whole floor starts to flood, and you better have the wet vac handy! The wall at the drain in of the tub backs the foot end of the tub in our second bath, so there's little room to work. Do I need to plan on removing the whole tub to repair this, or is it possible to just raise the tub enough to repair the drain and then lower it back down? I know this would require ripping out the tub surround and repairing it, but it would be a lot less than taking the old tub out and replacing it. I don't know if there is some kind of break in the tub, a break in the trap, or what is leaking, aside that it is the drain. Any ideas, or links to sites that may help with this? Thanks for the help.

letmetellu · Feb 25, 2007, 08:57 PM

Do you get the same problem when you use the tub that is backed up to the one that is leaking? If not I think you have a broken drain under the tup that is leaking. There is a drain part called a "Waste and over flow" and if you house or Apt is not very old it is probably made of plastic. The hole in the bottom of the tub is where the Shoe part of the drain is and the overflow comes up the tub under the faucet. They are connected with a
Tee and then the pipe goes down into the sewer. I think it is broken where the shoe attaches to the tub or where the shoe and the Tee join. Unless you have a 2x6 stud wall between the tubs it would be very hard to tear out one wall Where the faucets are and work down from the top of the tub and fix whatever is broken. You mentioned lifting the one tub. To do this you are bound to have a plastic tub, because if it were cast iron it would be very heavy and hard to lift. So about the only alternative is to tear out the tub that will cause the lest damage. Could you pull one tub straight out from the wall.

BILL DORIGHT · Feb 26, 2007, 06:01 AM

Yes, your diagnosis of the problem is exactly what I was thinking. The tub is a cast iron and plenty heavy, but aside from breaking it into pieces for removal/replacement with a new tub, my only idea was to go through the back wall (facing the tub, the faucet/drain is to the left, ouside wall to laundry room at the right, and kitchen pantry wall to the back) and try to raise the head of the tub. If I could jack/block it up enough to repair the drain, then lower it back down, I thought that would keep the destruction to a minimum. I may have to just bust the tub up, take everything out to the walls, and put in some kind of stall type shower enclosure. My wife really wants a tub there, but I don't see any way to get a new tub into this bath in the middle of the house.

iamgrowler · Feb 26, 2007, 07:19 AM

I'm not sure I understand why you can't get a new tub through the house to the tub location.

Are your doorways narrower than is typical?

As for a replacement tub, I'd suggest an Americast tub from American Standard, it looks, feels and wears just like a cast iron tub but at a fraction of the weight.

BILL DORIGHT · Feb 26, 2007, 10:36 AM

Getting through the house would be a hassle, the b/r door is a bit narrow, but there is a half wall type partition in the b/r that would make it necessary to lift the tub almost chest high, unless the new tub is shallower than the old cast iron one. I may have to talk my wife into busting the whole thing out and going with one of the Kurdi stall kits or something similar. I'm just at the point I have so many irons in the fire I didn't need another big job now.