[Kejsj30]

I did a quick search on but, was not able to answer my question. Upstairs shower was leaking, running in ceiling and leaking out of a can light in the kitchen. Now here is the comical side to this... the can light its leaking out of is directly over the sink! We quit using the shower and now I've gotten around to fixing the leak.
I have a recessed shower pan so the wedge-lok has to be used. I've cut the drywall out under the shower drain and pinpointed the leak to the drain. I've taken the wedge-lok out and reinstalled but, it still continues to leak.

I read on here where they are hard to put in but, mine slipped right down in the recessed part of the pan. My pipe up into the shower pan drain is ABS (black plastic), should it be PVC (white plastic)?

I will try to post pictures... do you have to pull pictures from a host website like photobucket?




Thanks in advance for your help,
Jason

[Kejsj30]

Here is a picture of my shower drain from underneath...

[massplumber2008]

Hey Kejsj30:

I would start by completely cleaning down around the pipe inside the recessed drain. Use a rag tied around a screwdriver and really clean in between pipe and wall of recessed drain (I finish cleaning by using an isopropyl alcohol on new rag to remove any remaining soap or moisture).

Then, if want to do this only one time... ;) Go to a local plumbing supply store and see if they can get you a replacement wedge-lok seal. I am not sure if a regular molded seal will replace the wedge-lok type... looks like it will, but better to get an exact replacement if possible.

ABS pipe is fine!

You could also call the manufacturer direct and ask them how to get a replacement seal. My guess is that they will ship it directly to you. The number to reach them is at the bottom of every page on the following link:

http://www.florestone.com/downloads/rec/rec_models.pdf

Let us know how it goes... Mark

If this answer helped please RATE THIS ANSWER. Thank you

PS... the drain pipe is not supported very well.. that will not help you to make this a permanent repair! Try to get a 2"x4" piece of wood (or similar) under the pipe going to the trap and screw it up tight in place.

[rodcrawford]

I had this same issue and I've battling it for years. It was very frustrating. I had previously replaced the seal and it only stopped it for a short while. My issue was made worse by an installation that didn't support the pan very well so I assumed that was the only issue. After fixing that from underneath that stopped it again for awhile.

Here are a couple things that I think I figured out today. First, Mark's suggestion of making sure the drain is well supported at the trap seemed to make a difference for me. It wasn't supported at all at the initial installation when the home was built. Second, making sure the drain goes up in the hole so it is pretty well centered. Third, I took Mark's advice and thoroughly cleaned everything with alcohol. When I pulled the seal it really had a bunch of scum and slimy soap on the outside.

Lastly, I think the mistake I was making when I reinstalled previously only to have leaks is that the wedge-lok was not pushed down or seated all the way to the bottom. This time I made sure it was all the way down.

It seems like it is not leaking through a test run and one shower!

Some of these might not actually be critical but after years of trying to figure this out and by using Mark's suggestions along with these little tidbits I think it is finally stopped. I thought maybe it would be helpful to someone else.

Best of luck and thanks for the post Mark.

[massplumber2008]

Hi Rod!

Thank you for taking the time to post your experience with this... also appreciated!