I have been chasing a leak at my house for several weeks.
Thought it was from outside and had some questionable roof areas taken care of (house is 8yrs old). Im thinking it may be from my second floor shower and would like to try some things. I looked at the drain and it seems the caulk around the shower floor and drain is questionable.

Im not sure if my drain can be removed from the top or not.

All the info I have is that the cover is stainless,4-1/4" diameter
And is held in by 2 screws.

The markings on the piece under the cover are:
Jones MFG Co INC
D2665
PVC-ASTM

Can I get this out from the top and how ?
What's the best thing to do when I get it out ?


I did some reaeding here about the wing tite etc.

I am remodeling a shower in my bathroom, but I am having trouble with the old cast iron drain.
Once I removed the old leaky shower pan liner, the screws that were holding the old flang broke off. What can I do to fix this problem? The drain is under a concrete floor. Should I start digging in into the concrete floor to remove the old drain or just drill in a couple of more holes and use screws.

To DSA, wait until Tom answers.

To 98

If you can drill and tap new holes, it might be best. Check at your hardware store for self taping bolts. Put anti seize on the new bolts. There are ways of getting the worst of rusted screws out, but not easy ways. If you don't think you can make new holes work, get back with me. I am a better mechanic than plumber.

DSL,
You ask, "Can i get this,(drain) out from the top and how ?
Whats the best thing to do when i get it out ?"

What kind of drainage do you have? Cast Iron? PVC? Drain removal is different for each one.

First of all let's find out if you have a drain leak. I have found most shower leaks to be from the shower stream hitting tile grout that has shrunk over the years. To test for a drain leak remove the strainer and jam wet rags in the opening to make it water tight. Then fill the shower pan with about a inch of water and let it set over night. Next morning check for moisture. If the drain's leaking then there will be fresh water marks. Now on to your question. Since the drain you mention has PVC in the name I'll address that first.
A PVC drain is secured to the shower floor by a threaded nut underneith and is cemented to the 2" PVC stubup. A PVC drain can not be removed from the top without special tools and some knowledge of plumbing.
A cast iron drain can be removed from the top by melting out the lead joint or breaking out the drain.
The second part of your question, ( Whats the best thing to do when i get it out ?") would be to install a WingTite drain unless you wish to open up the area beneith the trap area. Check the drain for leaks and get back to me. I have solutions for both types of leaks. Regards, Tom

Tom,

To answer your questions..

Drainage is PVC.
The shower stall is a one piece, assuming fiberglass.

The leak we are assuming from the shower is dripping through an archway
About 10' away from the area of the shower.

The drip "seems" to diminish if we don't use the questionable shower.

Just trying to avoid cracking open a wall/ceiling under this shower. As luck would have it we just painted whole downstairs in OCT. :(
There are no marks on the downstairs ceiling, just the drip through the archway

Dave

Ok Dave,
A fiber glass shower stall knocks a tile grout leak right out of da ball park.
To remove the old drain first check for a "O" ring if so follow the directions on this link,
http://www.plumbrite.com/?page=install&PHPSESSID=424a0a91537ca7f8ac765d5078b6f96d

If you can't find a "O" ring then your drain is cemented to the PVC stubup.
This will be a hassle to remove. If you don't wish to disturb the ceiling you must rent a set of inside PVC cutters, Purchase a small can of PVC primer and a small can of PVC cement. You will also need a 2" PVC DWV coupling and enough 2" PVC pipe to replace the pipe you're cutting out. Make the cut the same length as the one you cut out with the drain. Now follow directions to cut out the drain that WingTite has on the right side of the page. Once the old drain is out, prime the coupling and the new stubup and glue them in. You are now ready to install the WingTite drain.
However, there is a method that just may save you all the hassle of then above.
MAKE VERY SURE THAT ALL SURFACES ARE DRY! And then take and caulk the lip of the drain with silicon jel. It doesn't sound like the leak is all that serious so it might save you a load of work. Good luck, Tom