Ask Me Help Desk - Old Shower drains slow

Old Shower drains slow

Helllo, my name is Holly. I am almost at the end of my contingency period to find everything I can find on a bank owned property I am buying in California. I hired a home inspector that found hardly anything wrong with the property and then a pest inpector that found several things. The major one that is bugging me is that the new granite tiled shower remodel is #1 leaking from the grout lines (or pan who knows really) onto the floor of the bathroom and sometimes into the lower wall of the attached bedroom. It only happens after the water has been run. #2 the drain is backing up. I have let the water run in the shower until it gets to the rim of the drain. During that time it makes a blump, Blump, blump sound as if it is filling an air gap. After that is when it comes to the top of the drain.

I have attempted to snake the drain and the only thing I've gotten up was a little bit of tephlon tape and some rust. (the hose was built in 1950). I also tried to snake the side vent on the outside of the house. From reading other posts it sounds like it could be a roof vent that is clogged. I don't know if the real estate agent is going to let me get on the roof to snake it. Does this sound like what is wrong? This house went through a foreclosure and I am worried that the put something down the drain. Any advise would be appreciated. I don't want to put too much into a house that isn't mine yet.

Do a pan test. Remove the grid and put a wet washcloth inside a baggy and stuff it to clog the drain. Using a bucket or a hose, fill the shower from a water source not from the shower. If it leaks within 20 minutes you have a pan leak and the whole floor and the first 3 rows of tile and the panliner will have to be replaced.
To address the clog, how far down are you running a cable? A 6 foot telescoping toilet auger will do wonders here.

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Originally Posted by doug238

do a pan test. remove the grid and put a wet washcloth inside a baggy and stuff it to clog the drain. using a bucket or a hose, fill the shower from a water source not from the shower. if it leaks within 20 minutes you have a pan leak and the whole floor and the first 3 rows of tile and the panliner will have to be replaced.
to address the clog, how far down are you running a cable? a 6 foot telescoping toilet auger will do wonders here.

The inspector did that very same thing to test the pan and said I needed to replace the whole shower. It's really a shame because it is 12" granite tile and it looks as though it was just done. Why does the floor tile have to be replaced as well?

I could only get the cable down about 2 feet. I think it is hitting a 90 or something.

Quote:

I could only get the cable down about 2 feet. I think it is hitting a 90 or something.

There's a "P" trap with a return bend that you should be able to work the snake around.. Once past the trap you only have to put out about 15 more feet of snake. Good luck, Tom

The inspector did that very same thing to test the pan and said I needed to replace the whole shower. It's really a shame because it is 12" granite tile and it looks as though it was just done. Why does the floor tile have to be replaced as well?

the floor of the shower and at least 8" up from the floor

Has anyone inspected the weep holes under the drain lip. If this was a foreclosure and a newly installed shower it could be done like some house flips, poorly. If the weep holes are cleared and not blocked then I agree the floor must come out and up the wall of the shower at least 6', dougs 8" is not unreasonable either. The liner failed if there was one to begin with, so the floor of the shower pan would come up.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Has anyone inspected the weep holes under the drain lip. If this was a foreclosure and a newly installed shower it could be done like some house flips, poorly. If the weep holes are claered and not blocked then I agree the floor must come out and up the wall of the shower at least 6', dougs 8" is not unreasonable either. The liner failed if there was one to begin with, so the floor of the shower pan would come up.

I looked for weep holes and didn't see any at all. It's just an old rusty pipe that is larger at the mouth, down about 2 inches, and then narrows to about 2", goes down about 10" to a p-trap. Since it is on a concrete slab, will the plumbing be housed under the concrete once I remove the pan, disabling a view of what is happening past the p-trap? Is it possible that the house plumbing is to old to have had a drain with weep holes? Or possible that the previous shower that was in there was designed for a shower that didn't need to weep?

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedball1

There's a "P" trap with a return bend that you should be able to work the snake around.. Once past the trap you only have to put out about 15 more feet of snake. good luck, Tom

Thank you for responding to my question :) .

I was able to get it about a foot past the p trap but that was it and then nothing came up, I just worked up some rust... That's why I was wondering if they did some strange jogs in the pipe after the P trap. (I know you can't answer this puzzle).