Ask Me Help Desk - Stand up Shower Drain Connection

I have a Lasco shower unit. I'm installing it in the basement on concrete. I have a 2 inch PVC pipe extending out of the floor. How much pipe do I leave above the floor? Most of all is if I buy a Oatley connector, after I secure it to the shower itself, do I just slip the shower unit over the drain without any type of tightening? There will be no room under the unit to do any tightening. Home Depot customer service looked at the brass Oatley drain connector and told me it just looks like you just slip the entire unit over the drain pipe and it shouldn't leak. Nothing to tighten around the drain pipe? Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Scott

Funny you should ask this question, because I also have a Lasco shower base that came with the drain, which I have looked at, and it appears it should work for your installation, if it is the same as the one I have. It is brass and has 2 black washers and a V-seal. I think the people at home depot are correct. You must be sure you cut the ABS pipe exactly right so it seats flush with the upper solid ring when the base is in its final position. And you don't need to glue or tighten anything. The V-seal does it all! Did you get the same drain I did? The box has many numbers on it, but not any model or style numbers. Says lock series SR-LV, finish 26D, function 126. And it is for 2" ABS. Hope this helps.

I don't know... I could be wrong, but something smells a little funny here. A drain installation that requires no tightening? Sounds too good to be true. Maybe you'd best wait until speedball1 or one of the other experts weighs in with their opinion...

I too am concerned about installing a shower with the shower drain assembly just sitting over the drain pipe without any tightening. I didn't actually but the drain assembly yet as I want to be sure just what I need. I'd think you'd glue something threaded onto the pipe that you can then tighten into. Do they make something like that for a stand up shower. I'll feel better if something's tightened around the drain pipe.

OK... there are really only two or three different strainers that can be used on the Lasco shower stalls. One kind is directly glued to the PVC pipe the other kind is sealed using a rubber seal (also could use a brass strainer and lead and oakum to seal joint but that is best left to professionals to do).

In this case I think you are referring to the OATEY caulkless strainer... Here, you would install the strainer through the shower base using a silicone bead under the rim of the strainer, you would add the flat rubber washer and cardboard friction washer under the shower base and tighten the large nut supplied with the strainer. THEN, I would dry fit the base over the pipe and mark where you need to cut the pipe with a marker.

Note please, that you should assemble the shower strainer with the black rubber SEAL and its plastic or brass nut dry (before installing into shower base) so you can see where the finished pipe should end... remember to leave enough room for the OATEY shower strainer cover to snap into place when you are done.

OK, then I would cut the pipe, then I would install the shower base over the pipe, then I would slip the rubber SEAL over the cut pipe (soap helps here sometimes), then I would twist in the plastic or brass metal ring (compression ring) over the pipe (on top of the rubber SEAL) to COMPRESS the rubber SEAL around the pipe. Most Oatey strainers come with a metal bar with a slot and ears to engage and tighten the compression nut over the
SEAL.

So... to go over all... your strainer probably has the strainer cover plate, the strainer, the flat rubber washer, the cardboard friction washer, the nut to tighten the strainer, a rubber SEAL, a compression ring and a tool to tighten the compression ring (be careful not to drop small tool in waste line when tightening the strainer). IF your strainer is different
Please advise and I will be glad to discuss that particular strainer with you... ALSO note...that I recommend setting all Lasco shower bases in a bed of structolite or mortar or even plaster to firm up the base and reduce squeaking and other awful noises associated with shower stalls!! Best wishes... ME

I'm going to where I bought the shower module today and see what drain assemblies they have. I'd rather use glue than a compression fitting but either would work. The assembly I saw at Home Depot fit snug around the drain pipe and I saw no compression fittings. I'll be certain to keep looking until I find just what I need. If anyone has a store/part number of exactly the one I need for a Lasco stand up shower please let me know. I just don't see any way that I'll be able to get under the unit to tighten anything after it's sitting in place. Only to tighten from above into a threaded fitting makes any sense to me at this time. Thanks to all for the great advice. I do plan to place plaster or mortar under the unit... I read that somewhere too. Thanks!

I think I totally understand how to do this now. I bought a drain assembly from where I bought the shower module. Souix Chief manufactures it and it has the instructions on the back and the tool to tighten up the compression fitting comes with it. Now it's just a matter of doing the dry fit test over the drain pipe and then cutting off the excess pipe, without cutting it too short. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by massplumber2008

OK...there are really only two or three different strainers that can be used on the Lasco shower stalls. One kind is directly glued to the PVC pipe the other kind is sealed using a rubber seal (also could use a brass strainer and lead and oakum to seal joint but that is best left to professionals to do).

In this case I think you are referring to the OATEY caulkless strainer...Here, you would install the strainer through the shower base using a silicone bead under the rim of the strainer, you would add the flat rubber washer and cardboard friction washer under the shower base and tighten the large nut supplied with the strainer. THEN, I would dry fit the base over the pipe and mark where you need to cut the pipe with a marker.

Note please, that you should assemble the shower strainer with the black rubber SEAL and its plastic or brass nut dry (before installing into shower base) so you can see where the finished pipe should end...remember to leave enough room for the OATEY shower strainer cover to snap into place when you are done.

OK, then I would cut the pipe, then I would install the shower base over the pipe, then I would slip the rubber SEAL over the cut pipe (soap helps here sometimes), then I would twist in the plastic or brass metal ring (compression ring) over the pipe (on top of the rubber SEAL) to COMPRESS the rubber SEAL around the pipe. Most Oatey strainers come with a metal bar with a slot and ears to engage and tighten the compression nut over the
SEAL.

So...to go over all...your strainer probably has the strainer cover plate, the strainer, the flat rubber washer, the cardboard friction washer, the nut to tighten the strainer, a rubber SEAL, a compression ring and a tool to tighten the compression ring (be careful not to drop small tool in waste line when tightening the strainer). IF your strainer is different
please advise and I will be glad to discuss that particular strainer with you...ALSO note...that I recommend setting all Lasco shower bases in a bed of structolite or mortar or even plaster to firm up the base and reduce squeaking and other awful noises associated with shower stalls!! Best wishes....ME

Hi massplubmer, stumbled upon your post while looking for a solution to my problem. Do you happen to know if someone makes a slip on shower repair drain for 2" cast iron pipe coming out of a slab? My 1960's exsisitng shower drain is so badly corroded Im not sure I can get it out. Thank you!