I have a Maax air tub on order for a basement bathroom. Room is concrete floor, shower drain sink plumbing and toilet is roughed in. House is 15 years old. Problem - Tub is a drop in model and has a center position drain on the back/wall side of the tub. I know I need to move the shower drain, install a P trap, have sufficient drop on pipe. Is it proper procedure to carefully measure required location for waste - overflow and ABS cement it permanently in place before droping tub in? Can the waste and overflow final connections to the tub be made from inside the tub after it is dropped in place? There will be no room to get at the drain plumbing from under or around the tub once it is dropped in place. It is up against a cement wall on three sides. Thanks! Paul

Hi Probb.

To answer your questions...

No, tubs drains are not usually prefit and then tubs with tub waste and overflow assemblies lowered and then connected to ABS without some sort of transition fitting that needs to be accessed to tighten/seal.

Now my questions...

1st question: Can you rotate the tub? Forget the concrete floor... if plumbing is easy to move can you rotate that tub so the drain is accessible from the front?

2nd question: Can you order another tub so that drain is accessible from the front?

See...it is easier to chop out some concrete and dig out the ground and move the underground drain pipe to front of the tub then it is to hook this tub up without access to the drain after setting the tub. One of those cold hard facts!!

Does that mean it can't be done? Well, yes... that's what it means... UNLESS you are really skilled at a plumbing/carpentry ;)

If you want to try... I am sure I can help... I have actually done this before.. but it was ridiculously hard... I WILL GO INTO DETAILS... BUT ONLY IF YOU NEED ME TOO... It is a painful memory :rolleyes:

I would prefer to see you set that MAAX airtub in a nice solid bed of structolite perlited gypsum (or modified thinset mortar) and hook up the drain pipe so that you know 100% sure you can always access/repair tub waste if it should start to leak.. for whatever reason.

Anyway, get back to me... answer those questions.

If this helped, please [B]RATE THIS ANSWER[/B]. Thank you



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MassPlumber2008 - Thank you for your reply to my problem with installing the Maax air tub. We could rotate the tub 180 degrees placing the drain to the front/room side of the tub. It will also put the spout to the room side and we were hoping to avoid needing to step over that when entering and exiting the tub. It is a small bathroom. Question - If I rotate the tub and put the drain to the front, after installing everything do you fill the hole in the floor completely with cement again? I really don't have room to leave an open hole in the concrete without it being exposed in the room. Maybe I should call a plumber and have it done. Thanks for your advice. I greatly appreciate it.

Hi Probb... I know this stinks... sorry.

See, in your circumstance... three walls of concrete... you not only need access to your drain ABS and Brass plumbing BUT you also need to access that tub faucet in the future... so know matter what... YOU ARE STEPPING OVER THAT FAUCET... or just set faucet off to side... not so bad that way.

Also, be clear.. you don't leave a hole in floor that is exposed... YOU hook all up under rough framing... then install/allow for access to all these pipes in future via an access panel... YOU INSTALL AN ACCESS PANEL THAT BLENDS WITH FRONT... Can be tile or wood... special hinges available.

You must also consider motor access... you may need to replace that in future.

So... the access panel must allow

1) the motor to air tub to breath

2) access to motor/electric

3) access to faucet

4) access to drain.

This can be done almost seamlessly if you have the right information... get back to me again... let me know what you are thinking.

If this helped please [B]RATE THIS ANSWER[/B]. Thank you.

OK, I decided to rotate the tub 180 degrees to place the tub center drain to the outside/room side of the tub. I started taking up the concrete from the shower rough in and was delighted to find that the shower rough in followed exactly a path towards the intended location for the tub drain. This was looking too easy! And it was, because when I arrived at the exact location for the tub drain I found another 1.5" ABS line tee'd into my drain line from above the drain line. I am assuming this tee'd in line will be a vent line?? How can I know for sure?? This line will have to be moved in order to allow the tub drain and P trp to be located there. Is there any minimum dimension the vent line must be located from the P trap? Is it possible or likely that the line tee'd into the shower rough in drain is also a drain line from the sink and not a vent line? Does the fact that it tee's in from above the drain line tell me it is a vent line?

Hey Prob

All good news! Tell me is that tee rolled above centerline of drain line? If it is then most surely it is the vent.

For a tub drain the vent must connect to within 5 feet of the tub p-trap (as per uniform plumbing code in Massachusetts).

Also note that you will need to reduce the 2" shower pipe to 1.5 inches as you get near the ptrap (I like a 2" p-trap with a 2"x 1.5" flush bushing in it to pick up the tub waste via an 1.5 inch desanco fitting (which connects to the tub waste and overflow assembly AFTER tub is installed).

I want you to run the sink, too... run hot water down the sink drain and then give it a few minutes and see if the tee fitting that is tied into that line gets warm.. if it does.. well, then it is sink drain. You could use that drain as a wet vent if it 2" all the way past the sink... but you said was 1.5 inch pipe so I doubt it.

Sounds like a vent too me, anyway *crossing fingers* for you.

Anyway, answer my questions... check the pipe out (see if gets warm).. get back to me.

If this helped please RATE THIS ANSWER. Thank you.


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