I removed a one piece tub/shower enclosure and removed the old drain and overflow for the tub. I cannot get to the trap which is about 4" away from where the new drain will be. Can I use street 45's and angle my way to the top of the trap? I had a hard enough time cutting the pvc for the old drain and overflow .

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Originally Posted by pattyg2

I removed a one piece tub/shower enclosure and removed the old drain and overflow for the tub. I cannot get to the trap which is about 4" away from where the new drain will be. Can I use street 45's and angle my way to the top of the trap?? I had a hard enough time cutting the pvc for the old drain and overflow .

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I assume you're swapping a tub for a stand up shower if the drain moved 4". You will be converting from a "P" trap to a running trap, This will work if you have the room to do it. Of course It's always best to move the trap to under the drain but if you can't a running trap should do the job. Good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

I assume you're swapping a tub for a stand up shower if the drain moved 4".  You will be converting from a "P" trap to a running trap, This will work if you have the room to do it.  Of course It's always best to move the trap to under the drain but if you can't a running trap should do the job.  good luck,  Tom

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Actually the drain will end up in the same spot that the tub drain was only now it will be a 2" instead of a 1 1/2". The overflow drain for the tub went into the p trap and the tub/shower drain teed into the overflow drain. Top of p trap is about 8-10" below ground

Can you reach the horizontal line between the old trap and your main drain? Lengthening that pipe would give you your 4" or like you described a running trap as Tom points out. This project probably will not pass code so I hope you don't have a inspection. Street 45s would do it but I think you will end up lower than the trap inlet and may need to reverse the trap. Definitely do not use and vent 45s or 90s.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Can you reach the horizontal line between the old trap and your main drain?  lengthening that pipe would give you your 4" or like you described a running trap as Tom points out. This project probably will not pass code so I hope you don't have a inspection. Street 45s would do it but I think you will end up lower than the trap inlet and may need to reverse the trap. Definitely do not use and vent 45s or 90s.

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There is no way I can get to the other side of the trap. It is under the foundation and there is a wall on top of it. I have cut away everything from the tub side of the trap and installed a 1 1/2"  to 2" reducer to it so I can use 2" PVC now. I found an earlier post from you where you told me to use 2 1.5 90's piece of 1.5 pvc and a reducer to reach the swanstone drain. There won't be any inspection. I am doing all the work myself.

I have run into so many problems like this in older houses. They were built without the benefit of ever having to fix or change anything . I once had a home that used 3" copper as the main drain to the septic BURIED in the concrete slab. Well over time the copper rotted and the pipe actually was the concrete "tube" that was left. That customer was not happy when I had to chop all of that floor up to fx the floor where it had collapsed and then run a new main drain around the perimeter of the house.

Bestr bet here is to just take some time with a few fittings in hand and LOOK AT what you have and what you can devise to move it that small amount.
Good Luck

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Originally Posted by Handyman2007

I have run into so many problems like this in older houses. They were built without the benefit of ever having to fix or change anything . I once had a home that used 3" copper as the main drain to the septic BURIED in the concrete slab. Well over time the copper rotted and the pipe actually was the concrete "tube" that was left. That customer was not happy when I had to chop all of that floor up to fx the floor where it had collapsed and then run a new main drain around the perimeter of the house.Bestr bet here is to just take some time with a few fittings in hand and LOOK AT what you have and what you can devise to move it that small amount.Good Luck

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I have one more thing to try and then I guess I'll go back to 1 1/2" and use a reducer to bring 2" to shower drain. Using the 2" fittings gets me about 1" too far from the drain. I will dig a lttle behind the trap and see if I can budge it a little back. This so called retrofit has been a BIG headache! If I knew I was going to do this much work I would have bought a different shower floor since I'm moving the drain anyway.

Looks like you are putting in a Swanstone 3260 shower pan. The drainpipe is 2" going down through the shower sump and thats where you can stick your reducer, actually a 1 1/2" straight coupler will do the trick. Stick a short length of 1 1/2 pipe up through the sump, glue on the coupler, grease its outside with plumbers grease as well as the inside of the pan sump, now pressure you thick black rubber collar down in place. You can transition immediately below the pan with a street 90 pointing toward the trap. Keep in mind all of this is done before the shower is actually set down in modofoed thinset or Structolite. Makes sense, if not write back, Bob

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Looks like you are putting in a Swanstone 3260 shower pan. The drainpipe is 2" going down through the shower sump and thats where you can stick your reducer, actually a 1 1/2" straight coupler will do the trick. Stick a short length of 1 1/2 pipe up through the sump, glue on the coupler, grease its outside with plumbers grease as well as the inside of the pan sump, now pressure you thick black rubber collar down in place. You can transition immediately below the pan with a street 90 pointing towrad the trap. keep in mind all of this is done before the shower is actually set down in modofoed thinset or Structolite. makes sense, if not write back, Bob

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Tomorrow is the day! Do I put the thinset down wet or dry? I can't find Structolite at my HD. You had said something about 20 scoopfuls before.

So you have solved all the drain issues , right? Structolite is a GSP version of plaster. Your Swanstione allows you to use several different products to set the pan so it will not flex or creak. You could use DAP caulking adhesive too but I perfer modified thinset found in the tile section of the store. A small 1 gal. bucket is more than enough, plut down a baseball sized scoop evenly placed about 6" apart all over the floor and lower the shower pan into place. Walk around inside the pan for a minute or two and then leave it alone for a day. The modified thinset will harden slowly over the next few days and will not become brittle. I buy premixed thinset in a plastic tub for about $18, not down put thinset down dry, buy wet or mix it yourself.

Sorry but "modofoed"?? LOL

Me little fingers don't type so good sometimes. Modified thinset. Where the heck is spellcheck when you need it?? Look at your keyboard and see how close the I and the O are to each other, I hit right between them sometimes.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Me little fingers don't type so good sometimes. Modified thinset. Where the heck is spellcheck when you need it??? look at your keyboard and see how close the I and the O are to each other, I hit right between them sometimes.

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Houston-we have drain alignment! I finally got it after buying so many fittings. It worked using 2 street 90's from the trap. I am going to glue the fittings first and then just let the 2" pipe stick out while i fill my hole to China back in. I am not sure how long that piece needs to be until I install the floor on the thinset. How far up into the swanstone drain opening does the 2" need to come up? I plan on putting down a 1" layer of modified thinset as Swanstone suggests. I can dryfit it and mark-cut-glue. I am using primer and pvc cement!

You need to cut that verticle 2" PVC pipe about 1/2" below the floor surface now or after you set the pan, its easier to do it now. Make sure the pipe is susported from below because when you set your rubber gasket you will be applying friction and force downward on the pipe, it can't be allowed to move.

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Originally Posted by pattyg2

I have one more thing to try and then I guess I'll go back to 1 1/2" and use a reducer to bring 2" to shower drain. Using the 2" fittings gets me about 1" too far from the drain. I will dig a lttle behind the trap and see if I can budge it a little back. This so called retrofit has been a BIG headache! If I knew I was going to do this much work I would have bought a different shower floor since I'm moving the drain anyway.

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I finally got it and it is above the water line. I just need to know how far the 2" pvc goes into the swanstone drain.

Take a look at your black rubber collar and measure it. That's how much Swanstone wants to see the PVC stick up inside the shower pan sump. It should end up about 1/2" below the pan floor surface.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Take a look at your black rubber collar and measure it. Thats how much Swanstone wants to  see the PVC stick up inside the shower pan sump. It should end up about 1/2" below the pan floor surface.

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I looked at the drain and it looks like it should come up to where the ears for the strainer are. Anyway I got it in and put a 1 inch base of wet thinset down and used a 2x4 to slide the floor over and drop it down. I walked on it and checked for square and level. Everything is good to go! I want to thank you so much for all your help. I am bound and determined to do this by myself. Now to cut some 12" porcelain tiles on the diagonal so I can put the bathroom floor down which is how all this got started. New toilet... well let me put down a new floor... vanity looks bad with new floor tiles... one piece tub looks even worse... let's just gut the whole thing and do it once.
Thank You,Patty(determined 53 yr old woman)

Patty , you pic is 100% exactly like the one I am doing today right down to the flexible copper water lines. I do have one question since the picture angle is just a little off to show me what I want to know. That dark line between the ub and the backerboard, is that a shadow and did you know you must have the backer overlap the lip of the shower pan? I am a bit nervous because it looks like your backer may be behind the pan lip.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

You need to cut that verticle 2" PVC pipe about 1/2" below the floor surface now or after you set the pan, its easier to do it now. Make sure the pipe is susported from below because when you set your rubber gasket you will be applying friction and force downward on the pipe, it can't be allowed to move.

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I was just using that long piece for the picture. I ran a 24" piece of rebar in the ground and used one of the zip ties I had when I redid my AC/heat ductwork.Re filled the hole and compacted the dirt. Thank you so much for your help.
Patty

Patty, what was that answer?? Some other post maybe?