Hello. I have removed a sunken tub from a rancher built on a slab. There is a 6 inch well which allowed the sunken tub. I am putting in a barrier free prefab shower base. The shower base will take up the same area as the old tub, but the special purchase shower base has the drain in the centre versus the bathtub which was near an end wall.

I want to run the shower drain over to the old tub drain area, about 2 feet, and hook up to the tub drain using the tub drain, it's buried p trap and the vent. I was going to run the shower drain over at 1/4 inch per foot. Are both of these OK?

Also I will not have access to the drain pipes underneath but I do have enough room to install them in the well. Which would be the best drain to use in the shower? A normal type, that would be used for open plumbing, or a drain that would be used if you were building the shower base with mortar and setting it in the mortar?

Thanks

If you have enough room use the drain in the center of the shower and connect it with 2" PVC pipe, that is if you have room enough to do that and connect into the drain where the tub drained. If you need to unstop the drain you will be able to do it through the shower Base.

"Which would be the best drain to use in the shower? A normal type, that would be used for open plumbing, or a drain that would be used if you were building the shower base with mortar and setting it in the mortar?"
Your shower base should come with a drain but if if doesn't I would use a normal type drain. A flange type, used in custom tile showers isn't compatible with a manufactured shower base. Having said that, drainage wise it would be better if you could move the trap and raiser over to line up with the drain in the shower base instead of installing a "dogleg" as a tail piece. Rule of thumb will tell you that the smaller number of 90s you have the better the drainage will be. While the configuration you have planned will worki, I just thought I'd add a word of caution. Good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

"Which would be the best drain to use in the shower? A normal type, that would be used for open plumbing, or a drain that would be used if you were building the shower base with mortar and setting it in the mortar?"
Your shower base should come with a drain but if if doesn't I would use a normal type drain. A flange type, used in custom tile showers isn't compatible with a manufactured shower base. Having said that, drainage wise it would be better if you could move the trap and raiser over to line up with the drain in the shower base instead of installing a "dogleg" as a tail piece. Rule of thumb will tell you that the smaller number of 90s you have the better the drainage will be. While the configuration you have planned will worki, I just thought I'd add a word of caution. Good luck, Tom

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Thank you speedball1 and letmetellu... I would have liked to put a new ptrap right below but there is just enough room to get the drain in and the pipe angled over to the old bathtub drain. I mostly needed the reassurance about going into the old drain and I understand your need for caution Tom. Thanks again... Spirock