[Dalla]

Hi! A few weeks after moving into our (12 year old) house, we noticed moisture coming through the ceiling. The upstairs shower is right above the wet spot. We called our warranty company, and they sent out a technician who said that it was the shower drain, which has a crack in it (but of course, he said that it wasn't covered by the warranty due to some fine print or other.)

I found the plumb-rite website and ordered their wing-tite drain, in the hopes that we could fix this ourselves. Sadly, I've already run into a problem: I can't figure out how to remove my current drain, and to my inexperienced eye, it doesn't look like either of the two drain varieties pictured in the wing-tite instructions for old drain removal. I can't see anything that looks like the gaskets pictured in the instructions, or anything that I could remove, other than just the whole drain itself.

I am hoping that someone here might be able to take a look and tell me what I need to do to remove this:

photo of my drain

another angle

one last drain photo

Thanks so much for taking a look--I looked through some of the past shower drain posts to try to avoid wasting anyone's time, but I didn't see anything that would answer my question.

--Dalla

[speedball1]

Hey Dalla,
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it looks like the stubup's glued into the drain. Unless you can see the "O" ring pictured in WingTites illustration and can pull it up and out with a pair of needle nosed pliers. You are faced with two options, none of them good. Ya don't get this from the top, pilgrim.
Option #1-- Cut a hole under the trap and cut the stubup off about 1 1/4" from the top of the trap. You may now unscrew the large nut and lift the drain and old stubup out. Now take PVC Primer and glue in a DWV coupling and a piece of PVC to replace the stub up. You may now install the WingTite according to instructions.
Option #2-- If you don't wish to open up under the trap you can rent a pair of PVC inside cutters and cut the stubup from the inside. Now follow the removal directions found on the right hand side of the instruction sheet. After you get the drain out in pieces the nut will fall down on the trap and stay there.
Now take PVC Primer and glue in a DWV coupling and a piece of PVC to replace the stub up. You may now install the WingTite according to instructions.

I realize that the above may sound complicated and too much like major surgery so let me give you a "Hail Mary" third option.
Purchase a tube of clear silicon jell, CAREFULLY dry everything up, including the inside of the crack, (use a hair dryer) and fill the crack and ALL PLACES that you think might leak and let it set over night to set up.
Next day to check your work jam wet rags into the drain so it holds water and run a inch of water in the shower pan. If you do not see fresh moisture then your leak has been repaired without changing the drain.

Mind you! Option 1 & 2 are the best solution but I figured after reading what a hassle they are you would at least wish to know that there is a option #3. Hope this helps and thank you for rating my reply. Tom

[Dalla]

Speedball, thank you for your quick reply. I figured the news wouldn't be good, since I couldn't see the O ring. Oh well.

I guess I'll try the silicone option, and if that fails I'll get a plumber to do it. Those first two options sound a bit too complicated for a plumbing novice like myself.

Now I wish I hadn't bought the wingtite--I wonder if I can sell it on eBay? ;)

[speedball1]

Why not save it until you know if you'll need a plumber. If he has to change out the drain you will have a replacement handy. Regards\, Tom

[oldtgeezer]

Della,
If you do not use the shower adapter, I may be interested in purchasing it if the price and shipping is right.
Jim Mead
Washington State