DIY Shower Drain Repair

How to repair your shower drain from not leaking anymore.

[@deborahlambert4601]

I’m a 68 year young lady and I have this issue and the pictures & steps are awesome! I’m ready to do this!

[@davehamel9298]

Good video, clear instructions, and, thankfully, no music. :) Now, a video on removing the old connection.

[@1954evelyn]

THANK YOU so much. This is the best on KZbin. My son was able to repair my shower drain last night. He went out and bought the replacement unit, sealant and walla DONE!! No huge Plumbing bill!!Thanks again

[@scope1]

Great job. I fixed it in 10 minutes just cleaning things up and replacing with new plumbers putty. Thanks for a great video. You saved me a plumbers fee and taught me how to do it.

[@iamraysgod]

+scope1 I had plumber putty leak every year or so. Not worth it

[@shawnhaq8955]

Still good results?

[@KM-vw6zx]

In another video it says to let the plumber putty sit overnight before running any water to give it time to set properly.@@iamraysgod

[@tangledline]

"Clean up the area so it looks profession..like you paid someone to do it." That is awesome! I been debating on tackling this for awhile...this helped alot. Thanks!

[@dogfan4201]

I believe the base of his drain (underneath the floor) is solvent welded to the drain pipe. Thus there is no underside nut to tighten, so he can just screw it back together from the top as the bottom is fixed in place. If your top piece is just spinning and won't lift out, it is probably because there is a flange and nut underneath holding it in place. This nut can only be unscrewed from underneath the shower.

[@o0killenjoke0o]

When using any silicone based caulk or sealant you want to do as little tooling as possible, that means wiping or knocking down the bead with your finger or tool, you should also have a cup of soapy water near by and continually soak your finger or tools. This creates a barrier the silicone won't bond to so it won't make such a mess and it makes for a much smoother cleaner end product as it won't smudge or ripple.

[@ThePensiveWon]

Great tips thanks it’s always sooooo fun😂

[@warriorsinagarden]

Thanks

[@ginnyhorn2708]

This video has helped me so much! I can’t thank you enough!!! I’m buying exactly everything u bought and hope that my project goes well. I am also checking for use of Teflon tape at all shower head points of contact. Now if I can get good at repairing the ruined drywall I’ll be much better off. Again, many thanks!

[@truenorthtel]

Exactly what I was looking for. That was my problem and I thought that was what was needed but you confirmed it. The combination of using plumbers putty and not tight enough was the cause and now I can fix it. Many thanks!

[@cesargomez4090]

I’m a learning handyman and this is going to help me on my next project thanx

[@Lilleybugglane]

Great video... we had a leak in the kitchen ceiling (sourced it to our master shower above kitchen)... my husband is very handy and we are HOPING this is the fix... thank you so much for this! :o)

[@SaiKrishna-pw1pr]

This is exactly I was looking for too! Thanks. It leaked second time for me on the same design. Something tells me the design of these shower drain is completely wrong. water will always find its way at some point in time, so it is better to design all water collected in between the flange and the surface leaks back into the drain. I don't know how difficult that would be.

[@arleenroberts2898]

Thank you for sharing this. Just knowing how to take it apart helped tremendously!

[@sabianfirst]

There is no spanner tool to buy. I looked. I opted to use a piece of 1/4" pipe, cut exactly to the span; then vice grips on the piece of pipe; using crescent on vice grips. Then as a final solution, tunk with hammer and punch. But it worked great. Thanks Mike Post, because we now have no leaks. Problem solved.

[@pamelamaxfield628]

Thank you, Mike; your video is well-done; instructions clear and simple!

[@jimmitchell6041]

Exactly what I was looking for, well paced explanation that hit the mark. Well done!

[@TheAbbott34]

I have this same problem in my basement shower I believe. Thanks Mike

[@Nklecz1980]

Very helpful! Thanks!

[@Splattervision-qh1sd]

The PVC piece that the strainer screws into , the threads are stripped and cracked. It’s from 2010 so of course you can’t get the original PVC piece with correct threads to secure the strainer. So just have to live with it and just put the strainer on with nothing holding it, or silicone it. I’m certainly not going to tear everything apart so I can get to it from the bottom just for a strainer plate. Plumbing’s amazing that way, NEVER assume anything’s going to be simple 😆

[@cjcairns8628]

I had quite a gap between that black rubber washer and the fibreglass so I put a thin layer of plumbers putty under the washer so when I tightened it up it would draw together better.

[@ThatBeardedBrother]

I was a bit skeptical when I watched this as I'm in the UK. Thought my shower tray would t have this sort of twistable waste, but I couldn't have been more wrong! I went out and found a replacement waste trap (had to buy the whole unit as I couldn't find the flange) and swapped it out after cleaning out the existing gunk with some methylated spirit. Just gotta put some sealant or putty; however I'm finding it hard to remove the trap now lol. I've read in one of the comments to this video that a custom cut piece of wood should help grip the notches in the trap; so I will try that.

[@sabianfirst]

Thank you to Mike Post.

[@miketysinger312]

Thank you!!! Saved me $250!!!

[@blinderII]

Excellent video. Well paced and well explained. Thanks.

[@robinmiller101]

Brilliant, thanks very much for your time and effort.

[@highonimmi]

on Sioux chiefs website it states to not use putty on plastic shower drains. odd, cuz where I work some of my coworkers recommend plumbers putty. I always tell them to use silicone caulk if they need to. the no caulks are just that.

[@thecontinuumapersonalguide3949]

Very helpful. Thanks for your well produced You Tube.

[@RetiredCanadian]

Thanks Mike best demo for this problem om the tube. Cheers

[@401waterman]

Thanks Mike! Off to Home Depot now

[@hangnman]

Man this videos is awesome!!! Saved me some pain down the road!!

[@gofishyfishy]

Thanks Mike, that was very clear and helpful.

[@minhdinh3942]

You can use putty, it’s not there for a waterproof seal. It’s there for a filler. The sealing washer is actually the watertight seal. If it passes the putty, it still goes down the drain because the sealing washer diverts it downward

[@aaroncrow3666]

Thanks, it worked for me. I just had to tighten the drain.👍🏾

[@Midnightlies7]

How did you get the old drain out? Mine seems to be fairly stuck!

[@chrisvanevenhoven983]

You must have had to cut the pvc in order to put the female receiving portion underneath and then added a piece of pvc that would run up into the top flange. Both pieces of pvc would then be attached by a rubber coupling? Or am I missing something?

[@StateofPeaches99]

This is a great video thanks for posting.

[@Dreamsenshi]

Thanks! This is exactly what I needed and didn't have in any of my home improvement books. =^--^= Sounds like we'll be able to fix our problem fairly cheaply by ourselves! Huzzah!

[@juliotorres6868]

Pretty good dude....Thanks for the demo

[@vermontmike9800]

Since it’s only the male portion that spins, then is the friction ring really needed for the bottom portion?

[@SwanCONERY]

I am also having troubles with the threads not lining up or grabbing when I'm trying to put the flange on...any ideas?

[@sonyreese]

What if my drain is old and falling apart and I can’t unscrew it out of the fibreglass tub

[@katidemattia9188]

excellent how to video!

[@DanielAguiardeMelo]

Thank you!

[@MarioLopez-sh1zg]

buen trabajo AMIGO!! FELICIDADES

[@mattval9097]

Thanks just what I was looking for....

[@jeffbrown3963]

Were the washers missing originally? I'm about to do this, thanks for the heads up!

[@jessesaenz371]

Have you ever had an issue where the threads don't engage each other?

[@truebetold65]

Thanks a million 👍.

[@tracyteaches]

How on earth do you get the black part under the shower floor? I am fixing a shower drain that doesn't have that.

[@MatthewBester]

I have a cracked drain. How should I remove the cracked drain and the silicon, its in there pretty tight?

[@deborahlambert4601]

I’m almost 70 and I’m going to do this… because I got a quote of $125 to do this!!

[@samscott54]

Excellent job thx

[@vivianjagdeo6004]

very helpful thanks

[@rowlandreeves5476]

Thanks !

[@kqxx]

What materials do I need to get? Do you mind listing them out? I'm thinking of getting them from home depot.

[@MegaMoviesrock]

Great video, Thank you!

[@wahinenuiloa]

Thank you sir. On to destroy my bathtub👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@jamessilverman4887]

I bought the 821-pkk model sioux chief to use in a new installation with a prefab shower floor. I do not understand where to use sealant(s) to prevent water getting between the drain and the wood floor it passes thrrough. Could you offer some information to orient me.

[@cone6052]

100% over tight. Thanks.

[@joebarlo8017]

very helpful

[@harveytattersall363]

This did not work for me. I believe the drain unit itself has a problem. Now comes the fun of removing the marine jb weld. Going to try drilling it out. Anyone have a better idea?

[@maxmaulden3634]

Cannot remove the old drain. I can get it to "unscrew" but it just stays in place regardless of how many times I unscrew it. Can you address the proper way to remove the existing drain in a one floor cultured marble shower?

[@gingerbowman58]

me too

[@GreenAppelPie]

I only used cultured marble, not wild 😜.

[@mverderaime]

Not all shower drains screw in. I just installed a new shower pan and drain ; the drain just had rubber o-rings the fit snugly into the pipe below. It just pressed into place. Gently pull up (or very carefully apply upward pressure by prying) as your turning back and forth.

[@metsrus]

this could cause a lot of water damage if neglected, especially if the shower is on the upper floors.

[@assistrenee]

wow, what a pain! thank you for the info tho...yikes. looks like Drano it is.

[@theCybershot123]

Over tightened.

[@jacekjackkuczynski845]

Good luck with unscrewing it in a year or two (with all of those silicone glued to the plug)!

[@liveyourlife23]

Everytime you tap its breaking the seal🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@rickpatrick6663]

Are the threads different for a black shower flange and a white one? It seems that I cannot thread the white one into the black one that is part of the drain. Does anyone know what its wrong?

[@jlewand]

There are TWO different pitch of threads for white PVC shower drains. Coarse (ProFlow) and fine (all other manufacturers).

[@chanman2001]

Thanks for video. #MancardPunched

[@jimbrumbaugh4438]

If it works it good enough

[@dinhchieunguyen684]

I don't think the silicon will work with hot water.

[@mverderaime]

Silicon is typically good to 600F

[@jonshaffer5793]

make sure you tighten the living shit out of this. get a 12 inch pipe wrench and crank the drain tool as hard as you possibly can. If it leaks after that just burn it all down.

[@shawncrit]

NEVER SILICONE EVER. Plumbers putty only.

[@donaldwaynemcleod7619]

What a mess.

[@kenklemp3837]

Wuter

[@Anara2]

So you don't show any of the prep work at all which is what MOST of us have issues with. I'm pretty sure we didn't need help reading instructions. Thanks anyway.

[@jeanniewhite81]

I've been looking for awhile to see how to do this. This is exactly the problem I have, and your instructions are excellent. Thank you so much!

[@fernyblue]

Over tightening can warp the gasket, the most important part of this fix.

[@shannoncole6425]

I hope I didn’t just do this. Lol

[@markcorbett3807]

Never - if I Had to use hammer I damn sure wouldn't use a Screwdriver as a Punch. Something Duller i.e. Wooden dowel.. Wouldn't want to mar the new piece.

[@danielhoffman7697]

Use brass and you won't have to worry about it!

[@kingkong7384]

There should be a tool that comes with the drain. It is a flat metal with tab that inserts into the drain, and a slot in the center where you insert a screwdriver to turn it. The tool is easy to miss as they are in the bottom of the box of drains. Most people just pick up the drain without looking for the tool. Even HD staff may not know they are there. The tool is the first one mentioned in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foG6l51tqb6jaZo.

[@rocroc]

I am in the midst of changing mine and found that mine does not utilize a tool similar to what you would normally use in this situation. This guy simply unscrews by hand the top attachment. Apparently he unscrewed it earlier so that it could more easily be shown on the video. My fixture does not have a name but the metal top is held on with two small screws. I believe his is similar to mine because if you look closely it would appear he has the screw casements that look like mine. What I did was use a normal tool and laid it sideways between the two screw casements and turned it using my vise grips. That worked but I have to get the parts needed to finish the job. I am concerned about getting a proper fit at the ring seal and I would be concerned about using silicone at the top. He said it would last five years. How do you repair it after using silicone? None the less, this was a well done video although I would have liked to seen the opening of the top too.

[@timothykasek995]

Thanks for the video. It worked. I used an Oatley two inch abs screw in drain, because they didn’t have that brand. I just used the new gaskets on my old flange. I also used plumbers putty. I figured if it didn’t work it would be easier to start over. Great tip on the scanner wrench. So far so good!

[@manoharmenghani6149]

How did you secure bottom nut in place when you removed top one?

[@shawnhaq8955]

Hows that leak holding up? Did it solve the issue?

[@TnSGuest]

Great video! Going to Lowes not Home Depot get better service there.

[@timothylea04]

seriously gave up on the depot even though they are miles closer than anyone else.

[@davidmiller7128]

I had my roof leak in my garage. I had no idea how to fix the shower drain. This was the best explanation of how to do it step by step. Now to see if it still leaks in the morning after the silicone dries. Wish me luck.

[@davidmiller7128]

Worked like a charm! No leaks

[@JonathonNeville]

No shower tray fits my tiny shower space. (65x75 cm = 25.5"x29.5") Can you cut a shower tray? How do you cut a 3d acrylic surface? As a 1-year temporary fix, could I use multiple layers of liquid membrane instead of a tray? (I actually want the fix to be temporary. Don't ask.)

[@AmagansettPress]

How tightly should a shower drain be screwed in ? Pretty tight ! Good video man, thanks.

[@sabianfirst]

Spot on. This fixed it for me as well. Bravo!! 11 years old. Sioux Chief is still available at Ace Hardware. Couldn't find at Lowe's or Home Depot. I did this, and it worked. For those of you that need to deal with the Oatey, you will need a contractor; I got lucky. This worked!

[@Jcu7197]

Thanks for posting this. We just had the same problem in our 11yo home. First noticed it because of the spot on the ceiling on 1st floor. After taking measurements to figure out where in the bathroom it was coming from, we were able to make the repair with the help of this video. Thanks again!

[@merszx6297]

Thanks for sharing, our basement shower drain has the same problem it came loose and leaking to my underground floor and through to my next bedroom floor.

[@anacristinabarriga9832]

Thank you verry much, I'll do it my self !! I love you

[@DTuckerMD]

Home Depot had shower stalls but no clue where the hardware would be. Searching didn't help and they were unable to find anything with their inventory tool. The plumbing guy was on break this afternoon but Door and Window specialist was able to find the area I had been searching. Nope, no 2" shower drain stuff.

[@JamesWilliams-sm8og]

Thank you. (Note: I now know why the flange area where the drain screen screws insert are split. For the life of me, I could not understand why they would split after being removed once. The builder's professional plumber used the same hammer and screw driver installation. Which is why I am replacing and checking KZbin for installation tips.)

[@ask43242flight]

Hello Mike, I followed this tutorial but my bottom of the shower pan still will leak if the water on the shower pan backup. Do you have the same issue?

[@carolinalopez8248]

Than you so much for this video. I think you just saved me a lot of money. You give great instructions.

[@briandmello1981]

How do you unscrew the flange? Are they all removable that way?

[@assistrenee]

no, i did not. have a plumber coming over in the near future to do something else and will ask him.

[@Chapaveli5959]

I always use a penny to clean up the excess caulking. Cleand up nice

[@yobrogoodwht3566]

well done

[@billyblake4291]

Awesome video. Straight to the point. Thank you!