How to change out a shower drain

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How to change out a shower drain
How a drain goes together
Click this link for a video on removing a different style drain from a pan • How to remove a shower...

[@kerryp6607]

i think i watched easily a dozen videos and this one was by far the most useful! i had to replace my shower pan because it was cracked and could not for the life of me figure out how to get the drain out. the hammer/screwdriver combo on the "castle" nut was the best advice (mine was in there real good). thank you!

[@rhm504]

I agree on the silicone vs plumber's putty thing. I'm a DIY person. I got called back for a leak around a new garbage disposal sink/flange thingy. Pulled it, cleaned off the new plumber's putty I put on, put down silicone, sealed forever, everything happy. So I've started doing all my flange connections this way. I don't know if I should still be doing it this way, but so far so good.

[@jacoby.finley1001]

Thank you so much for the hammer and screw driver idea. I was going wrong way with wrenches. Hammer plus screw driver in seconds. God send

[@rickyjohnson7780]

Great simple info delivered correctly and straightforward instructions. I love the fact you do not have a 5 minute intro of music and montage of pictures of extraneous "stuff" that i do not care about. Great job sir and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@bevsucceeds]

Finally a good video showing how the drain works. Although my drain is in the cement on the first floor, the information is useful enough to get my drain removed. Thanks Billy.

[@burbbilly]

You're welcome Beverly, I'm glad it helped you out

[@kirks.2565]

Awesome video! We just build a log home, and had a leak in one of the showers, just around the pan and lip of drain. Our plumber told us to loosen it, remove the plumber's putty, and seal it with...silicon! :) I search the web for a tool, but I liked your suggestion of screwdriver and hammer technique, and followup tests! God bless you!

[@johnfrederick8076]

Thanks for the vid! The guy at Lowes had no idea how to get the castle nut off. You definitely saved me some time and money!

[@JOESOLDROCK]

You just saved me a LOT of trouble. Most informative Video on the subject I've found! Gave you a 'thumbs up'.

[@codydonovan7356]

Thanks for the info. Our master bath shower has been leaking onto our living ceiling and I cut a whole in the ceiling and noticed that the previous homeowner had some spray foam insulation around the shower drain….. I guess they thought that would somehow stop water haha. So I’m looking to replace the entire drain

[@victoriaziranda5308]

Best breakdown very clear and concise

[@deankay4434]

Great info and I agree that the rubber, last 20 years on average. Nothing special, not HNBR, Viton just inner tube stamped. Paper gasket, throw away. The "P-Trap" has to float with a fiberglass floor so held but not tight. Drilling at an angle can bust the brass ring, but silicone has to go on clean surfaces. Support the one piece shower floor with low expansion foam. 17" square access in dropped ceiling. 8" to subfloor, fiberglass another 1/2-3/4" higher. Then wires, vent fan hose, all fun. The bottom nut could have some meat on it as wedding bands are thicker, then 4 lug, 6 lug and 8 lugs. I mask 3/16" out from SS drain cover, with thin pin stripe after alcohol wipe. Then add 3/4" masking tape. I found "Building" sealant, sold in colors, is 300% more flexible and when pushed in hard, second a fill layer to top, a gloved finger smoothes it with automotive type wax & grease remover but leaves a silky smooth surface then place the cover down, pull the tape off, no more leak. We can send a man to the moon but can't seal a shower drain? Crazy!

[@d19jordan57]

Thanks for recommending the silicone caulk. I wonder if plumber's putty isn't obsolete tech from before things like silicone were available. I've never trusted plumber's putty, and it looks to be the reason my shower is leaking, now.

[@michaelwojcicki3624]

Good practical info on shower drain removal and replacement. Thank you.

[@ghubba65]

Thanks for the video. This is the first one I have found which shows the exact type of drain I'm dealing with and tells me that I have to get to the problem from the ceiling below. Thank you!

[@tholion1753]

Thanks Billy, you have saved me hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Bless you

[@kdedesko]

Nice job. Good explanation. To the point and clear

[@Adriana-jy6wp]

Thank you so much! I did this fix myself for less than $10... only needed new gaskets!

[@mrmartin8168]

I’m actually having a leak in my shower but I didn’t even have any of the hardware you are showing. I removed the top strainer and all that was there was plumbers putty. I have a stand in shower with a plastic shell. The putty was definitely old . I actually stripped one of the screws so I’m thinking off replacing the whole piece itself. My shower is upstairs and is above my kitchen

[@russellsteadele6518]

Great Video! Very very helpful....my brother in law and I agree that you are the man Burg Billy.

[@burbbilly]

Thanks Russell!

[@L4M858]

Definitely silicon. Plumbers putty does indeed dry out over time and causes leaks and costly repair, especially if it's on the underside of shower pan. Plumbers putty is great though for setting faucets, fixtures etc., just not drains where you wouldn't be able to get to it if it leaks.

[@awhitney3063]

Thanks for the video man, it really helped my understanding a lot. Gotta get that shower fixed!

[@RD-vf4ly]

You would make a great teacher

[@johnhoover249]

Like with Laura Cooper, my castle nut is frozen and the whole ring turns. Tried the impact idea with no luck. Pretty disappointed that you made it look so easy, but I am SOL.

[@murray12282]

So my question is how do you get the rubber and paper gasket out without cutting your pvc drain line?

[@arontouchet720]

Yes silicone to work

[@sall7029]

Just found your channel. Like your style & informative tips.

[@mattlord2906]

Silicone is good, but messy, but if you tighten and it's moving it will break the seal. It also needs to be completely removed if it does leak. They should make a bead built into the top part to trap some silicone into so you don't lose it all when tightening. Or set it and let it dry overnight.

[@icawn]

My PVC drain unit appears to be welded to the 2" PVC drain pipe. There is no inner rubber boot that would lead me to believe otherwise. I was able to loosen the lock nut from below, but of course that doesn't mean anything if I can't remove the drain. It is rather irritating to think the guy who put it in didn't give a damn about the next person who'd have to service the unit. The new part I bought is the PVC version of exactly what you are describing. I guess its back to the store. I'm tempted to incorporate a small reducer to drain into the 2" pipe, so that I could detach the entire setup from the 2" pipe, rather than cutting it again down the road.

[@burbbilly]

I would not recommend going the reducer route, showers drain a lot of water there is a reason the drain is larger than a sink drain. I don't know what you're dealing with as far as the piping underneath goes but you may need to cut it back and replumb the pvc even if it means redoing the trap. Better to do it right than to go back down there in 6 months and do it over again. I know it's frustrating as hell dealing with other peoples half assed repairs but unfortunately that's a big part of DIY. If you get stuck email me some pictures to [e-mail] and I'll try and help out.

[@sbk99sbk99]

icawn

[@bobbader4789]

My plastic oatley drain doesn’t have a castle nut or that wide rubber gasket you show, is there a reason I can just glue it to the 2 inch pipe underneath?

[@EricThompsonClimber]

Spot on! The Man knows his trade.

[@jamiemominee1223]

Thank god for you and this video !! 🙌

[@chex313]

Nice vid...It confirmed how to get the "Castle" nut out...after not getting it out by hammering the crap out of it with a big screwdriver. I'll switch to chisel and 5 LB sledge . At least it never leaked , just doing a remodel.

[@josephbeard2074]

Thank you this info video is a life saver.....

[@SeanBZA]

Gee, here to change that out requires both some new mosaic tiling and a jackhammer to open up the concrete floor of the shower. I also do not use the plumbers putty, use it for the use it is meant for, holding windows in so they rattle in the frame after a while. I use polyurethane sealer, which will be there forever, so make sure it is right or you need to remove with a grinder. Makes sure a toilet outlet ( no drop down toilet bowls with a wax ring here, all rear exit into pipe through the wall) will never leak from there again after you get the old putty out. At times I just use wax, it will do a year before leaking in summer as it softens.

[@burbbilly]

+SeanBZA It always amazes me to hear how things are done other places. Sometimes I assume that it's all done the same way. I didn't know that wax rings were not used world wide. As far as life span on a wax ring, they can last a long time. I mean a long long time. You guys must have some decent heat down there to be ruining the wax rings. If you install a toilet properly (using USA way) it will give you years of leak free enjoyment. Also they now have wax free seals. I haven't installed any, just because I'm so used to doing it the other way. lol

[@ROCEMPOWERMENT]

LOVE THE INFO...Thank you for the easy explanation

[@burbbilly]

Thanks Rock, I'm glad you found it helpful

[@devellwilson7099]

Thanks Billy you saved me a lot of money, plus You taught me some skills..

[@burbbilly]

You're welcome Devell, I'm glad you found the video helpful. Appreciate the post

[@donnaseales2639]

I really like listening to your information. But, this is over my ability. I already broke the top plate. I have a moldy goooey drain clogg. Wish me luck

[@frankyank2843]

thank you so much for posting this vid

[@al52269]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I have a brass drain that needs to be replaced. Hope this works on mines. New subscriber here

[@danielmcmindes5112]

i have a 1956 shower drain in concrete.... any suggestions? on replacement.

[@joshuanelson938]

I have this style of drain in a basement and have removed the rubber piece and tried a pry bar. It seems to still be held in place by the drain and will not move. Any advice?

[@robertopistone1179]

Great info!!!

[@mendelleisk4577]

Thanks for the video, very helpful. One question, maybe you can help me with this: how far should the drain pipe project up? I'm thinking slightly above the top of the black rubber cylindrical gasket, say 1/8" to 1/4", before you start compressing down that gasket with the "castle nut"? is the castle nut inside diameter slightly bigger, it'll clear the drain pipe?

[@MomAsol]

Thanks for sharing

[@cying6614]

Hi Billy, how to change the drain if the shower is installed in the basement?

[@Whatsgoingjohn]

Call a plumber

[@oregoncoastgardener]

Hi Billy this is a really good video. Unfortunately my shower drain is a little different. The chrome cover has prongs to snap in, but they seem to meet up directly with a wide rubber gasket ring that comes right to the edge of the fiberglass. The cover popped out of place when I was cleaning, and now it won't go back in and stay down. Do I force it back in and add silicone or??? I don't see any notches for the prongs to meet up, but it was in there before.

[@burbbilly]

Oregon, please email me a picture or pictures of what you have and I'll try and respond by tomorrow night. My email is [e-mail] the link should be on my channel home page as well BurbBilly

[@rockinghorselivestock2491]

Good video. Thank you.

[@burbbilly]

Thanks Mike!

[@briancousineau6423]

thanks, good info, did not know about paint thinner silicone clean up

[@burbbilly]

+Brian Cousineau You're welcome Brian.

[@georgesheckells6298]

Just put a rag in the drain in case you drop tool.

[@mikek5958]

Yep yep.

[@eddyanders]

I need help with the first drain you described in your shower pan video. I don’t necessarily want to replace the drain with one you show here. I would like to just repair the original. Or is that not an option any more? Thanks!

[@Metalhead-4life]

Hi can I fix my shower drain without cutting the old one out? I found the exact same model (PG 600). It looks like it may be a bad gasket or putty has worn out after 18 years, it has a slow leak. I have access to the p trap through the unfinished basement as well & plan on using silicone rather than putty.

[@lisaelliott8721]

OMG thank you!

[@dennisdrake9437]

Good video, thanks for explaining.

[@user-jq2rf4nf3o]

Fixing a bad gland nut & packing (castle nut and rubber washer) Over torqued plastic and dried out putty a scored pipe.... What a mess....

[@robmullins7446]

Thanks for the video on replacing a shower drain. Does the rubber bushing go tapered end down or tapered end up when replacing it? My wife put the instructions in the trash while I was waiting for everything to dry out

[@burbbilly]

+Rob Mullins Rob is this the one you are working on? www.hamiltonbathware.com/pdf/FeaturedSheets/8.pdf

[@robmullins7446]

+The Burb Billy (The Burbbilly) Thanks for the reply. I located the source of the leak. There is a small crack under the metal ring that the strainer snaps into. The thin crack protrudes out from the ring about an inch. My choices are trying something like bondo to repair the crack or installing a shower pan overlay. In any case I’ll need to remove the drain body and drill a hole at the end of the crack to stop it from spreading. I’m wondering if I should also inject some A B expanding foam under the pan below the crack area to give the plastic pan more support. Have you ever had any luck with repairing a plastic shower pan crack with bondo or anything else such as epoxy. I saw a youtube video that said bondo would work but I’ve learned that all is not always accurate on the web. Many thanks!!, Rob.

[@burbbilly]

+Rob Mullins I have not used bondo on a pan. If it's cracked then every time weight is on it the pan will flex and I'm guessing that crack will grow. Drilling it may help but it's one of those shot in the dark, cross your fingers and pray fixes. If you drill it out and apply something flexible to the underneath and then support that maybe it would hold for you? I'm thinking like a flex seal spray or a caulk applied underneath the pan and then a piece of wood attached underneath and then use shims to make it a tight fit. I'm not sure how much support you will get from the foam. I'd want to test it first, spray some on a board and then after it's dry push on it with another board and see how it holds up sandwiched between the boards.

[@cpoul]

I have a leak. My black ABS pipe can move up and down through the rubber washer/castle nut. I assume the pipe should not be able to move if the rubber washer is compressed, correct? What would you do to correct this? Also after reading a comment below about the whole piece spinning when trying to remove castle nut would penetrating oil help? Mine is brass. ty

[@cpoul]

I dripped some 50/50 acetone/transmission penetrating fluid on top of the castle nut. Used hammer and punch and got it out. my question now is: The rubber washer is 1" tall, the ones I see online look to be much taller. I bring this up because it looks like the castle nut would need to be run all the way down before it makes contact with the washer. How tall should the washer be?

[@dennisanderson7536]

Well done friend

[@tthomas9082]

What if you can’t get to the nut underneath? We have a concrete slab with No access

[@nilukaperera7739]

thanks,helped a lot

[@burbbilly]

+Niluka Perera You're welcome, Hope I earned your subscription

[@napadave58]

Yes it is called a castle nut

[@teenawellman1459]

Hi Billy, We have removed a fiberglass shower insert and are installing a tiled shower. The drain pipe coming up to the concrete level is slightly crooked. My tile layer said I need the pipe to be straight for the drain to sit on it level. How can I do that?

[@burbbilly]

A possible solution is (and this is without me being on site to see it) I would say you may be able to dig out around the pipe and bend/tweak it into a level position, then put some pebbles down next to the pipe to hold it/brace it in place and fill that void in with some mortar, double check your level before you pour the mortar in and then check after it dries. You wont be able to move it a whole lot but if it is pvc you may have a little flex on that. If you need to move it a lot you may be stuck with digging it out and repairing it so that it is level. If it's not something that can be tweaked and braced I would advise giving a plumber a call and seeing what they can come up with. Might be able to stop out and get you back on track in a short time and be well worth the call.

[@FreshKicks4545]

My home is a crawl space I found a leak from the drain like u explained. My drain is fiberglass and it has the nut. Can I attack it from the shower o do I have to go under and unbolt the nut ad plumber putty ?

[@burbbilly]

You most likely will need to get underneath it. Plumbers putty is great but if you want to repair this and be done with it try using silicone. Pure clear silicone. Use paint thinner or mineral spirits for clean up and getting it off your hands, don't let what squeezes out dry on the inside of the pan before you can clean it up. If you put it together right it won't leak again. Plumbers putty can break apart and something I've noticed with shower pans is you have different size people getting in and out of them daily. Then they move around in there while they shower, that flexes the pan. Silicone has give to it. Only downside is if you have to take it apart again it's going to be a nightmare. Best of luck on your repair BB

[@FreshKicks4545]

The Burb Billy thanks for the update. I saw more videos and some people attend it from the top and silicone with ur experience would it work?

[@burbbilly]

if you can unscrew the drain from the top, getting the flange part out and then reattach it from the top you could give it a go. You need to be sure where it is leaking at, is it leaking around the flange? if this is the case then a bead of silicone between the flange and the shower base would stop it. If it's leaking where the drain pipe joins to the drain kit then no. You will need to get under it. Run some water in the shower, get in the crawl space with a good flashlight and see if you can see where the drips are coming from. That said, if you can comfortably get under the shower pan I would just pull the drain kit and do it right. Sometimes doing a halfa## repair has a way of coming back to haunt you in the end :-)

[@cantrell1040]

Great video - I've got a drain that's leaking in a shower in my basement. However, I don't know how I could get "under" it to remove the bottom part of the drain (the upside down castle nut), nor, come to think of it, how the contractor would have done it in the first place! (Since you can't get "below" it). Any thoughts? (Thank you!)

[@burbbilly]

+Amber Cantell a drain like that is installed with a press fit. Look thru my diy videos. There should be one there on this type of drain and how to remove it

[@burbbilly]

+Amber Cantell kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJTNoXqimLR3h8k this should be it

[@cantrell1040]

+The Burb Billy (The Burbbilly) : Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it.

[@burbbilly]

+Amber Cantell You're welcome. Glad to have you as a viewer and I hope you find your leak

[@mattlord2906]

I couldn't find just the rubber seal insert.

[@ForvoQuizlet]

What kind of wrench gets the 3.5" pvc nut loose?

[@giants416]

What if the drain is plastic? Mine is glued to the PVC pipe. I'm assuming I need to cut the drain out right?

[@burbbilly]

+giants416 If it's glued all the way to the pan then you would have no option than to cut it out but usually there is a way to disconnect it from the pan itself. Most pans come with a hole in them that you then attach a drain kit to, if yours has a built in drain and you have access from below then cut it. If your still stuck send a picture to [e-mail]

[@lecooper7]

When i try to loosen the castle nut the whole things spins with it. And advice? This is a first story, fiberglass shower pan. Can i replace the whole thing somehow?

[@burbbilly]

If everything is spinning it is a hard fix. One thing to try is to hit the nut with a bunch of short rapid hits using a screwdriver and a hammer. Kind of an impact wrench idea here. have someone press down on the ring that attaches to the pan as you do this. You're trying to force it to unscrew so hit it with the force going in the counterclockwise direction. You don't need to hit it super hard just sharply enough to cause it to hopefully jar loose sometimes that will free it up and it will begin to spin inside the outer ring. Worst case on these they have to be cut out but that is very easy to do wrong so it's a last resort and best left to a plumber/good handyman.

[@burbbilly]

Also look up wingtite shower drain kit online and see if this might help you. They have a video on their site that shows how to install one

[@cathyedwards7300]

Hi, Thanks for the information. My drain piece is rotted out. I see the pipe. I was wondering how do I determine what size of drain to buy? TIA

[@burbbilly]

Size of drain is based off of material of pipe and size. Most plumbing now is 2 inch schedule 40 pvc. Can you get under the shower and see the drain from below? If so you can measure the outside diameter of the pipe, should be around 2 1/4 - 2 3/8 that will be 2 inch pipe. pipe may be marked as well, is so then it makes it easy for you :-). Take that info to supply house along with picture of drain on your phone. Some drains are round, some are square, most that I have seen are around 4 1/4 inch wide at the top where the strainer is then they make a small bell shape underneath the pan and transition to the 2 inch pipe. If you are not sure just google shower pan drain dimensions and look at some of the images, this may clear it all up for you if I have not been clear in my explanation. Hope this helps and good luck with your repair.

[@burbbilly]

images.meredith.com/diy/images/2009/02/p_SCP_197_06.jpg This is one example off of google images

[@168grhp]

Great thanks!

[@rmancuso4904]

Any idea who makes that washer/gasket that you took out of the drain? I have to replace one and can not locate it anywhere. Thanks!

[@burbbilly]

I'll try and dig that up G, most of my replacement parts I was able to get at Home Depot. Oddballl stuff I get from a local supplier by me who is just amazing at what they can dig up.

[@rmancuso4904]

Thanks!! - I ended up buying a whole new drain.

[@holidaymaker2982]

Hi Billy I live in a apartment and the water goes down the drain after a shower in about 1 hour. So some plumbers came & went to the apt below me to cut a access hole to cut and change the trap.The water went down in 10 to 15 now it is back to 1 hour. I'M not sure if they even fixed the trap. Do you have any thoughts I would appreciate your knowledge Thank you

[@burbbilly]

Hi William, A clogged drain should first be snaked, see if you can move things along. Typically a shower drain is a 2 inch drain line that then runs into a larger sanitary line. I don't go for cutting holes first thing, it gets expensive for the home owner, so I start by trying to clear it first and then if that fails I move to cutting a hole. What I have seen on drain lines is sometimes they are not installed properly, or hung right. When this happens they will have a dip in the line or run uphill. That causes a spot where hair and debris can collect and clog the line up over time. It's hard to troubleshoot over the internet but if it is draining slowly try running some Zep drain opener (home depot has it) down the line. What you want to do here is fill the trap as much as possible with the drain opener and let it sit for 1/2 hour to an hour. Then run hot water down the drain and flush it out, see if this opens it up. You may have a hair clog down there at a tee in the pipe or a y in the pipe. Only run drain opener if the water is still flowing, a clogged drain needs to be snaked and putting drain cleaner in there just creates a dangerous situation for whoever has to clear it. Another thing to do is run the water in your shower and see how fast if backs up. If it starts to back up fast then the clog is close by(maybe the trap) if it takes a few minutes then the clog is likely further up the line. Do this after your pipes have had time to drain and see what happens. Let whoever comes to look at it know what you find out. Gives them a reference point. Hope this helps, BurbBilly

[@holidaymaker2982]

Thank you they snaked and could not get far so they say they put in a new 'TRAP".About a week ago it was snaked out again the fella said he got quite a way in and it was fine until now. I was thinking maybe the pipe is on a slight decline. I guess I will call for another snake out. I will give it have a break to even or dry out a bit. Thank you for your response

[@burbbilly]

You're welcome If you are on facebook a great way to say thanks is to give one of my videos or my channel a share, helps out in a huge way! Take care kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaWbmn9oZ52siKc

[@natashamoore3478]

I am having some drain problems an I have no clue how to even begin to fix them…is there any way u could message me and let me send u pictures? Don't really have the extra money to pay to get it fixed at the moment…thanks for your time!

[@burbbilly]

Natasha, send them to my email. The link is on my home page or about page

[@natashamoore3478]

Thank you I just sent you an email with pictures! Thanks so much for your time!

[@jaudenyruax1517]

Help my shower drain is plastic/ PVC and broke where the drain pipe starts..... how do I get the old plastic off the drain pipe? BTW shower is in the basement!!!!

[@burbbilly]

Jauden, you can email me a pic and I'll see if I can help email on home page

[@jeffwolf8018]

And my shower tub drain some asshole decided against using the castle nut and put some kind of super hard adhesive in there. What a nightmare to get this out? I'm thinking I might have to go down in the basement and cut out the P-trap and start all over again. Thanks a lot plumbers.

[@dummgelauft]

Stuff the mouth of the drain with toilet paper..??

[@dartme18]

Wow, you clearly don't fit the mold of the "fat ugly plumber" because you're smart! :-P Just kidding, my man! Thanks for the video!

[@txterbug]

Cyeahselnut

[@user-ht6qt6zv1c]

Plumbers touch the worst crap, literally crap in their jobs. Then they'll eat a ham sandwich with the crap on their hands. Different kind of breed !

[@arontouchet720]

me and my wife are moving into a rental house and we have two bathrooms one has a shower bathtub and one just has a standup shower in it the one with the standup shower the drain is rusted I noticed the chrome part on top is rusted and I thought it was easier to change than that so I’m just gonna let the landlord get the plumbers to change it lol.

[@joepolidoro429]

Will you be my dad?

[@burbbilly]

lol