Hello,

I have never had to do a job like this before - please bare with me.

The shower is in the basement on a concrete floor. It is raised a little bit in a wooden platform and has been leaking badly. We had put some bath/tile sealant around it and let it dry for 24 hrs but it still didn't hold. Below are 3 pictures.

Shower:

Drain:

Looking underneath shower:


I'm not sure what to buy or do at this point. I see no way to remove it in order to put a new drain in? Do I need to remove this piece with the red arrows: ?

Please help

The drain is missing it's rubber gasket, that goes on the outside of the pipe and inside the drain body. I'd first try installing the gasket and see if it still leaks, if so the drain will have to be removed.

Thank you for the timely response. There was a rubber gasket in there prior. I took these photos just now without it in there. Part of the piece remaining is cracked down below with a tiny chip as well.

How would we remove the drain?

Best way would be to make that access hole a bit bigger and reach in there with a pair of channel locks and loosen the retaining nut. The drain then could be lifted free from the shower floor. I would then cut the pipe off and use a drain that tightens from the top. You would still have to reach under there and glue the lower portion of the drain to the pipe, but then you silicon and tighten the flange from inside the shower.

Thank you for the response. Would a mini hacksaw also work to loosen the drain? Cut a small piece out and then break/squeeze/pull it out from the top - causing the bottom part to simply fall down?

If the method you suggested doesn't work, might have to replace the premade shower itself.

That would work, as would an internal pipe cutter, the style that uses a mini circular saw blade.

try this before any cutting. loosen(do not remove) large nut under the shower drain, clean any old caulk between shower & drain, clean real well & dry. push in new plumbers caulk all around drain between drain & shower. re-tighten
large nut, some putty should squeeze out all the way around(that's what you want) clean up excess. re-install the rubber gasket, then test for leaks.
north Carolina plumber has a good idea if this doesn't work.

There's also retro-fit shower drains that install from the top.

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