How to cut this drain pipe?

Mechelle

The picture shows a dry fit of the shower drain pipe. The pre-made pan is on concrete floor. The pipe is about 4" above the pan. How much pipe do I need to cut off? Should it be flush to the pan surface?

Another question, the instruction mentioned a 5" concrete opening around the pipe. What is that opening for? I feel that I have made quite a few friends here, hope to hear you again.

Mechelle

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buletbob

Is the drain mount fastened to the shower base, if so that what the 5" opening is for in the concrete. also the tail piece for the shower should be straighter, is it already glued? the pipe should be cut just below the finished drain cover. and just flush with the rubber doughnut seal that gets installed around the pipe and drain cup. ( IF this is the type of assembly you have )

Mechelle

Thanks, Bluebob,

No, it is not glued, yet. Honestly, I just learned the "drain assembly" the first time let alone bought anything of it. Drain mount, rubber donut, drain cup….. all mysterious . Is there anything like a "drain assembly kit” at a home store so that I can save some brain cell figuring out what to buy?
I thought it would be just another piece of some sort of pipe coupling and a grill cover. The picture shows the back of the base.

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Alan

Mechelle,

What you need is a "No-caulk brass shower drain" Its somewhat like a basket strainer like you have in your kitchen sink. You'll also need some plumber's putty, and probably a strainer wrench to tighten it up, unless you have channel locks big enough to fit that humongous nut.

Bluebob is right about the tailpiece. That needs to be perfectly level, or you run the risk of a leak through the connection. Put a torpedo level on that trap before you glue it onto the drainage system.


As far as cutting the pipe, once you get the brass shower drain, you will see what he's talking about with the donut. There's a little rubber donut that goes around the pipe, and inside of the brass, then a nut on top of the donut that screws into the brass drain and causes the rubber to compress around the plastic pipe. Your pipe should be cut flush with the rubber. This also is why your tailpiece should be level, otherwise you have very little contact with the rubber, and probably it will leak.

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Journeyman Plumber

Mechelle

Thanks, Alan,

Good to hear you again. I will follow your advise. I am working on it.

47_47

Looking at the pics. is that regular drywall behind the shower?

__________________
What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.

Mechelle

47,

It is green board and has been primed. We are installing a layer of Kerdi between the wall and the tile/stone.

ccarlisle

"the instruction mentioned a 5" concrete opening around the pipe. What is that opening for?"

Not exactly sure but I think this refers to the size opening you would have to have in the concrete in order to gain access to the waste pipe and the p-trap. You'd need about that size hole just to fit the new drain into, to make sure everything is tight. You can even fill that hole back in later with gravel or something to hold the drain pipes. I think that's what they are referring to, not knowing the context.

Oh ya,

"We are installing a layer of Kerdi..."

but why did you prime it?

47_47

Mechelle,

Sorry to change your thread from a drain question, but you should be using a cement board, then the Kerdi for a tiled wall.

__________________
What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.

ccarlisle

47:

I thought Kerdi coud be put over any type of substrate...and thought they actually preferred gyproc...? why do you suggest cbu?

Mechelle

ccarlisle and 47

Now I am a little "concerned" about the wall. The green board had mud on it. I read somewhere that Kerdi using thin set on wall and it would dissolute the mud so it has to be primed before applying the thin-set layer. Also, Kerdi stated that it can be used on drywall. Is that something that I need to correct?

comp1911

What does that drain pipe go to? It there a 2" trap installed? I have a feeling that pipe is embedded in the concrete and there will be some concrete removal needed.

Mechelle

comp1911
Concrete? I have a long story about that in this very same forum with the topic: "Do we need to break the concrete for a shower drain". I came long way for this drain, addmitting my shallow knowledge about plumbing.

comp1911

Looks like you will be good to go then!

ccarlisle

Mechelle:

Oh I see...if you read that somewhere, that's fine then. I didn't know what was underneath the primer nor did I figure it was necessary to prime it. But I'd be interested in knowing where you read that because now is the time be absolutley sure that your Kerdi is going onto an approved substrate, not sometime down the road when you're standing in the shower with water coming down and a wall tile in your hand...

The point is that Kerdi is applied to certain substrates using thinset; the thinset cures by hydration (not evaporation) and therefore the substrate on which it is sitting is not all that important, as long as it is solid. But it must have a bite to it, to grab the thinset. Thus, cbu, and standard gyproc are suitable substrates for Kerdi. Not even green board is suitable - although not required - because after all the Kerdi is a waterproofing membrane and therefore cannot damage what is behind it...as long as the substrate is solid and has a bite to it, it's OK.

I just had a feeling that a slick, primed surface may give you adhesion problems...check on that, or at least give Schluter a call ontheir toll-free # and have them give you the OK.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of inspectors out ther who want to have the last say in the matter.

Just a suggestion... but again, the time to make sure is now - not later.