Cast iron drain...can I avoid the jackhammer?

[jflach]

Hi, everybody. New to the forum and looking for some advice. I've spent the day researching the issue and haven't found my specific problem addressed.

I'm looking to remodel a basement shower that has concrete block walls and a sloped concrete floor.

In the "middle"(sorta) of that floor is a big 7.25" cast iron drain screen. Next to the drain is a clean out that accesses the other end of the p trap. It doesn't look like there's any kind of pan liner other than maybe something painted on. My intent was to use the existing floor as the pre-pitch. Put a vinyl pan liner on top of it, put furling strips on the walls and attach a backer board and moisture barrier, lay my top mortar bed and then tile everything in.

All this rests on my ability to find a way to replace that big nasty, corroded scary drain with a three piece shower drain. Any thoughts on how I might do this? Is there a product that could fit down inside that 2 inch drain or anything? Is my only option Jack hammering through the floor and replacing the p trap and the drain with pvc? Any advice or recommendations are appreciated.

 

[Terry]

I think a sledgehammer will be needed, or a jack hammer. A new three piece with need to attach to the pipe below that. You might as well change out the p-trap while you are at it.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cacher_Chick]

If I were only replacing the drain, I would saw cut a 12" square around the drain and knock it out.

A diamond blade in a circular saw works fine for small cuts like that. Use lots of water to keep the dust down , and make several incrementally deeper cuts until the saw is bottomed out. Make sure you are plugged into a GFCI, and wear eye and ear protection.

You might not get all the way through, but if you get full blade depth, it will break clean with a hit of the sledgehammer.

 

[hj]

That drain, trap, and cleanout are probably a single casting and there is no way to adapt it to a shower pan liner or "3 piece drain". If not a jackhammer, definitely a sledge hammer.

 

[MNshowerdude2]

You could end up here real soon.....

 

[Jadnashua]

After you replace the drain and probably the trap, what you'll have left is ideal for a surface membrane shower. Kerdi, or HydroBan sheet with their drain would be my first choices. No need to do anything to the walls, you can attach the waterproof membrane directly to them (if you can clean them up so thinset can bond), and then put the membrane on your sloped floor to the new drain.