Ideas to Access Tub Drain Repair

[Melissa R]

Hi there,
I renovated my whole bathroom last year with the exception of the tub. My new tenant was cleaning the drain stopper and while doing that, he decided to try to tighten the drain basket/flange. Whatever he did with this tightening must have cracked or damaged something because my bathtub now leaks down to another unit on the 2nd floor.

There is approximately 4 feet between the 2nd floor's ceiling and a concrete slab flooring and then there is 1 foot between that concrete flooring and the flooring of my unit. The repair needed is above the concrete flooring and cannot be accessed from 2nd floor units. There is a 3" or so hole in the concrete under my unit, which is how the leak is getting to the 2nd floor unit's ceiling and is how they can tell the leak issue is above the concrete and coming from my tub. It is not a small leak, but one that sounds like rain when my bathtub is draining.

There appears to be no access to the tub drain and, while I am being told that the chances are slim, the HOA has agreed to have the plumber try to access the area of concern first from the common area hallway wall. If the issue can not be accessed via the hallway wall, the plumber is saying that the only way to access the tub drain and trap where they believe the leak is coming from is by removing the tub.

Worse case scenario, if we assume there is no access from the hallway wall, does anyone have any other ideas besides removing the tub? Can a tub be reinstalled with no access to hook up the trap (i.e., can a tub just be dropped back in on top of the drain/trap?) Should I have the tub elevated so pipes can be accessed easier in the future and if so, I assume I will have to raise the shower head, too? Are there questions I should be asking of the plumber about things that might be able to be checked / accessed directly from the tub before removal just to make sure they were done by the plumber? The HOA Manager has been handling this initially, so I do not know all of the things that have been tried and checked out so far in the tub by the plumber.

Thank you for any advice you might have on this issue.

 

[James Henry]

There is approximately 4 feet between the 2nd floor's ceiling and a concrete slab flooring and then there is 1 foot between that concrete flooring and the flooring of my unit.

This description is a little baffling to me. if the end of the tub that has the drain in it is up against the common area wall and that wall is metal stud and drywall then he can access the drain.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Melissa R]

It is baffling to me, too. I haven't gotten an answer from the HOA Manager as to why it is a slim chance they can access it from the wall. I just got the HOA plumber's number last night and I've left messages for him but haven't heard back yet. I need to talk to the plumber directly because I don't fully understand what I'm hearing from the HOA Manager plus I would rather hear everything directly from the expert on plumbing. I'll follow back up after I talk with him.

 

[James Henry]

My friendly advice to you is, Treat them as you would like to be treated. don't expect them to talk about work when their not on the clock
unless it's an emergency, and if you don't understand what their doing ask the plumber to draw you a tiny sketch. I don't think he'll object.
Plumbing is a stressful job when leaks are involved.

 

[Terry]

It could even be that removing and replacing the spin in drain for the tub is the fix, with the proper rubber washer between the tub and drain shoe.

Or, it could be there was some movement to the tub waste and overflow when torque was applied. That may mean a new drain assembly. Access might happen from the hallway, or if not from the ceiling below.

A tub can and normally is dropped down over the drain in a building like that.

 

[Melissa R]

My friendly advice to you is, Treat them as you would like to be treated. don't expect them to talk about work when their not on the clock
unless it's an emergency, and if you don't understand what their doing ask the plumber to draw you a tiny sketch. I don't think he'll object.
Plumbing is a stressful job when leaks are involved.

 

[Melissa R]

Thanks, James. That's always good advice. Golden Rule is always a good thing. I got the plumber's contact info late on Friday from the HOA Manager, who told me to call him with questions. Since I am supposed to give the okay to have my tub removed on Monday morning in the event they can't get to the fix from the wall, I was just hoping to talk to the plumber first so I could understand a little more. I also wasn't sure whether he worked on Saturdays or not. I left him a vm and an email so whenever he is available and on-the-clock, he has my contact info.

Thanks, Terry. The ceiling below isn't an option, so hopefully, if it is drain assembly, it will be accessible via the wall, otherwise seems like the only option is the tub removal. Are any of the possibilities you mentioned, like "removing and replacing the spin in drain for the tub is the fix, with the proper rubber washer between the tub and drain shoe", doable from the top of the tub where the drain is or would something like that also require getting underneath to the drain?