Rough bathtub drain (underneath tub)

[Scarma]

Hi everyone,

I have a problem with a leaky drain in my American Standard Plaza acrylic tub. Showering is OK, but when you empty a full tub, the drain leaks under the tub. We took a things apart, and it looks like the gasket under the tub (between the tub shoe and the tub) isn't sealing properly. The problem is, the fiberglass surface around the drain is rough and worn away in one corner - this is where the leak is. I'm attaching a photo. Fortunately, there's an access panel that allows decent access to look and work on things.

Is there anything that can be done to smooth out the surface? We were looking at J-B Weld "Waterweld" which is waterproof. The tub is installed and has been for a while, so replacing the tub would be a "worst case scenario".

Thanks for all your help!
Scott

 

[Terry]

This is a rare case where I would suggest Silicone.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cacher_Chick]

The average plumber would not fix it this way, but is would not be too hard to build up the area using thickened fiberglass resin or epoxy and then sand it smooth and flush to improve the sealing surface that is present.

 

[Scarma]

Thanks! Especially interesting is Terry's silicone recommendation. I was looking at old posts here about tub shoe and strainer installs, to see if the issue has come up. The number of times Terry says "don't put anything between the shoe gasket and the tub" is, well, an awful lot. So for you to recommend silicone here means something!

 

[duomit]

The average plumber would not fix it this way, but is would not be too hard to build up the area using thickened fiberglass resin or epoxy and then sand it smooth and flush to improve the sealing surface that is present.

Agree. A way better than silicone. But hard to implement need a real professional with experience.

 

[Scarma]

Agree. A way better than silicone. But hard to implement need a real professional with experience.

Thanks, duomit. Just wondering what the difficulty here is, apart from the obvious access issues? I've worked with epoxy and resin (Bondo) before and did not find it challenging. I think that this application, where the area around the drain needs to be smooth but not particularly presentable, would be easier?

 

[duomit]

Yes, absolutely!

 

[BillTheEngineer]

If you use epoxy, make sure you use one that is not effected by constantly being submerged in water. Most epoxies that you find at home centers are not meant to be submerged in water all the time, they will break down in time (weeks/months). Mercaptan based epoxies do not hold up to being in water over time, Amine or Amide based epoxies are not effected by water over time.

Just because it may be fine with what we would consider harsh chemicals (gasoline, alcohols, solvents) doesn't mean that it will also be fine with water. You also have to be check if you decide to use bondo or polyester resin (I think common readily available polyester resin is fine with water).

 

[Scarma]

This is a rare case where I would suggest Silicone.

Terry - when you say to use silicone, do you mean "fill in the roughness with silicone and let cure before connecting the shoe and gasket", or "use silicone to seal the gasket to the bottom of the tub", or even "apply silicone to the outside of the installed gasket and shoe to reinforce the seal". I think it's the first option, but we've tossed all of these ideas around.

 

[Terry]

If I were to attempt this, I would use the Silicone between the rubber washer and the tub.
None between the washer and the tub drain.
I would do it in one motion, not allowing anything to set up or dry before threading it up. I would then let it dry for hours before testing with water. Maybe overnight.
I"m sorry the tub is so rough on the bottom. That's not normally what we have to work with.

 

[Scarma]

If I were to attempt this, I would use the Silicone between the rubber washer and the tub.
None between the washer and the tub drain.
I would do it in one motion, not allowing anything to set up or dry before threading it up. I would then let it dry for hours before testing with water. Maybe overnight.
I"m sorry the tub is so rough on the bottom. That's not normally what we have to work with.

Thanks! That sounds like a good solution. The only downside I see is that you had better get it right the first time. If not, it might be quite a task taking the old silicone off that rough surface to try again.

I also have a case open with American Standard asking for advice. But I'd be surprised if it's better than the suggestions I've seen here.

Scott

 

[Scarma]

Hi all. Just posting again to close the loop. American Standard sent a plumber over to fix the tub under warranty. His solution was to shave off the rough fibreglass - first with a sharp chisel, and then he smoothed it more with an abrasive wheel on a drill. He says he prefers to use a disc in cases like this, but the clearance didn't allow it here. Have to say, I am quite pleased with how this ended up, it was all fixed up nicely and at no cost to us. So American Standard did well by us in this case!

Scott