# Out with old, metal drain, in with PVC



## StevenW (Jun 22, 2009)

I'm in a very similar situation. The old shower just had tile directly on the cement, 1959 brick ranch and 2" cast iron drain.. I assume it was owner done in the 70's or so. The cast iron drain is level with the basement slab. I just got a kohler shower pan and was thinking about making a sleeve insert and then just sealing it up with silicone, but I think the better way is to hammer drill down 6 or 8 inches and connect it up properly with a rubber boot and then back fill in the cement.. Not sure what the best way is yet though... The basement bathroom had a ceiling fan and no outlet and the subfloor was cooked above it so I already did the bathroom upstairs and did all new subfloor etc.. Cut through the brick to vent the downstairs bathrrom and just need to figure out the right drain method.. Is it best to hammerdrill all the way in and replace P-trap and all or just go down a bit and hook up the pvc to the drain and call it done?


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## adpanko (Jun 18, 2009)

Other than doing the unquestionably right thing (and unfortunately also the most involved thing) of busting up the floor and putting in a new trap and re-pouring the floor, I don't know what else either of you can do. But then again, I'm not a seasoned plumbing professional, and maybe there is some adapter made specifically for your situations. But if a plumbing supply house doesn't know what to do, I'd say just bust it up and start fresh.


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

StevenW said:


> I...was thinking about making a sleeve insert and then just sealing it up with silicone...


Sure seems like _somebody_ would have come up with a solution (like a sleeved insert type of solution) to this seemingly common problem. My expertise is in other areas so I'll have to pass this buck.


Addendum: Reading it again, I realize it sounded like I meant _"somebody" _from this forum...My bad.


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## StevenW (Jun 22, 2009)

Well I guess the answer is to dig down 8 inches or so and do the old rubber boot connector and fill it back in with cement. I didn't want to, but it'll get done faster that way than by putzin around looking for answers.. My only concern is that I dig down 8 inches and my 50 year old cast iron pipe disintegrates meaning I have to dig further in and so on and so forth.. :laughing:


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

adpanko said:


> I'd say just bust it up and start fresh.


Considering the time, sweat, materials and future headaches...that's what I'm going to do.
Thanks for the reply:thumbsup:.


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

deleted


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

just remember to check your codes. Here in NJ and most other places a shower REQUIRES a 2" drain. You know this is going to be a major PIA so so it once and do it right :yes:


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

So the question remains: once I get down to iron pipe, will a rubber sleeve and stainless clamps suffice to join the two?
Anybody?


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## MACPLUMB (Jan 21, 2008)

*Old shower drain*

NO WHAT YOU NEED IS WHAT IS CALLED A INSTANT SET SHOWER DRAIN,

I WOULD GET THIS FIRST SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT WORKS THEN DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMOVE OLD DRAIN SO YOU CAN INSTALL THE INSTANT SET
SHOWER DRAIN IT HAS 3 S.S. BOLTS THAT TIGHTEN AROUND THE OUTSIDE
OF YOUR METAL OR CAST IRON PIPE TO SEAL THIS IS AN APPROVED WAY
OF SOLVING YOUR PROBLEM ! :thumbup:


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

macplumb said:


> no what you need is what is called a instant set shower drain,
> 
> i would get this first so you can see haw it works then do what you have to remove old drain so you can install the instant set
> shower drain it has 3 s.s. Bolts that tighten around the outside
> ...


this is the answer i was looking for! Thank you for taking the time to reply!


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

mgray87 said:


> Not sure what I'll find but I think the outer ring is just a pipe used to support the drain while the slab was being poured.


In case there is any interest at all, here's more:
OK I've come to discover that the outer ring is not, in fact, a support pipe, but a bowl/dish shaped dealie.








Looks as if it might have been intended for a tile floor after all.
On top of that, this cast metal drain is attached to 2" PVC pipe, so I didn't need to go to all the trouble to source an _Instant-Set_ (TM) Drain at all. It appears a standard 2" PVC Tile Drain will work after all.

As a side note, here's some info on the _Instant-Set_ (TM) Drain:
Frank Pattern & Manufacturing (FP&M)
508 Winmoore Way
Modesto, CA 95358
209-538-3251
Guy's name is Tony Frank and he's a really nice guy who took plenty of time to talk to me about what I needed (This was based on my assumption that my drain pipe would be cast iron:whistling2.
I had a helluva time finding a retailer that carried this, and Bell Plumbing & Heating here in CO (expletive deleted) could have cared less about my problem, but said they could get it for me but it would cost me $150. I ended up paying half of that.


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## mgray87 (Jun 20, 2009)

So, not much participation in this thread but I want to close it out with the results in case anybody else runs into similar circumstances.
The waste line ended up being PVC after all, so a standard tile drain worked. 
Lesson learned: Just get out the demo-hammer and find out what ya got before ordering parts.
Here is the 1st layer of the shower pan which I just finished. 








I have more questions -ie: how to do a shower pan liner with one concrete wall) so it's on to the next thread. Thanks to the people who took the time to read and reply.:thumbsup:


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