This Oatey product photo of a PVC drain is similar to yours, but the sealing nut (a.k.a. “caulking nut”) details are better seen in the brass model.

See these Oatey no-caulk installations instructions and these color photo instructions for how your shower drain is assembled.

What’s probably happened is the locking nut on the bottom of the shower pan has worked it way loose over time, relaxing the pressure on the ring rubber gasket against the bottom of the shower pan and the cylindrical rubber caulking gasket that fits over the 2″ PVC pipe. The caulking gasket is what you see around the PVC drain pipe in your pictures.

The challenge your going to have to replace the shower drain with a new no-caulk drain is getting access to the bottom of the shower pan to replace the old locking nut. You’ll have to cut an access panel in the 1st floor ceiling to get at the bottom of the shower pan and drain. Check the alignment of the shower pan with respect to the 1st floor ceiling because the leak stain on the ceiling could be a few feet away from the shower if the water traveled along the drain pipe or floor joist before dripping onto the ceiling.

Before I ordered up that Pesco tool, I thought I would try and unscrew or at least move the inner body of the drain by lightly tapping on it with a screwdriver and rubber mallet. It came off as small ring with a slow thread into the body of the drain :-

Shower Drain Sealing Nut / Caulking Nut

Now the drain looks like the image below and you can see the thread where the ring went in :-

No Caulk Shower Drain – Sealing Nut Removed

I am beginning to think I have a non-standard drain here.

thanks

What’s clear is the inner body unscrews by engaging a tool like the Pasco Quick Drain Wrench #7099 in the notches as shown in Figure 2C on Page 2 of the Jacuzzi Shower Base Installation Instructions.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the excellent article and photos. A very well put together howto.

I have a shower drain leak on a second floor fiberglass shower tray. I noticed it from a ceiling stain on the first floor. Before I open up the ceiling, I wanted to figure out what type of drain I have and perhaps fix it from above and avoid opening the ceiling from below.

From the Sioux Chief link you provided I believe I may have a push joint module like the 829-S2. My strainer certainly looks like the 829′s but I’m a novice and would appreciate your help in identifying the drain type. The drain doesn’t have any manufacturer stamps on it but the strainer has a stamped “JS” logo.

Below are links to photos of the drain with the strainer removed, the strainer and the manufacturers logo on the shower tray.

Shower Drain

Shower Drain Strainer

Jacuzzi Shower Pan Base

Thanks
Mike, Marietta GA

I believe I have a plastic shower pan but it does have some texture to it. And after taking the photos I believe you are correct with the locking nut. I will let you know but in the mean time I would like to send photos just not sure how to without your email address.

Thanks again,

T. Sparks

Before undertaking destructive repairs, try to figure out your exact style of shower drain. Tile shower drains are made differently than those for a fiberglass shower pan. Take a look at the Sioux Chief Mfg Co. screw on, snap-in, no-caulk, modular, etc shower drains and the installation instructions for each. Look under the shower stall to help determine your drain style. For example, does your drain have a lock nut under the shower pan that should be loosened first? You can tell because there will be screw threads on the drain body below the nut as opposed to a solvent weld drain.

If you’d like to send photos of the drain from above & below the shower pan, I’d be happy to take a look.

I live in a loft with concrete floors and it has a small shower stall up on wood. My shower starting leaking about a week ago and at first I thought it was the caulk around the shower so I replaced it but it still leaked. So I took off the step in front of my shower to get underneath and ran water and found the leak coming from the drain body. So after finding this wonderful site, I tried to repair it but I am having trouble getting the strainer body to release. I’ve tried channel locks and a long screw driver but still no luck. I was wondering if you have any other tricks or tips.

Also mine does look slightly different from the one pictured, it has two square pegs cutout and those are what I’ve been trying to use for leverage.

Thanks,

T. Sparks

Can you see the plumbing under the shower pan similar to this photo?

My recommendation is:
1) Take the drain apart and closely examine the drain hole in the shower pan for cracks with a bright light while pressing your weight on it. I think a crack here is unlikely.
2) Clean all surfaces thoroughly – especially the top of the drain body and bottom of shower pan where the black rubber gasket will lay. Any dirt or old gasket material here can cause a leak. This was the problem of the failed homeowner repair that I corrected in this follow-up project.

You said there is “no freeplay to slide drain body, back and forth” which will make it difficult to clean the top of the drain body and bottom of the shower pan – so I think this is more likely the cause of the new leak. If you can access the bottom of the shower pan from the basement or crawlspace, you might be able to carefully pull downward on the plumbing to allow 1/2″ of clearance to clean the surfaces. If the pipe won’t allow for wiggle room, you’ll need to saw the vertical PVC drain pipe in two, clean everything now that you have unobstructed access and glue in a PVC union.

Since you’re making an “old work” repair, you can omit the clear plastic PVC anti-friction gasket and only install the black rubber gasket for a better seal.

Let me know what you find.