That has to be about the best how-to article I’ve seen written. And having the issue with the threads shows the readers that it’s important to bring the drain part along to the hardware store when looking for the gasket as well.

Thanks for the great article. Pictures meant SO much in the explanation.

The Lasco “The “Do’s and Don’ts” of Assembling Threaded Plastic Fittings” is a nice scientific explanation of stress on threaded plastic pipe joints and the differences between teflon tape, pipe dope and sealant.

As far as using the Oatey or Rectorseal it appears these products are mainly intended for supply-side plumbing for gases, liquids, commercial (e.g. fire sprinkler systems) and food-grade applications. In contrast, a threaded shower drain really requires no thread sealant because any water that gets past the shower drain body goes down the drain. The vertical slots in the drain body threads is there to facilitate this drainage.

Many shower drain manufacturers simply advise to caulk the drain rim to prevent it from backing out with no plumber’s putty or sealant on the drain body threads. Do always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

There was probably some dirt or roughness between the plastic anti-friction ring and the mouth of the drain body that was causing your leak. The anti-friction ring is fairly rigid and couldn’t flex enough to make a watertight seal. Removing the anti-friction enabled the black rubber gasket to seat directly against the shower drain body and “flow around” the dirt or roughness to seal completely.

Instead of patching the drywall, you might consider installing a snap-in plastic access panel – it’ll be quicker, way less work and available if you ever need to get at the plumbing. Home Depot and Lowes have several different sizes. See the SNAP-EASE Access Panel about 1/2 down the page in this article.

The MagnaPanel magnetically attached panel system probably isn’t the best for a drywall ceiling, but really nice for tiled or wood surfaces with visible joint lines. You can see it first hand if you visit a contractor tile supply store.

Try this: If you can get your hands on the shower drain pipe under the shower pan – perhaps through a plumbing access panel or from an unfinished basement – have a helper hold the drain pipe while you install the shower drain body without the anti-friction gasket using only the black rubber gasket. Holding the drain pipe will prevent it from twisting and getting stressed. If you can’t get to the drain pipe to hold it, install the black rubber gasket by itself and closely watch the inside of drain pipe while you tighten the drain body to ensure you’re not noticeably twisting the drain pipe. The drain body only needs to be tight enough to firmly squeeze but not crush the black rubber gasket.

This is a great forum thank you. I followed the directions laid out on the last 4 pages. My drain still leaks, I noticed that the black gasket is not centered and is sticking out on one side. Would this be the problem? If so how can I center it while tightening the drain. I have the plastic gasket underneath the rubber one. Any help is appreciated thank you and Happy New Year. Jerry