shower leak

[kpster]

hi all,
i have a leak coming from my upstairs shower. it has a fiberglass pan that appears intact (no visible cracks).

i removed the cover and rubber gasket and found a replacement gasket (same manufacturer) so my question is this: the drain insert (for lack of a better informed word!) is also fiberglass and doesn't appear to be screwed into anything! i'm about to install the new rubber gasket but am wondering if i need to remove the insert and put on plumber's putty or ? before i install the gasket? the insert i'm referring to is the circular piece that surrounds the pipe and what the drain cover sits in (so it's flush with the shower floor) it seems that if that isn't watertight then replacing the gasket won't matter as water will continue to get in the drain hole. see what i mean?

thanks!

[HayZee518]

all drain baskets I've seen screw into a flange below the shower pan. a rubber flange gasket fits between the plastic flange and the tub pan if you want to call it this. the drain basket screws into the drain elbow. use plumber's putty or silicone seal between the drain basket and the tub.

[kpster]

the pvc pipe comes up thru the floor pan and the circular (flange?) sits around the pipe. the space between the two is where the rubber gasket goes. i did a "google" and found pictures of this type of set up but they didn't mention sealing the flange part- wonder why?? i would think it should be done.

i have turned the flange/ insert thing counter clockwise but it doesn't appear to be unscrewing. not sure if i can get it to come out to apply the putty!

thanks hayzee. you've helped me before

[HayZee518]

try this link - it is on the home repair forum main page
Plumb-Rite's Wingtite. "Replace the Drain, Not the Whole Shower

[kpster]

thanks hayzee!

i checked out the link. my drain body doesn't screw into the pan (i have no idea how it's attached!) and the pipe comes right up thru the center of the hole but i think this replacement might work.

i wonder if these are available at stores or only online?

thanks again!!

[kpster]

just a quick update: we had the drain replaced and the plumber also corrected the angle of the pipe leading to the drain (it was on a major angle!) we had a "compression" type drain which was replaced with a glued all-in-one drain. no more leak- yay! the plumber did say that it had been leaking for a long time (the rotted drywall tells the story) something that should have been in the sellers disclosure

since we had purchased a home warranty when we bought the house, we only paid the plumber our deductable. first time one of these warranties actually paid for itself! now we have to repair the rather large square cut in the ceiling the plumber needed to access the drain pipe....

thanks for the help hayzee