Measure the diameter of the drain and buy one that covers a little more surface area than the actual drain. if it elbows close to the surface you could fill it with silicon bathtub sealant. How to Close Off a Shower Drain. Attach the drain strainer assembly to the drain, so it extends up above the liner. These drain covers are most likely being held in place through some silicone adhesive, thus, would entail a little bit of force to pull them out. A typical all-in-one floor drain has two openings that lead to the same drain pipe. Some systems have only one drain grate, while others may have two or more. Try turning the drain cover counterclockwise, in case it's a threaded contact. I'd like to avoid disturbing the concrete floor, if possible. Our designer shower drain are the simplest shower update you can make to your bathroom. Drains can vary in style and complexity. It should slip into the basket and onto the crossbars that are at the bottom of the basket. Finally, while at the Home Depot, an employee suggested this Oatey inset knockout test cap: It's PVC so it can be glued to the pipe and it has a thin shoulder so it won't appear much above the floor. First, you need to spray some lubricant along the drain cover’s lip. Step-by-Step Guide to Unclog Your Basement Floor Drain. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-2-in-Gripper-Mech... Get a cleanout or expandable test plug that fits. Choose a drain cover that is heavy duty and matches the measurements of your drain. Bring these measurements with you to a hardware store. Try the various heads of the drain wrench until you find one that fits well. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". Once it is set, remove the T handle and cut it flush to the floor. To remove the screws with the screwdriver, simply insert the screwdriver and twist each one anticlockwise. Keep paper towels nearby for removal – hair and soap accumulations often come out with the cover. Otherwise, if it’s screwed into place, use a screwdriver to remove the cover. These were all used for a poorly-positioned laundry room. Remove the drain cover at least once a year and clean it. Infilling with flowers and/or plants can help disguise unsightly drains, manhole covers or inspection chambers. Some bathtub drain covers are classified as screw on covers, which you can easily turn to remove. Plants and flowers. You also have to consider the size of the drain, and buy the cover accordingly. Landscaping fabric can be used to line the trench and to cover the stone once the drain line is installed but it is not necessary. If faced with a screw-less drain plate that looks set into place, try the following steps. Your sections may be square, rectangular or circular, depending upon the shape of your drain pipe cover. Pour the water in a controlled, steady stream. Then lift the strainer away from the drain. The Tub Won’t Drain. Two Common Types of Drains . 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Use a drain snake to clean out any blockages. Most covers are attached with either a screw in the centre or by two screws along the edge. There are a nearly endless array of drain covers. However, I don't know of any such pipe fitting. Right? First, check the slit at the bottom of the overflow drain cover. A shower drain cover is great for preventing things like loose pieces of jewelry, hair clips, bathroom razor blades, and shampoo caps from slipping down into the drain. There are also some types that require you to lift and loosen screws hidden below the drain cover. If you are worried about concrete getting into the plumbing, force ball of aluminum foil tightly onto the pipe few inches down then top it off with grout or concrete. A quarter turn is generally sufficient — avoid overtightening, which may damage the pipe or connection. A laundry room floor drain is the escape route for the water. Your drain cover may simply fit by friction into its housing, in which case you can pry it out. April 2016. In most cases you should have two measurements before you place an order. I expected the next smaller size might have fit inside the two-inch pipe enough to put everything below the floor surface, but it was still to wide. You can also create a spectacular feature. The clog eventually causes the water to drain slower. The forums are retiring in 2021 and are now closed for new topics and comments. 0. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be If you find that your bathtub either isn’t draining or won’t hold water, the overflow system is a good first place to check for the problem. In some cases if the concrete floor or tiles are covering it, you may need to chisel the floor to get to the screws. I have a two story home. Attach a string or wire to push it in to depth and fill it up with the spray foam - use the less expanding stuff for doors and windows so it doesn't push the plug in further. View our Privacy Policy here. The short version: I have an old PVC sewer drain pipe that comes up out of a concrete slab floor. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Use a Phillips screwdriver to unscrew each screw that you can see going through the top of the strainer. But as with grass they will dry out very quickly unless a permeable recessed tray is used. Over time, hair accumulates down inside the drain, which creates a clogged drain. Don't know if it would work and you'd have to chop it back possibly if you did need to get into the drains. A couple of things to know if you are replacing your shower drains are the measurements. Measure the drain hole that you need to cover. The other end of this pipe connects to other sewer pipes in the house that are currently in use. PPS: I do plan to cut the PVC pipe off even with the floor just before sealing it. If the cover you purchased does, then make sure to snap the sides on so it does not come off of the drain opening. Much as your shower drain collects water at a central point and sends it down and away, so too can a laundry room with a drain installed at the lowest point in the floor. As long as extra material is there to extend beyond the edge, it need not be perfect. As the photo of the end product shows, after I cut the pipe flush with the floor, I glued in this new cap. I thought of possibly pouring a cement-like substance into the pipe to seal it, but I can't guarantee that it wouldn't go into the rest of the system and cause a disastrous plug for the whole thing. All information is provided "AS IS." We’ll cover some of the most common here: 1. Step 1: Unscrew the drain cover using a screwdriver. The Oatey expandable plug with wingnut would have left too much above the floor when it was in place. Fit the drain wrench into the basket. PS:  Excuse the orientation of the photos I've attached to this posting. Use a wire brush and a mild detergent and make sure all of the drain's holes are clear. This piece usually has male threads that screw down into the female threads of the middle flange. You should cover any open drain hole on your property to prevent dangers and overflow that you might not want in your front or backyard. Remove the drain cover. I recently renovated my basement. It seems that all the home improvement stores around here sell fittings that go on the outside of the pipe. The degree of extension for the strainer assembly depends on how the tile will be installed—follow manufacturer's instructions. Send a handful of baking soda and hot water down the drain. Since that water has nowhere to go, move it in the right direction: down a drainpipe and into the sewer main. You could probe to see how far the pipe goes and fashion a plug from tinfoil. Silicon would be a good sealant in any case. A Styrofoam ball may work too. This is how to unclog a drain with standing water. I think to finish the job off, I may fill in the recessed part of the plug with expanding foam or glue a small square of sheet metal over it. The details: I've taken down a non-load-bearing wall in my house. Overflow drain covers, as simple as they are, can also have mechanical malfunctions. Inspect the drain cover screws for rust before replacing them. Are they connected? Step 4 Had the AC se... My house is fairly new and recently have been noticing large spiders in my ... Could somebody please help me to figure out how to unscrew a kitchen faucet... We have these two holes drilled through this exterior wall which I would li... Hello, My 2 year old removed the shower drain cover in our shower. suggestions. Slice off a bit of the top of the pipe embedded in the floor. All rights reserved. In all cases, it is important that the trench is deep enough to both maintain the proper slope and allow for the drain line to be surrounded by gravel. Step 2: Look through the hole inside the drain to see if there’s an obvious clog. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of vinegar and hot water down the drain. Write down the circumference, diameter, etc. Secure the hardware cloth on the spout in several spots using short self-tapping sheet metal screws with heads that are about 2/3 inch in diameter so they fit securely inside and over the 1/2-inch openings. Push/Pull (Often Confused with Lift-and-Turn) Hold the stopper body in place and unscrew the top knob (… How to Make Your Sink Drains Shiny Again. Attach the drain cover's outer frame to the drain opening by driving the provided self-tapping screws through the screw holes into the main drain opening with a … How to Install a Tub Overflow Drain Cove... How to Install a Tub Overflow Drain Cover. Then, I thought, rather than gluing a cap over the *outside* of the pipe, maybe there's some kind of cap that I can glue on the *inside* of it istead. Some drain covers are fixed over the pipe using screws, and others can be fixed using special waterproof seals or solvent welds, etc. If there are screws that have rusted in, allow them to soak for about five minutes and then attempt to remove them with the proper screwdriver. I then used a sander to reduce its profile and get it as close to the floor surface as possible. You want to make sure it is not too big since water and waste can come up through the cracks that are left uncovered. Before beginning, examine your drain cover to see how it is attached. You may also have a drain with separate drain and clean-out pipes. Reply Website operating Both holes start in the drain area and lead to the same main drain pipe by different routes. Take the cover off of your shower drain. The HD guy had forgotten about this item until I asked about the one that caitlinsdad suggested. I'll use my trusty Dremel Multi-Max for that. Besides not wanting to damage the pipe, I'm sure I'd make a real mess of the carpet nearby. If I were successful with that and then glued a cap on at the right height, then I would need to fill the space around it with a small amount of concrete. Again, you don’t have to get all panicky, because you can do it on your own pretty quickly: 1. Using Vinegar and Baking Soda 1 Remove your drain cover. Follow the steps below to effectively cover a drain hole. In either case, you'll want to apply rust remover and/or lubricant around the edges of the drain cover and allow it to soak in. Measuring Your Drain & Choosing The Right Drain For You! 2. If the top of the plug still sticks out above the floor, you can get an internal pvc pipe cutter which is like a rotary dremel circular saw blade on a drill shaft. Most shower drain openings are protected by a round, metal grate-like cover which prevents you from accidentally stepping into the drain. Also, this item is called an "inset" cap, but the geniuses at HD labelled some of them "insert" on their website, which can make them harr to find, too. Remove any covers that are on top of your drain. For a couple of bucks and a trip to home depot, it doesn't hurt to get one to test fit. You could also probably chip it out with a knife/sharp chisel. They aren’t great at stopping hair though. I might need to sand/file off the top edges, though, to make it fit inside with its top even with the end of the pipe. Leave the installation undisturbed while the cement cures and dries, as instructed by the manufacturer, or a minimum of 24 hours to be on the safe side. I usually fix those problems the easy way:Push a bit of paper down the pipe then a nice blob of expanda foam -the stuff that comes in a can ;)Cut the excess off once cured and job's done.If you ever need the pipe again you can still remove the foam with a saw blade or thin knife. It will come at a cost but the drain & cover can be lowered and false top put on it that isn't such an eye sore. Step 4 - Open and Clean Drains You can close off a shower drain to prevent sewage from backing up into your home if your shower is located on a lower floor or in the basement. I think I'd just get a wooden dowel (or cut some block of wood down) so that it either sticks all by it self and has to be (lightly) hammered into the pipe or is a little bit smaller than the inside of the pipe. Good luck. Choose a drain cover that is … We welcome your comments and Making sure that it is tightly pushed on and snaps easily into place. I cut off part of the pull tab, too, just to make sure that wouldn't get in the way. Copyright© I've easily sealed the copper pipes for the water and natural gas, but I'm left wondering what to do with this two-inch sewer drain pipe. First, examine the floor drain cover to see whether it's set into the floor or screwed in. How to Build a Walk-In Glass Block Showe... How to Build a Walk-In Glass Block Shower Part 1. The slit may be blocked with hair, soap, or other debris. Measure the drain hole that you need to cover. Under the floor, the other end of the pipe connects to other drain pipes in the house, so before I cover the area with more carpeting, I'd like to seal that pipe off permanently to avoid any possible leakage in the future. See below. Even if you are not removing a grated drain cover, you can still follow this guide. You should cover any open drain hole on your property to prevent dangers and overflow that you might not want in your front or backyard. I'd like to put some kind of plug in the pipe and glue it into place with common PVC primer and cement, but I don't know if there's any kind of plug made for this purpose. Between food particles, coffee grounds, hard-water deposits and general dish-washing gunk, it's no wonder your sink drain has lost its sparkle. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. But being a drain pipe, I think I would want to try to seal as deep in the pipe as possible near the joint when it Ts or connects to the main pipe. First, add spray lubricant to the outside rim of the drain cover and give it time to penetrate. To start identifying the problem, remove the drain cover. I'm guessing you can't get under the slab or no basement under access but you would still leave a column of built up waste gases that would not get flushed out with use - hence why p-traps connected. Basement floor drain backs up from kitchen drain. It's not easy to find this item on the HD website because there are so many caps available. Step 1: Purchasing the Cover. The strainer is the cover over the shower drain and it usually has a grid-like pattern. Sorting by size is a text search rather than using product specifications. They looked fine on my phone, but when I upload them to Instructables, the site insists on rotating them. Some styles, however, aren't really attached by anything other than a couple of metal flanges that allow the drain cover to pop in and out of place. I would also need to be careful not to break the pipe as I chipped away the concrete. Follow the steps below to effectively cover a drain hole. Place the cover over the drain opening. What about cotoneaster horizontalis? Screw-In Looking like a flat or slightly concave/convex strainer, simply unscrew these covers with a flat or Phillips head and remove. For PVC or ABS drains, fit the cap over the drain pipe and twist slightly to lock into place. A drain wrench (also called a smart dumbbell) usually has several heads of different shapes/sizes to fit into a variety of drains. home improvement and repair website. It may be as much as 1 1/2 inches if you are laying tile on a solid mortar bed. From what you described, the pipe's orientation is going 'down' through the floor into the sewers? Some drain covers come with snapping sides that you can easily fasten to the sides of the drain. The short version: I have an old PVC sewer drain pipe that comes up out of a concrete slab floor. DyersEnd Posts: 730. Bring these measurements with you to a hardware store. Two kitchens, on both levels, drain into 1 drain l... My Whirlpool top freezer refrigerator has a couple of times now deposited i... i have a compressor unit outside and a coil unit in my attic. The wall used to carry pipes for water (coming down from the second floor above), natural gas (embedded in the concrete slab floor), and sewer (also embedded in the slab). This method is a solid first step, as it requires no harsh chemicals to clear the clog. 3 In the latter case I'd screw another piece of wood to it to form a T structure and glue the piece in with a) thick resin or b) just silicon. Allow the drain cover to dry thoroughly before reinstalling it. When twisted, self tapping screws fasten into the spout, so no drilling is required. The PVC plug I found was made to fit inside a two-inch fitting, not the pipe, so it was not a solution. 5 years ago. Use a small screwdriver to lift the cover off the drain. Remove the screws holding the drain cover to the shower drain. So I'm looking for creative ways to plug up the end of this pipe. Thanks to suggestions from caitlinsdad, I found the right product for the job.