Is there a more permanent solution to fixing the recurring drain leaks in my bathtub, despite using plumbers putty and gaskets?
I’m a bit stumped on this one. The bathtub, which is about 4 years old, was installed by a professional plumber with a drain hole. It took me about 1.5 years as a weekend DIY-er to finish tiling the surround. The first few times I filled it up, no problem. But then I noticed the drain was leaking (luckily it drips down to the basement garage so I could spot it). After watching some YouTube tutorials, I got a drain wrench and plumber’s putty to reseal it. I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with that again. But, lo and behold, the next year there was another leak. I replaced the under gasket and resealed with plumber’s putty, even though it seemed fine. The following year, same story. And now, another year later, I’m back at it again for a new leak. I’ve even included some pictures from the latest incident. Every time I find the old putty cracked and dried (even though the first time it only lasted a couple of baths before leaking). I’ve been cleaning out the old cracked putty from the drain and screw, applying a new layer, screwing it down, and
Is there a gasket available for this instead of relying on putty?
No, I haven’t
Have you ever peeked inside the bottom of the box?
Mentioned that there is a gasket between the tub bottom and the drain pipe, but the top seems too bulky with a drain gasket.
Put pipe dope on the threads and then opt for silicone instead of putty. Make sure to use 100 percent silicone and replace the gasket too. Just double-check that the leak isn’t coming from the waste and overflow – that’s a significant amount of leaking. It might be the waste and overflow or the p trap causing the issue, or even the overflow plate if you frequently take baths.
That’s a great idea to highlight the overflow.
Is definitely not a waste or overflow. Appreciate the advice about picking up some silicone.
There might be a small crack where the tub shoe is placed, or the threads might be damaged haha I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s very strange that you have so many leaks. This makes me think that there was improper installation or it was damaged from the beginning. Use one of these tools and a pair of pliers to tighten it
Make sure to tighten it properly this time! Consider using thread lock on the threads.
You’ll need to really crank that sucker to over 100 ft/lb torque. Get it as tight as you can, then give it another quarter turn 💪🏼
Forget about putty. Opt for 100% silicone, and make sure to tighten it REALLY well.
Grab some plumbers putty, grab that wrench and give it an extra tighten. It should hold up for many years.
It could be due to improper support. The shower base should be embedded in mortar to prevent leaks caused by flexing and temperature changes.
It seems like you might not be tightening it sufficiently or perhaps the leak is coming from another source.
It seems like the leak is definitely coming from . It stayed leak-free for almost a year before starting to drip again. The putty that the plumbers applied back then is now dry and cracked.
Try doing it again, but this time, go with silicone instead of plumber’s putty.
I usually use silicone on them. They never leak when I do. I’ve never had success with plumber’s putty on those.
Silicone is a much better option. I believe plumbers putty was created to keep plumbers busy every 5-10 years when it inevitably breaks down.
When done correctly, plumbers putty works great. I’ve had drains on sinks and garbage disposals that have not leaked in over a decade. The issue with silicone is that it can be difficult to work with if you ever need to remove the drain. Most people recommending silicone either lack knowledge of how to use plumbers putty or are taking shortcuts. It’s interesting how the instructions for these drains never mention using silicone. There’s a reason for that. By the way, I was taught to apply plumbers putty on the strainer, not on the tub. But I’m not sure if that makes a difference.
Plumbers putty is perfect for this job. If it’s not holding up, it could be because the tub is shifting due to weight. For plastic tubs, it should be set in a mortar base. For cast iron tubs, make sure it’s on a stable surface and supported on any wall lips.
Definitely make sure to use a rubber gasket. They should come with one, but if not, be sure to grab one!