Shower leak

[scotcruz]

Hi all,

Next project, investigate and fix upstairs shower leak.

The plasterboard downstairs started showing signs of leakage so I took it off and found the water dripping from the compression joint (2). You can also see that at some point there had been leak at (1) - which is likely to be the trap being lose at the top that I tightened recently.

While I am here, I am going to replace the trap anyway.



Please can someone advise:-
1- Best trap to replace
2- pipe fitting to remove the flex (or leave it in)
3- any ideas where the leak (1) would have started from?

Many thanks

 

[Madrab]

What size is the waste hole on the shower. Cant get much better than McAlpine IMO. The flexi is short, not at much of an angle and not dropping so personally I don't see anything wrong with it. If to replace then 45Deg bend and a couple of short pieces of 40mm solvent weld. As long as the pipe it is going onto is also solvent weld.

What's above 1? Looks like it might have been filled with silicone.

 

[CBW]

Is it a tray, or former with cap & cove flooring?

 

[scotcruz]

Is it a tray, or former with cap & cove flooring?

It's a shower tray with a 90mm shower waste

 

[scotcruz]

What size is the waste hole on the shower. Cant get much better than McAlpine IMO. The flexi is short, not at much of an angle and not dropping so personally I don't see anything wrong with it. If to replace then 45Deg bend and a couple of short pieces of 40mm solvent weld. As long as the pipe it is going onto is also solvent weld.

What's above 1? Looks like it might have been filled with silicone.

It's a 90mm waste trap.. above 1 is silicone which I believe has been used to secure the tray to the floor.

I'm definitely going to replace the waste trap while I'm there.. you are right about McAlpine ones which are over £30 compared to others which are much cheaper.

I'm not a fan of flex pipe so would like to replace that.. let's see how it folds.

Anyone recommend another trap which performs alike McAlpine?

 

[ktuludays]

Any shower we fit we always use Mira vortex traps (wirquin also the same)

 

[Madrab]

Anyone recommend another trap which performs alike McAlpine?

It's not about performing like a McAlpine, it's about the design of its seals and fittings. Longterm they're a lot less likely to leak than others IMO.

 

[scotcruz]

Got the McAlpine high flow one as advised.

One final question.. there are some folk who say don't use a sealant on the trap while some say you should..

What's the best practice folks?
1- do not apply sealant
2- Apply sealant on the bottom bit
3- Apply sealant on the bottom and top bit

If 2 or 3 then what's the best sealant to use. I have read some threads that it can't be just regular sealant as it needs to be compatible with rubber.

Please advise

 

[CBW]

If and wherever the manufacturer suggests, that is it. I replaced mine with a McAlpline, and in the instructions it told me to use neutral curing silicone at a specific place, so that’s what I followed.

 

[Madrab]

Ideally not IMO. The only place I would use silicone is on the bottom seal and only if the base of the tray was uneven in any way. If it's nice and clean and smooth then no silicone required. Silicone on the seal can lubricate it and allow the seal to squeeze out of place when being tightened.

I use Dow Corning 785 sanitary silicone.