What should be the correct drain for the shower

Installing a separate shower stall in the house is not a luxury, but a well-founded step, because sometimes, instead of a bath, it is more convenient to refresh yourself quickly in the shower. When installing a shower cabin, separate attention must be paid to organizing the drain, many undeservedly deprive this stage of their attention, which can lead to problems with draining or with an unpleasant smell from the sewers. For example, an improperly selected drain for a low-drain shower cabin will require replacement soon enough.

About the organization of the drain from the shower stall

To begin, consider ways to drain water from the shower stall.

Depending on the design used, they may differ significantly:

• It is very simple to arrange a drain from a shower cabin with a pallet of any height. The pallet itself is elevated for some distance above the floor, a siphon (a device preventing unpleasant odors from entering the room) and sewer pipes are placed in this space;

Note! In the case of installation of ultra-low pallets, you need to pay attention to the siphon capacity, and there may be more problems with clogging than in the case of conventional pallets.

• if the pallet is not used, then shower drains and canals are used for drainage - the scope of work in this case is somewhat different.

The ladder under the tile is a simple device with a water lock, the main part of which is hidden directly in the screed. Due to this, the floor of the shower does not rise above the floor of the bathroom, it is especially convenient if there are people in the family who find it difficult to step over the high edge of the shower tray.

The main difference between the ladder and the canal is in the form. The channel is narrow and elongated, and the ladder has a square or round drain grate. If we compare the laboriousness of the drainage device in the shower with our hands with and without the pallet, then, of course, it is much easier to connect a shower with a pallet to the sewage system - it is enough just to install the pallet itself on the stand and close the slot with decorative overlays.

Choosing the right drain

The drain for the shower tray tray must be selected both with regard to water consumption and with regard to ease of use. On average, about 50 l / min can be considered as a normal throughput for a shower; this allows you to take a shower without limiting the flow rate.

It is also useful to understand the design of the drain, in particular, attention should be paid to what kind of valve is used.

Such devices are, without exception, manufactured with a shutter, but the way to prevent the ingress of odors from the sewer into the shower can vary greatly depending on the model:

• water lock - the simplest option, in this case, a water blockage in the siphon becomes a barrier in the path of air from the sewage system into the room, an S-shaped bend is attached to its formation. A bottle lock can be distinguished, but it is more often used in kitchens, where it is important to be able to remove the bottom cover at any time and clean it;

• a dry shutter, a shower cabin drainage device using such a design makes sense when the shower is used infrequently and there is a risk that the water plug will simply dry out;

Note! If the “warm floor” system is used, the water seal cannot be recommended for installation. The fact is that the water bridge will constantly evaporate.

• Recently, devices with a plug on a drain hole, which can tightly block a pipe, are gaining popularity, often such constructions are called “click-clack”.

The price of a plum with a plug is small and hovers around 1000 rubles (although you can find an easier option). In order to close the drain simply press the button with your foot once, to open the drain you will need to press it again. In such devices, the plug is used as an obstacle to the smell from the sewage system to the room.

Also, before installing the drain you need to think about the need for overflow devices. This may simply be necessary if you plan to install a shower with a high tray. Water may be drawn into the sump and overflow will be used as insurance against overflowing it and splashing water onto the floor.

Overflow does not greatly complicate the design of the drain. Externally, it looks like an additional hole closer to the top side of the pallet, through it excess water will be directed to the sewer. This is useful if the person left the pallet to collect and forgot about it.

Installation and maintenance of the drain

In principle, the installation of the pallet and its connection to the sewage system is not particularly complex. It is necessary to solve 2 tasks - to ensure the horizontal position of the pallet itself and the observance of the minimum clearances and slopes when it is connected to the sewage system.

Installation Guide

Installation of a shower cabin drain begins with fitting and marking on the floor of the design position.

In the future, it is recommended to adhere to the following procedure:

• the siphon will be connected to the sewer through the sewer corrugations (although it is possible to use ordinary plastic pipes), therefore, knowing the approximate location of the drain hole, you can estimate what length of corrugations will be needed;
• for convenience of assembly, a frame made of a metal profile is assembled at the bottom of the pallet;

Note! The height of the shower stall must be such that after installing the siphon the distance from it to the floor is at least 5-7 cm. This is necessary to create the required slope and unobstructed flow of water into the sewer system.

• it is necessary to connect the corrugation and siphon to the sewer. To connect the siphon and corrugations, a plastic cap nut is used; in addition, the joint can be lubricated with a sealant for greater reliability;
• then the pallet is turned on its side, a metal mesh is inserted into the drain hole (delays large debris), a ring;

• a siphon is connected from the inside - first, a sealant is applied to the part that will contact the pallet, then a rubber ring is applied to it and only after that it is connected to the part installed on the front side of the pallet.

Note! If the overflow is used for the shower stall, the main difference is that 2 pipes are connected to the siphon - one from the drain hole, the other - from the overflow.

After that the pallet turns over and is established into place. The legs, as a rule, are made with height adjustment, so that you can easily achieve the horizontal position of the shower tray. The skew is checked by the usual construction level.

Installation instructions allow for additional strengthening of the structure. If the factory frame is not rigid enough and the bottom still bends strongly, then on the base you can lay a simple brick or make an elevation of cement-sand mortar so that the pallet rests on it.

Drain Care

No matter how carefully the installation was carried out, it is still often necessary to carry out repairs to the shower cabin drain. The reason for this is simple - clogging and the impossibility of draining water, hence the stagnation of water in the pan, and the unpleasant smell in the booth.

The main problems that people face are unpleasant smell and problems with runoff, all this is a consequence of the same problem. As for the repair, or rather the cleaning of pipes, then it can be done in several ways, and the question of how to clean the drain in the shower stall, a lot depends on the method of connecting the sump to the drain.

If it was not corrugation that was used, but ordinary plastic pipes, then it is possible to distinguish such cleaning options as:

• mechanical - ordinary plunger or sanitary cable can cope with the blockage of almost any complexity;

• various cleaning products can also cope with blockages. If you want to know how to clean the shower stall drain with them, beware of overly aggressive substances that can simply corrode the plastic. Preference is better to gel products, rather than powders;
• You can try and folk remedies, for example, a mixture of soda, vinegar and salt does a good job with weak clogs, you just need to leave it in the pipe for a couple of hours.

In order to eliminate the smell in the shower - drain must work perfectly. But in the case of connecting the drain through the corrugation, it can be difficult to cope with the blockage, the cable just breaks the pipe, the plunger is also unsafe, and aggressive gels can simply burn through the wall of the corrugations. Sometimes it comes to the fact that it is easier to simply disconnect the siphon and clean it separately.

In conclusion

Installing a shower stall in the house is an easy task. Particular attention should be paid to connecting the pallet to the sewage system, communications will be hidden, so it’s better to do everything right then rather than correct minor issues. The proposed material will allow you to properly connect the pan to the sewer.

The video in this article shows the collection of a shower cabin with its connection to the sewer.