Shower pan flood test

[SME1225]

Hello. I hired a company to renovate my bathroom. They completed the shower pan and I discovered they didn’t create a preslope. I had them tear it out, create a preslope and they just finished the PVC liner over the preslope. I went to test the weep holes and they don’t appear to be working. They caulked the bolts but didn’t caulk the weep holes. I included a photo of standing water around the drain, not flowing down the weep holes. Any idea what is going on?

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Welcome to the forum, Shannon!

The silicone is supposed to seal between the top of the flange and the underside of the liner. No silicone needs to be above the liner. With so much silicone already in areas it’s not needed (around bolt heads), I’ll ask if you’re really sure there’s no silicone in the weep channels.

[SME1225]

That is what I concluded as well after giving it some more thought. I’m going to try to have him remove the silicone, lift the pan liner (maybe at the center drain hole, and apply silicone underneath, then reset the drain base. Hopefully that will work.

If that’s not the problem, could there somehow be a problem with the shower pan liner being too tight up to the weep holes to allow water to drain properly? I’m trying to have a back up plan incase removing the silicone does not work.

[cx]

Welcome, Shannon.

We've had reports of folks using so much silicone beneath the liner on the top of the bottom flange that it forced the liner up into the weep channels sufficiently to block them. I've never seen that in real life, but it apparently does happen.

Can't see what brand that drain is and don't know the configuration of the top piece of the flange, but I do see what appear to be weep channels in the top of the top piece and wonder if maybe that top piece also has weep channels on the other side or not. Perhaps all it needs is to be turned over?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

First of all, congratulations on checking this and figuring out that the liner isn't installed correctly. Most of the time, this is something that is figured out after-the-fact.

The comments above have already diagnosed the issue. My concern is that this is try #2 for the contractors and they haven't inspired a lot of confidence so far.

Would you care to post some photos that are more zoomed out and show the curb, particularly each end of the curb, and maybe a little more of the liner?

[Davy]

The preslope mud should be flush with the bottom flange and it looks to be higher than both the top and bottom flanges. This is what's causing the wrinkles.

You can see the cut out in the threads, those are also weep holes. There might also be cut outs in the threads of the grate which will also let water seep down into the drain.

I see drains all the time that have silicone under the top flange. These installers need to think it thru a little more.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Originally Posted by cx

Can't see what brand that drain is and don't know the configuration of the top piece of the flange, but I do see what appear to be weep channels in the top of the top piece and wonder if maybe that top piece also has weep channels on the other side or not. Perhaps all it needs is to be turned over?

That appears to be an Oatey 423132 drain. And the clamping ring is reversible with weep channels on the opposite side. So, it seems like the question is: are the weep channels blocked with silicone...or is there so much silicone under the liner that it has contorted upwards to the shape of the clamping ring and blocked the channels that way?

[SME1225]

I performed a flood test in my shower pan over the weekend. Everything looked great as I monitored it but when I measured after 10 hours, there was a little less than 1/4 inch water loss. I didn’t have the correct drain plug, so I used a water balloon. It seemed to have a very good seal but now I’m wondering if there could have been water slowly leaking through the water balloon? If not, does 1/8 - 1/4 inch water loss require corrective steps or could it have been due to evaporation? It was a beautiful, crisp, dry day.

[speed51133]

that amount of water loss is not normal. get a real plug designed for these tests

[cx]

Shannon, it'll help if you'll keep all your project questions on one thread so folks can see what you're working on and what's been previously asked and answered. A moderator can give it a more generic title any time you'd like to suggest one.

What Mike said about your drain plug. You need to plug the drain in the riser pipe below the drain attachment.

You can put a straight, vertical sided vessel of some sort nest to your shower and fill it to a mark with water when you fill the shower with water for your test. That will allow you to determine any amounts lost to evaporation.

Are you sure you have a pre-slope under that liner?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[SME1225]

Thank you for your responses. I have the proper cherne plug being delivered on Tuesday.

Yes, there is a preslope. I watched them install in and you can see that the liner is sloped inward. There is a small spot to the right of the drain, pictured that isn’t fully draining water. Is this significant enough to worry about?

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

It's not evaporation. A pretty reliable way to tell if water got below that liner is to feel it underneath and see if there is dampness down on the underside of the liner.

If not, re-plug and try it again.

edit: looking at that photo, the balloon needs to be down in the pipe not up at the collar. So, I do suspect there was an issue with your plug.

[SME1225]

Hello...how do I use the cherne plug, pictured below, to perform a shower pan flood test. I have a compressor and hose extension and the 2 inch cherne plug. The directions warn of death and property damage if not used correctly! What PSI do I inflate it do? Can I keep the hose attached for the duration of the flood test? How do I safely release the pressure? Anything else I should know?

[cx]

Shannon, I recommend you not use a compressor in that application. Far better and safer to use a common bicycle pump.

I don't know what the actual pressure requirement is for that bulb, but it's not much. You just want to fill it 'till it is snug against the walls of the pipe. In cases where it didn't wanna seal easily, I've been known to smear a bit of Vaseline on the bulb.

Should be a Schrader valve in the end of your extension that will allow you to relieve the pressure and remove the bulb. And yes, you leave the extension hose in place during the test.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Davy]

Yep, I believe the extension hose I have is 18 inches long. And what Cx said about the bicycle pump.