Drain offset between pan and floor

[EJ Downey]

We bought a tile-ready shower pan with the drain on the right side (rather than centered) naively believing that it would match up against the existing drain left from the fiberglass tub/shower surround. We also discovered that the drain in the floor is a smaller diameter than that in the shower pan. Any advice on making these two things connect?

Thank you in advance!

[Mike2]

What type of floor, wood or concrete? If wood you might be able to relocate the p-trap and drain rather easily, installing the right size along the way.

[ddmoit]

Welcome to the forum, Ed.

If you want to use that Tile-Redi pan, you have no choice other than to move your drain pipe to fit it.

You really have to mess with your drain pipe anyway to meet code. Bath tubs have 1.5" drains. Showers require 2" drains.

Can you access the pipes from below? It would be best to replace the 1.5" pipe with 2" pipe all the way to the stack.

[Crestone Tile]

... and after you get that drain moved and resized, you might just say "Forget this tile ready pan" and build your own mud pan!

[MudGuy]

Crestone Tile

[EJ Downey]

Thank you for the responses! The drain is in concrete. Since we can't access the pipe except by chipping away concrete, how do we get the drain to code?

Crestone Tile & MudGuy, your posts imply that there are difficulties with tile ready pans. What experiences did you have?

[ddmoit]

Since we can't access the pipe except by chipping away concrete, how do we get the drain to code?

By chipping away concrete.

Seriously, it's not has hard as it sounds, although I would want to know where it joins a larger pipe before I started. It's probably only a few feet.

Crestone Tile & MudGuy, your posts imply that there are difficulties with tile ready pans. What experiences did you have?

Those guys don't necessarily have anything against Tile-Redi; they just like playin' in the mud.

I actually used a Tile-Redi pan in my shower. I'm sure it will last a good long while, but I wouldn't do it again.

First, the instructions assume you can access the drain from below. Obviously you can't with a slab. Mine is on a slab too, but it was a harrowing pain in the @ss to get it set right.

Second, you have to set tile to the pan with the epoxy thinset that comes with it. If I never have to use epoxy thinset again, it will be too soon.

Bottom line, the product does work, but it's expensive, and it really isn't easier than building a mud pan from scratch - especially with help from this forum from guys like Crestone and MudGuy.

[EJ Downey]

The drain takes a turn and goes under the guest room. The more DIY we do, the more we curse the builders of our house.

I think it's time to call it quits for the weekend. Thank you for the help.

[ddmoit]

Maybe it doesn't go any further than the wall between the rooms. There could be a vent stack in the wall.

[Soup2Nuts]

No place I know of allows 1 1/2" under ground. 2" is the minimum. So you most likely have a 2" trap that picks up the tub Waste and Overflow. Bust out around the trap to expose the horizontal trap arm enough to connect to it with a 2" coupling and go from there to your new drain location. The tub should be vented already so you shouldn't have to worry about that.
Good luck.