On our 2007 27' International, can I use a tub drain removal tool to "unscrew" the shower drain from the p-trap from the top-side of the shower, or would that break something? I'm trying to replace the corroded/gross chrome drain with a newer one but I don't want to create a new heap of trouble. It looks like it's a standard 1.5" tub drain, but I'm no plumber.
Hello, A standard "drain key" should work. Unfortunately, my attempt broke the drains metal cross and didn't budge the drain at all. I'd suggest heating the area with a hair dryer to loosen any adhesives before trying the drain key method.
If the drain cross breaks, others have notched a V of metal out of the flat metal drain ring, and used the notch for leverage to tap it with a hammer and chisel or pry bar to get it to turn. That is my planned next attempt. Hoping it doesn't ruin anything.
Before I tried that I'd call Airstream and ask how it's installed. If it's in there with adhesive, rather than some teflon on threads and a bead of plumber's putty like a standard drain, you'll have something a lot worse than a corroded drain.....
Thanks for the info, Duff! I tried twisting it gently and it seemed to move, so I went all in and it ended up unscrewing quite easily. I'm not exactly sure how I'll get it put back together now, but it will likely need to involve inventing tiny plumbing robots, or cutting a hole in something (or both). Either way, that's tomorrow's job.
I began to panic that I wouldn't find a way to access the shower plumbing to attach the new drain. I tried to squeeze my wife in the space below the wardrobe, but her arms weren't long enough to reach the drain. Next I failed to bribe my 3 year old into even attempting it. What ended up working was completely removing the outdoor shower and accessing the shower plumbing from outside the trailer. I used a new rubber bushing, some plumber's putty, and the old hex ring and screwed it all back together and now we've got a nice, clean, brushed nickel drain with stopper & strainer and everything! It's like Christmas.
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