Shower drain in floor under tiles

Even at the bathroom planning stage, it is taken into account whether a bathtub or shower will be used. In the second case, you immediately need to decide whether there will be a shower with a tray or with a drain. Of course, the pallet is more functional. However, a shower with a drain takes up less space, and the installation process is much easier and faster. This is quite important for people who decide to neglect the services of specialists and carry out the installation themselves. It is worth understanding what the ladder is, considering the functionality and installation features.

What is a ladder

The drain is a device for draining water from the shower, located directly in the floor. The most important advantage is the simplicity of the design and its functionality.

IMPORTANT! No odors from the sewer enter the premises. If a blockage occurs, you can easily clean the pipe by simply removing the removable grille.

Grilles are usually made of high-quality plastic, quite durable, or stainless metal is used.

Types of shower drains

There are several types of devices for draining water in the shower.

Spot

This type of ladder is considered the most compact and practical.

REFERENCE. Usually it is a square shape with a side no more than 15 cm.It can pass through itself an average of 20 liters per minute.

Nowadays, the most popular drains on the market are produced in the shape of a square and a rectangle. And also in the form of tiles, which is quite important from an aesthetic point of view.

The main advantage of this type is the ease of installation at absolutely any point on the floor. It is with the example of such a ladder that we will consider independent installation. In general, this drain is usually chosen for domestic purposes, since it has optimal characteristics, is compact and easy to install.

Wall-mounted

The main advantage of such a ladder is invisibility. It is mounted at the junction of the wall and the floor, and is very well camouflaged among the tiles.

The characteristics of this type are much more significant than other ladders.

REFERENCE! The wall drain can pass through up to 40 liters in one minute.

However, the cost here is appropriate. Unfortunately, such a ladder can only be installed if the room initially provided for such a possibility.

Linear

Otherwise called a shower tray because it has a rectangular shape with a recess. In terms of functionality, it is no different from its “colleagues”.

The place where the water flows resembles a narrow channel. It is usually no more than a meter long. A grate is mounted on top for aesthetic reasons, and under the floor there is a pipe leading to the drain at a slight slope. The great thing about this whole design is that it saves space.

What should a siphon be like?

When choosing a siphon for a shower, you need to understand a little about their types.

Diameter

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the diameter of the siphon itself. It is advisable to buy one with a diameter of at least 5 cm.

Otherwise, clogging will occur very often, and the water will not drain well.But in the end you will still have to install a normal siphon.

Material

Next you need to make a choice in the material. It is recommended to buy a product made of high-quality plastic. This is the best option in terms of price, reliability and quality.

Kinds

Several types of siphons should be distinguished.

Corrugated

Due to its properties, this type of siphon is used in confined spaces to save space.

IMPORTANT! It is quite flexible and has a small diameter. This gives it a great advantage over other species.

It is also important that the installation of such a siphon is extremely simple. You just need to bend the corrugation at the desired angle.

The disadvantages include the fact that due to numerous bends, various debris quickly accumulates on the surface, causing the drain to become clogged.

Bottle

This type of siphon is usually used in domestic kitchens and can often be seen under sinks. They call it that because of the corresponding shape of the bottle, thanks to which all the rubbish settles.

IMPORTANT! The big advantage is that such a siphon is very easy to clean. You just need to unscrew it and clean out the accumulated dirt.

Housewives often wash away their rings or other jewelry out of embarrassment. They will not go down the drain, but will remain in the siphon.

The disadvantages include some cumbersomeness of the entire structure, which is very inconvenient.

Pipe

In size it does not deviate from its previous ally, however, its strength is much higher. It is often made from metal or very high-quality plastic.

IMPORTANT! An important disadvantage here is the laboriousness of cleaning. To remove the blockage, you need to insert a special cable into the drain. However, most often special chemicals are used to clear blockages in the pipe.

Believe me, this greatly saves not only time, but also your efforts.

There are also modern siphons with an automated system. However, this product is quite expensive, and it is not sold in regular plumbing stores.

What to consider when choosing a ladder

The first thing you need to pay attention to when purchasing is what thickness of tiles the drain can be installed on.

REFERENCE. Up to a thickness of 7 mm is designated on the product code with the letter B, and up to 12 mm with the letter A.

Regarding the material and design, this is not so important; pay attention to the technical component. When purchasing, pay attention to these characteristics.

• Water throughput. You need a value of at least 1.2 liters per minute.
• Grid load class. Should be "A".

If you plan to install the drain yourself, the installation instructions will be very helpful.

ADVICE! Buy plumbing fixtures from reliable manufacturers who always include detailed instructions with their product. This will greatly simplify and speed up installation.

Materials and tools for work

The main thing before starting work is to make sure that our ladder is equipped correctly. For example, be sure to check the condition of the siphon gutter.

When working, you will need waterproofing tape, fasteners and adjustable legs. A hacksaw and glue will not be superfluous: we will cut and glue the pipes. And also a level for measuring the angle of inclination.

How to make a shower drain with your own hands

The technology for installing a ladder yourself is simple. However, it will require a sufficient amount of time and diligence, as well as physical strength. If you finally decide to carry out the installation yourself, then the instructions below may help.

Siphon

First you need to deal with the siphon.

• You need to insert a rubber gasket into it, and install a gutter on top. Pay attention to the exact alignment of the drain holes!
• Now you need to insert the coupling inside.
• On the base, which we should have prepared in advance, we need to position our structure in such a way that the siphon is in line with the sewer drain hole and looks in its direction.
• It is important to place the entire structure at exactly the same level. If the sewer drain is higher, the water will stagnate and not drain completely!

Ladder

• The hole in the ladder should be covered with a lid.
• Take measurements using a level. We should have a slope of at least 2% from the edge of the screed to the side of the gutter.
• The next step: we attach the legs to the ladder and record what length they should ideally be.
• Using a hacksaw, we shorten them to the required length.
• You need to mark the place where these legs will be fixed.
• Then you need to degrease the bottom surface of the ladder, peel off the protective film from the upper parts of the legs and carefully install the ladder.

Compound

All that's left to do is connect the drain.

To do this, you need to measure the distance from the siphon to the drain hole. Then cut off the corresponding piece of pipe using a hacksaw.

All structures are connected, pipe joints are carefully treated with glue for PVC products.

IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to degrease the surface before gluing!

Now you can fill the screed to the very top edge of the gutter. After the screed has completely dried, we need to lay waterproofing on our drain. Then you can move on to the final stage - installing the grille frame, priming the walls and floor, laying tiles.

When the tiles are dry, you need to wipe the structure and install a decorative grille on the ladder. Ready!

As you can see, choosing and installing a shower drain is not as difficult as it seems. We hope that our tips will help you in your work!