A shower is a refreshing way to clean off after exercise, or work.
The most important factor in designing a shower is determining the location of the drain. People often forget that water will flow down whichever way gravity pulls it.
One important question to ask before installing a shower is where the shower drain should be placed.
Several options are available when choosing a location to place the drain. A wrong choice leads to consequences such as leaks leading to mold and mildew below our shower floor.
What Is a Shower Drain?
A shower drain is a commonly used plumbing fixture that drains water from a shower so that it doesn’t pool around the drain, which can cause mold and mildew to grow.
Shower drains are usually attached to a wall or placed directly under the showerhead. A typical shower drain usually features an overflow grate or flap that allows excess water to pass through without backing up.
Types of shower drains
The primary function of a shower drain is to remove water from the shower. When you think about installation, it is important to consider where to place the drain in the shower and where the water should flow from.
There are many styles of shower drains.
Shower Floor Drain Types According to Design
- Point drain
One is probably in your shower, as they are the most common. They are found in the middle of the shower floor, where the slopes lead to the drain.
The advantage of these drains is that they are pretty simple to fix. They can also be found in different shapes: circular and square drain gates.
- Linear drains
The linear drain is both long and narrow. They are installed at the corner of a shower to channel away excess water and prevent pudding.
The shape creates a consistent slope down the drain so that water flows easily out of it.
Shower Floor Drains According to Number of Pieces.
- Single piece drain
Shower drains made from a single piece are one of the simplest drains to install. These shower bases are ideal for tiled shower bases that are constructed over concrete floors.
In one-piece drains, the pipe underneath is plugged into the drain, so the top of the drain rests just below the top of the tile. A strainer is then screwed onto the drain.
- Three-Piece Drain
Installing this sort of floor secures the wooden subfloor beneath a tiled shower from mold, mildew, and rot. It has three parts. Three parts allow for adjustments according to the thickness of the tile.
The bottom piece is inserted directly into the drainpipe above the wooden bottom piece. This gives the middle piece a place to rest on the shower pan or liner, and the top piece goes over that.
- Multi-Piece Shower Drain
It comprises five parts (from bottom to top) a tightening nut, a threaded drain body, a flange, a rubber compression gasket, a locking ring, and a strainer.
Most shower stalls with pre-molded bases or one-piece stalls have them.
The strainer, the flange, and the components between them are installed above the shower floor.
The remaining pieces are found under the shower. After installing these parts, the shower base can be slid into place.
How to choose a drain installation
When you are familiar with the construction of your bathroom floor and know the style you want, picking out a floor drain is relatively easy.
The drain you choose will depend on how it needs to be installed, its design, if it’s waterproof or not, and how much water it can hold.
- Location of drain
This is the first step in selecting the proper drainage solution for you. The location of the drain in your shower will determine what type of shower system is right for your shower.
A standard, wall-mounted drain can be located in several places within the shower.
The most common drain locations are at the bottom of one or both walls, centered in the shower floor, and directly behind the showerhead.
- Its design
A shower drain is an often overlooked component of the design of a shower. Most showers are built with a shower pan or tile floor, which would be damaged if you did not properly design the drain to work with the plumbing.
However, newer technology has made this less of an issue because holes can be cut in the floor to accommodate the additional pipe, but if your space is small, it’s recommended to go with a unit designed to work with the existing plumbing.
- Type of Installation and Waterproofing
To choose an appropriate shower drain type and style, you must first consider: determining what type of waterproofing and installation your bathroom and drain need.
The shower drain type you choose must be waterproof, so it will not have any leaks afterward.
Setting up your shower falls to perfection.
When planning shower drains, it is extremely important to consider how the floor will ‘fall.’ It’s recommended to tilt the floor towards the drain to make sure all water will flow that way.
The floor will have to fall towards a central location if it is a single outlet floor drain. When installing linear drains, slope your floor gently towards the wall where the drains will go.
Bathrooms are incomplete without a functioning shower drain. It is there for passing the water and making sure that your bathroom is hygienic. A faulty shower drain can lead to flooding in your bathroom or, even worse, your house.
There are many positions where the drain can be placed in a shower. Some people prefer it at the center of the shower, while others like it on the sides.
The major goal of the placement is to make sure that there is enough room for water to flow out of the showerhead and for someone standing inside the shower not to get their feet in a pool of accumulating water.