Shower drain pipe leaking through floors

Question

Top view of drainage pipe

Hi, It seems that there is a significant leak when the shower is used as I observed a constant stream ofdripping water from the ceiling of the lower floor. Upon removing the filter cap, I see the drainage pipe is not aligned properly with the fiberboard of the shower and there is a big gap between drainage head and drainage pipe, not sure if this is the source of the leak as the area looks dry around it. Could someone recommend how to fix this potential source of leak or is the gap naturally expected?

The drainage pipe outlet is to the right of the hole as can be seen.

Answer 1

Looking at your drain cover and pipe you can see that hair has accumulated around the outside of the pipe. That tells you that the drain cover wasn't properly sealed with plumbers putty or suitable bathroom sealant. In other words, the water is leaking in around the edge perimeter of the drain instead of only flowing into the drain.
The drain pipe itself should be flush up against the shower pan. You indicated the cap thread are long enough to reach the drain. Assuming the drain fitting is threaded screw the cover and pipe back into the drain. Put a bead of plumbers putty or other plumbing sealant under and around the underside of the cover and screw it in.
Be sure to clean it all up before-hand so the sealant will hold.

Answer 2

If your drain pipe cannot be moved upward, then you need to fill the gap with a few large, thick washers. Just screwing the drain cover into the drain pipe won't stop the leak because the tub won't sink that much and every time you step near the drain cover the tub will sink and break the seal and water will flow through. After you fill the gap, do what HoneyDo suggests. There is a special tool to screw in the drain cover and you should get one so you can tighten up the drain cover. The tool is pretty cheap.