51
OK I am going to answer this like you are in the US. It doesn't differ much but to give a baseline.
To sum it up - This is F'ing crazy as hell, unsanitary, and not code.
So it looks like there is a basin siphoned off from the foundation that drains to a sump pump and the pump pushes water to... who the hell knows (it doesn't matter).
Issues:
If ...
45
While caulk is fairly elastic, it handles better under compression than tension. By filling the tub all the way, you expand the gap quite a bit. Once the caulk is applied and the tub drained, the caulk compresses. During normal use, the caulk will likely never be in tension. As you'd have to add more weight than a tub full of water, before the caulk had to ...
21
I'm not sure where some of those cracks came from, but it doesn't look like anything a good quality bathroom caulk won't fix. Here is the big secret to caulking anything in the bathroom:
Clean those surfaces as good as you possibly can. Like cleaner than you've ever cleaned anything in a bathroom. After its super clean, clean it again with alcohol to ...
21
That's a cover for your drain clean out. If water is leaking out of there then either the threaded cap below, if there is one, is loose or there is a blockage starting to form and the drain water is starting to backup because it can't go down the drain fast enough. There could also be a drain plug under the cover that has deteriorated and is leaking. You can ...
19
Let's look at the three pictures above.
#1 - This is probably the most common install. You cement board is on the same plane as the flange. It is thicker so it ends up hanging over.
Tip - If you are using cement board by itself I would strongly suggest using 1/2 inch. Also I am a strong supporter of hardibacker since it doesn't allow water through or ...
16
If you plan to stay in the house until you are old, consider what amenities you'd like to have when stairs become difficult, impossible, or risky for your aging self to use. Stair lifts have their limits, and having to move out of your house due to factors you built into it is annoying, if you would otherwise prefer to stay. In some cases this may lead you ...
15
I'd be tempted to poke that large white fitting on a piece of flexi hose with a stick o see if it's really a trap that is meant to be screwed to the bottom of the bath drain. It's hard to tell for sure, but that long dip tube on the plug hole fitment looks like it's meant to be screwed into something and my betting is that the 'something' fell off when ...
15
The key questions are:
Is it warranted? For how long? Are you willing to accept liability for failure after that period (or after the company closes its doors)?
Does the warranty cover replacement expenses? I'd wager no. The problem there is apparent.
Don't do it unless you have no practical alternative or are compensated for potential costs in advance.
14
It's called a "standing waste". It works just like you say. The cone at the base of the inner tube seals against a flange and the water must fill the outer tube (attached to your floor) before (over)flowing down the inner tube. Here's a pic since words are useless for describing this kind of thing.
Here's some in-depth discussion on resolving a clog on ...
13
There would be no such thing as "excessive wear" on a bathtub drain - unless there was caustic material being poured down the drain which ate away at the drain pipe and joints.....although from the sounds of it this is far from the case here.
For the sake of discussion let us assume that the tub is a quality name brand product.
It may be that there was ...
13
It seems pretty unlikely that the drainpipe would freeze in your crawlspace. Even if there was a 20 degree wind whipping through it (which there isn't: it's enclosed), the only way that could be is if there was standing water in the pipe to freeze. That would mean a trap in the crawlspace which would be highly unusual. And if you really had a frozen pipe, ...
13
I would send it back and for sure not get that type of tub again. If tubs are cracking during the shipping process I would not trust them to stay in one piece when there is a bunch of weight and water in them.
I mean I wouldn't even think about it. I have had cracked tubs come to me for new bathrooms and I have never thought about getting a new one. ...
12
That's just.... nasty. The spout looks fine but the faucet is both too far out and not square. There's a large gap at the base that looks like it can leak water into the wall space.
The "plumber" was either drunk, half-asleep or incompetent. There is no excuse for work that sloppy.
12
Buildings of that old often had an external drain open / shut device for the tub. Rather than being built into the tub itself, there would be a lever or pull-up/push-down plunger mechanism next to (and outside of) the bathtub itself that could be used to close the drain in order to fill the tub. That cover plate is located exactly where that drain mechanism ...
11
The lettering on the drain cover leads to a number of similar (but not exactly the same) products all over the 'net. What is consistent about this particular company's line of products is that the words "snap-in" appear frequently.
The image above differs from yours in that your "tab" area is much thinner and does not show clearly any tabs. If you are able ...
11
Caulking always! Fill the tub 50% with water and caulk it. Allow the caulking to dry then drain the tub. If you caulk with no water in the tub poly, fiberglass and composite tubs stretch and tear the caulk when filled. Cast tubs are usually solid enough to not make a difference.
11
Your bathtub drains directly into a concrete sump pit; not "the wall" as such but a pit constructed for this purpose. In the US and Canada, open sumps are used only for groundwater, like from drains that prevent basement floording. It kinda looks like someone wanted to put a bathroom into a basement, cheap, and came up with the horrific but clever idea to ...
11
Using a flat plastic tool (like a putty knife), pop off the small cap at the end of the lever (handle). Then use an Allen wrench or well-fitting screwdriver, as appropriate, to loosen the attachment screw, which may act as a set screw for the lever base.
10
I remove galvanized pipe whenever possible. A brass nipple will be a much longer term connection, due to much lower reactivity to water caused corrosion.
However, if the plumbing elsewhere is galvanized, it may only be a symbolic gesture.
10
In all the shower installs I overseen, the company I worked for maintained that caulk is to be used in any inside corners except where excessive/standing water is. For example, caulk corners where tub and walls meet, and vertical inside corners where the walls come together. DO NOT caulk where the floor and walls meet, I personally seen caulk creep out of ...
9
If that was the case the bathwater would melt the ice plug in short order (unless it was totally blocked). I suspect a common debris plug.
Also, it usually takes much colder weather to freeze things in a crawl space. Geothermal heat typically prevents it unless you have a lot of ventilation.
Cast iron corrodes and accumulates very hard crud over time. You ...
9
You definitely shouldn't fix this yourself if you are renting and the landlord said it's good like this.
But if you live in a place with sufficient regulation in the housing/renting market you can probably force you landlord to have it fixed for you.
I bet this smells bad. Where I live a bad smell would be enough to be able to claw back some of the rent - ...
9
Children, especially young ones (diaper/nappy age), can often need a bath in the middle of the night to clean up from accidents. Turning on the lights, running a tub, and cleaning up the kid are enough hassle at 2am without having to also make a trip down and up the stairs.
Plus 1 for having the tub on the same floor as the bedrooms.
8
You should NOT place a vapor barrier BEHIND the backer board.
Where, pray tell, would any such collected vapor/water go?
Answer:There's nowhere proper for such moisture to egress.
The current best practice is to place waterproofing OVER the backetboard and just UNDER the tile. Thin sheet membranes like Kerdi or NobleFlex are examples
. Paint on ...
8
I called USG,the maker of Durock cement board Next Gen, and they advised using no vapor barrier so that the wall cavity can breath and allow any moisture to evaporate. Their online instructions/diagrams show no use of a vapor barrier.
7
The backer should go OVER the flange, for better water drainage.
Because the backer board tends to bow out when 'lipped' over the tub flange, you should:
Install the tub
Install shims on the studs to 'pad out' the backer so that it just clears the tub flange and overhangs it a bit (but doesn't 'land' on the rim of the tub) but leaves a 1/4 to 3/8 inch ...
7
Background:
All new valves sold in the USA must meet a Federal anti-scald standard meant to prevent sudden surges of hot water. A typical inexpensive 'cycling' anti-scald cartridge works on pressure only, and does not sense temperature. For example you're showering and the sprinklers go off, the cold water pressure drops, and the valve will reduce the hot ...
7
One more thing is to keep water in the tub when you caulk until the caulk dries. It's a pain to work this way, but flex in the floor under the tub when there's weight in it can help open up a gap in the caulk over time if it was caulked with no weight in the tub. Given that your caulk is doing a critical job it shouldn't have to do means you don't want to ...
6
Depends on the tub, to some extent, and how (or if) it was bedded when installed. Acrylic, fiberglass and thin steel tubs do noticeably deform with a load, especially if not bedded (I'm a fan of the good old plaster bed under the tub.)
Most cast-iron tubs don't deform to any noticeable extent.
6
The installation instructions you linked specifically say to "Apply a generous bead of polystyrene compatible adhesive" on the back wall studs first, then on the side panels.
These installation instructions are the authoritative guide for how this product should be installed, so yes they should have been glued. Hopefully it's not too late to unscrew, add ...
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