Shower Drain question

Hi, I am concerned about your contractor wanting to use pvc, just because it is a little easier. Buildings have a minimum requirement for the radius of the pipes (usually 3 inches). I don't understand the contractors point because pvc or steel it comes to the same radius measurement. I would get him to explain why metal will have a different height, perhaps he doesn't like welding.

You could get lucky I have seen between 2 and 10 inches of rubble on the sub floor above the slab (slab is the part they don't let you break into) on most pre war bathrooms. You can move the rubble and create a groove for the pipe to go in effectively making it deeper. Ask your building super what the sub floor is like in your building and tip him well he can make your whole job so much easier.
Your plumber will then have to attach the pipes a few inches lower down the riser, this is a bit of a hassle, but doable.

After this, I must admit I would want to make sure it is done properly, I always get the super of the building to check the new laid pipes and take photos before the concrete and waterproofing and tiles go on, as you don't want to pull up your tiles if there is a problem.
Good luck

Please adhere to NYC building codes. First of all, PVC is not fire resistant. If a fire occurs it will melt => causing a fire to spread rapidly. There is a special firestop material that can be placed around PVC to "solve" this problem but why bother when metal pipe is safer? See the small print section of:
http://www.pmengineer.com/Articles/Feature_Article/998f2ef600298010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

More importantly, your neighbors will hate you (I'm assuming you live in an apartment building) because PVC does not absorb sound. Everyone on my apartment line gets to hear everyone use their sinks, toilets and showers because of the bad soundproofing. I actually know how long it took my upstairs neighbor to fix his shower leak!

gabrielle04 made an excellent suggestion--get your super involved. S/he knows the history of the building and what other people have done. My neighbors did a renovation and the contractor used the wrong sized pipe which created severe water hammer. Every time I used my dishwasher or the kitchen sink, severe water hammer would occur. Since this never happened before their renovation, it was pretty obvious what the problem was--the contractor had cut corners. They finally had their plumbing redone--much less water hammer! Moral of the story: don't believe everything your contractor tells you. The building code is there for a reason. Furthermore, when I did a gut renovation (although in a different city), the city building inspector did a check before walls were closed. If a building inspector finds that something is not to code, it has to be ripped out.

Don't know if this will make the situation worse/better--The Infinity Drain. Seems like it comes in various sizes. Check it out:
http://infinitydrain.com/

Good luck!

Mynyse,

In Manhattan we are not allowed to use PVC and your plumber should know this. If i was you I would talk to your super, sometimes they will let you chop the floor to put in the drain, some even get permission from your downstairs neighbor and then you actually open your neighbors ceiling to do the work. Not all buildings do that. You might have to raise the floor.

"In Manhattan we are not allowed to use PVC and your plumber should know this." Yup.

I'd get a new contractor

Thread hijack!: ceramic-disc faucets ... hype, or much better than other cartridges?

Thank you all for the helpful comments. My next question will be "Do I need a p trap for the shower drain?" Is the p trap built under the slab/rubble?

Oy! As SNL's Roseanne Rosannadanna would say, "You ask a lot of questions!" ;-)

If you don't want noxious sewer gases wafting into your bathroom and apartment, you need a P Trap.

Basic P Trap Info:
"If your bathroom is built on a slap you will not be able to see your p trap because it will be 'inside of the slab', which is under the bathtub or the shower pan."
Make sure you read Bill Chitwood's question related to his "terrible odors"...and the response which stated that a SARS outbreak in China was related to the absence of P Traps.
http://wetheadmedia.com/p-trap/

Installation Info:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5635187_install-shower-traps.html
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-a-p-trap/index.html

Hope this helps!

Do you usually have to do research and give instructions to your doctors, too? Or auto mechanics? What kind of contractor/plumber do you have there?

"Do you usually have to do research and give instructions to your doctors, too? Or auto mechanics?"

I don't know about OP, but I do! Of course I wait for them to tell me what they think first. "Experts" make mistakes or overlook things all the time. Doing your own research ensure that you will ask the right questions, be aware of and understand all your options. Obviously I don't know more than them, but I should know when I need to ask for a second opinion.

KW - yes, always. Doctors/mechanics/contractors/everyone. Helps me to know what I want.

Maybe I could have said that differently. I too educate myself. By not about what gauge wiring is needed for a switch or if the metal coupling for a drain is of the precise type required by the City or if the sheetrock is being affixed in the standard manner to the studs. There are certain fundamentals of the trades that even micro-manager-renovation-types like myself do not concern ourselves with. A p trap for the shower drain? Are you serious? There is a contractor you've allowed into your home whose drain installation methods you have to busy yourself with? Really? That isn't normal. You may ask a doctor about many things, but one of them will not be the minutia of treatment such as the gauge of the sutures to be used, the type of scalpel, or exactly how many milligrams of lidocaine she'll inject before removing a mole. There are basics that if the person isn't competent at then you are in trouble. Drain installation of a standard shower in a standard apartment is such a basic for a contractor. I would be very nervous.

"Do you usually have to do research and give instructions to your doctors, too? Or auto mechanics? What kind of contractor/plumber do you have there?"

kylewest, not sure why you're surprised at this.

Obviously people like it when the professionals they hire actually know their facts. However, at the same time, it's not at all unusual for folks to want to have their arms around their own business.

It reads as if the contractor's correctly telling mynycse that a metal drain pipe with a P-trap are required, and mynycse is double-checking.

That's the problem with adding a shower where there wasn't a tub or shower before. You usually can't break into the slab, and the depth required for the drainage means you'll be stepping up into the new shower.

My shower drain's vertical pipe passes in one little hole through the slab, and the P-trap and horizontal pipe to the wall are between the slab and the lowered ceiling of my downstairs neighbor's bathroom. If I mess with it I've got two bathrooms to tear apart.

NWT,

For the most part that is correct but you don't really have to "tear" two bathrooms apart.

I am working in a building right now that whenever someone wants to do a bathroom renovation the downstairs neighbor is asked if we can open their soffit and change the trap. Of course we fix the soffit when we are done. This obviously is not done in most buildings but it is doable. Perhaps a bottle of nice wine or champagne to the neighbor is worth it not to have a step up. Its worth a try

KW - we disagree on this. I don't think a question like OP's is the same as gauge of sutures.

I digress - but the horrific death of someone from an incorrect radiation setting at Sloane Kettering (?) has made me very nervous of things that should be simple and none of my business.

Personally, I had a recent issue where having the right terminology probably saved me from invasive surgery.

Recently I got a chance to see a picture of the original layout of the bathroom, same apartment unit. The original layout was built in the 1960's and have a shower. To my surprise, the threshold of the shower stall seems to have normal height (I think around 5 inches, just by counting the tiles). Right now my curb is about 8 inches high and I believe the extra 3" comes from the installed clamp drain.

Was shower plumbing very different back then? Not that it matters now, just curious on why the difference.

Just one question - does this shower have a window in it? columbiacounty is an expert in that type.