Drain for a shower cabin: types of designs and rules for their arrangement

Do you make repairs in the bathroom and want to connect a shower cabin yourself? Agree, the comfort of adopting water procedures, and the protection against accidental flooding of the bathroom, largely depend on the quality of installation and the operability of the drain equipment.

We will figure out how to choose the right drain for the shower, what parameters to look for when buying a device. And also we give a step-by-step technology for arranging a drain shower system.

Instructions for assembly and installation of equipment are accompanied by visual photographs for a better understanding of the process. The article is supplemented by videos on the nuances of installing shower drains.

Floor drain drains

The plumbing stores are predominantly represented showerswith a classic drainage scheme through an opening in the pallet. Such a drain device is easy to install, reliable and does not require preliminary floor preparation.

In the shower rooms of saunas, public baths, they use more convenient drainage options without pallet. Water there goes into special openings (ladders) or channels recessed into the floor at the stage of laying the tiles.

Common drain options and installation conditions will be discussed below.

Channel water collection system

Installation channel drain requires appropriate preparation of the floor or pedestal for the shower. When installing the channel against the wall, the slope is made only in one direction, so planning the installation location of the cabin, the structure of the placement of sewage elements in the bathroom must be done in advance.

The place of water runoff is set due to the inclined laying of the tiles, and the appearance of the holes themselves and the lattice themselves depends only on the imagination of the designers

The channel system consists of a drainage channel, a drainage system and a grate.

Components can be made from:

• ceramics;
• durable plastic;
• metal.

Channels are usually sold ready to install. A siphon system is also included in the design. After the purchase, it remains to connect them with a corrugated pipe to the sewer and lay the tiles on top.

The sizes of standard channels range from 50 cm to 118.5 cm. Elements of the system are interchangeable, so it is possible to choose each part individually to your liking.

Precision shower drain

The design of the shower drain is a floor mounted device for receiving wastewater. Sometimes drainage is considered a kind of gangway, because the mass of engineering drainage systems really erases the line between the two devices.

It is recommended to choose drain drains with floor fixing elements, a system for filtering water from debris and a smooth inner surface

The gangway consists of:

• facial lattice;
• trash bin;
• clamping gaskets and seals for sealing;
• ladder hulls;
• water lock (plum cup).

Ladders can be cast iron, plastic and stainless steel. By design, they are divided into vertical and horizontal.

Vertical gangways can pass large volumes of water, therefore, they are installed mainly in pools, where free access to the drainage system from below is provided.

Horizontal ladders have a lateral drain pipe and are used in most apartments as compact and easy-to-install devices.

The vertical shower drain is not clogged, has a high throughput, but in case of serious breakdowns, it may be necessary to dismantle the tiles and cement base

Lattice drain holes can be made square, round, rectangular. The height of the ladder bodies varies from 7.5 to 19 cm.

In choosing such a drain device there are a number of nuances.

1. The outer plastic grilles should be thick and durable, given the weight of people who will regularly wash in the shower.
2. The advantage when buying give ladders with adjustable height of the hull.
3. The drainage capacity must be greater than the incoming water flow.
4. The recommended size of the outlet pipe is 50 mm.
5. Obligatory presence of a siphon and a trap of foreign particles.

It is better not to save on the quality of the drain ladder poured into the floor, because the seals on cheap models wear out quickly, and the roughness of the internal plastic parts leads to rapid clogging of the siphon.

Standard shower building process pallet with ladder and drain consists of several stages:

Shower traps with drip tray

Cabin manufacturers often use exclusive engineering solutions on pallets that are difficult to attribute to any common siphon categories.

Most models can be divided according to two principles:

• by the mechanism of action;
• by type of construction.

The features of their device should be examined in more detail.

Classification of siphons by the mechanism of action

Differences in the principles of the mechanism of work share existing siphons into 3 main groups.

First group - simple siphons. They are included in the package of most cheap showers in the domestic market. The principle of operation of these siphons is simple: the drain hole is clogged with a plug on top, after which water begins to collect in the pan. When removing the cork, the water goes into the drain.

The main advantage of a simple shower siphon is the low price, and the comfort of the user of the shower cabin takes second place

The elementary design ensures low cost of these devices. The danger is their operation, because when you open / close the holes, you can slip and cause injury.

Second group - siphons with manual control. In this design, the control knob is displayed on the wall, when rotated, the drain hole is regulated.

This mechanism of action is especially convenient for people with disabilities who find it difficult to bend to manually close the hole with a stopper.

Manual siphons can be equipped with a common water trap for several drain pipes, for example, from the bathroom and kitchen

Third group - click-clack system. In such siphons, the plug is stationary above the drain hole and at the same time is an open / closed switch.

Automatic opening of the drain hole in the Click-Clack device often happens by accident when you press with your foot, so you need to stomp in the shower stall

When you first press the cork with your foot, it rises slightly, and the drain hole opens, and when you press it again, the cork is fixed in the closed position and does not allow water to drain.

Structural classification of siphons

Depending on the engineering features of the hydraulic lock mechanism, the siphons are divided into 3 types.

First view - bottle siphons. In apartments, they are universally installed on sinks in the kitchen. This type of siphons got its name because of its oblong appearance. Sedimentation occurs at the bottom of the bottle, which is easy to unscrew and clean from dirt.

A water lock is provided by an internal arrangement of the siphon, which also prevents large objects from entering the side corrugated drainage system.

The bottle design has gained popularity due to the ease of cleaning the inside of contamination and the ease of replacing the siphon in case of breakage

The disadvantage of this siphon is its bulkiness and length, therefore, to install it on a shower cabin, a large gap between the floor and the tray is required.

Second view - classic pipe siphons. Among the systems for draining water from showers, siphons in the form of letters U and S are most common. The formation of a hydraulic shutter occurs directly in the pipe bend.

Such siphons are characterized by reliability and durability, and their compact modifications are used in most budget showers.

The design of the bend leads to the accumulation of fatty deposits at its bottom, therefore, it is periodically necessary to clean the siphon with special means

The disadvantage of this type of siphon is the inconvenience of dismantling and cleaning, especially in conditions of limited space under the shower tray.

Third view - corrugated siphons. This type of siphon drain is an empty tube in the form of a corner, one end of which is attached to the hole of the pallet, and the second goes into the corrugated hose.

The siphon can be installed at any angle to the horizontal plane, which makes it convenient for non-standard options for placing the drain. This model is often used in showers with low pallet.

Corrugated siphon requires good fixation, and after the first descent of a large amount of water, you must make sure that the corrugation has not deviated

A water trap in corrugated siphons is formed manually at a place remote from the drain. To do this, the hose bends in the form of the letter U and is fixed in this position below the level of the opening of the pallet.

There are also exclusive siphon variants combining the features of several constructional variants at once.

Arrangement of a drain for a shower cabin

When installing a shower booth, special attention should be paid to the construction of a drain. After all, how well it will be done depends on the service life of the cabin and its comfortable operation. So, an improperly connected drain can quickly leak or cause unpleasant odors in the bathroom.

Let's take a closer look at the stages of arranging a bathroom drain.

Stage # 1. Shower channel installation

Installation of the channel drain in the bathroom takes place directly on the floor, with fixation from all sides with cement mortar. Before installing the channel, it is necessary to glue the grate with adhesive tape to protect the polished surface from damage.

To close the surface of the grate, a stretch film is also suitable. The main thing is that the protective coating is thin and protects the polished surface from damage.

If the outer surface of the channel is polished, it is necessary to roughen it with an emery cloth so that the cement slurry adheres better. After processing, it is necessary to treat the surface with a degreasing solution.

Next, you need to fix the channel with brackets to the floor and ground the drain pan body, if it is made of metal.

The fixation of the channel drain to the floor must be tight, because the body mass of the person will be transferred to the tray

Align the tray horizontally using the side adjusters.

It is necessary to tighten the nuts strongly, because the adjusting mechanism will be filled with cement and it will not be possible to tighten the fastening later

Attach one edge of the connecting hose to the channel nozzle, and the second to the sewer pipe. Make sure that the hose is fully inserted and snaps into place.

If water leakage is suspected, the pipe must be pretreated with a thin layer of silicone.

To drain the water, it is better to use a plastic pipe rather than a corrugated hose, because fat deposits accumulate in the recesses of the corrugation

The next step is to fill the space on the sides of the channel with cement, taking into account the thickness of the tiles, which will lie on top.

Then put a tile on the cement, the top of which should be 1 mm above the level of the channel so that water does not accumulate at the grate. The tiles in the bathroom must be laid from the drain tray to guarantee an even joint and no sharp edges on all sides.

To drain the water, there should be a slope of the tile from the sides of the shower area to the drain at the rate of 1-1.5 cm of height per 1 m of floor length.

After laying the tiles, it is necessary to clean the place of its junction with the edge of the channel grate and fill with tile glue or sealant. After it dries, it is necessary to finally clean the space along the edges of the channel drain and remove the protective film from the grate. The drain is ready!

When installing a channel drain, the following nuances must be taken into account:

1. The channel capacity should not be less than the flow rate of water in the shower. The classic hot tub uses 10 liters of views per minute.
2. The distance from the outlet of the drainage tray to the vertical sewer pipe should be minimal.
3. If in doubt about the throughput of the drainage system, you can check it. To do this, you need to fix the tray to the floor, attach it to the sewer pipe and apply water pressure to the tray.
4. The diameter of the hose going from the nozzle should not be less than 40 mm, and its slope should be less than 30 mm per 1 m.
5. When installing a channel drain in the bathroom door, it is recommended to select a sectional grill to facilitate access to the siphon.

Following the instructions will allow you to install the channel drain in the shower quickly and efficiently. You should not be afraid of clogging in the built-in drainage tray, because its design provides for cleaning the system from the outside without the need to dismantle the tiles.

Stage # 2. Installation of a drainage ladder

Installation of a shower ladder is carried out similarly to the channel drain installation scheme described above. Cheap drainage gangways are sold without fixing devices, so when installing them you should know one caveat.

If the external drainage device has the form of a simple body with an internal mechanism and a discharge hose, then you must first firmly fix it in the desired position.

To fix the height, you can put a brick, several tiles or other improvised material under the body.

It is impossible to fix the ladder with the help of mounting foam, because subsequently, when you press the foot on the grate of the ladder, it can fail

With the regulation of horizontal stability, the situation is more complicated. In the absence of fasteners, it will be necessary to control the correct location of the ladder body after laying the cement screed during its drying.

The general scheme of the layers of the shower floor with installation of a ladder as follows.

It is advisable to entrust the laying of the floor for a bottomless shower to professionals, because the formation of each layer has many mounting nuances

The diagram shows a square spillway with fixing elements. The blockages in the drain are cleaned after removing the grate and removing the internal elements.

The ladder body is actually a hollow flask with a nozzle, so after disassembling it, you can even clean the drain hose with a cable.

Stage # 3. Installing a shower trap on a pallet

The process of installing a siphon is so diverse that step-by-step tips on installing a specific shower drain can be found only in its installation instructions.

Below we will consider the installation of one of the simple types of siphon to understand the fundamental stages of this process. The general scheme of the device is shown in the figure.

The presented scheme of the S-shaped siphon is basic.Auxiliary mechanisms, nozzles and holes for cleaning can be added to the structure.

The first thing to do is to attach a drain pipe to the neck seal. You need to take the drain pipe and put on a conical gum.

The conical elastic should be worn so that its narrow part is on the edge of the neck. Outside the gasket can be greased with silicone

Turn the pipe over, insert it from above into the water seal and fix it with a nut.

When connecting the nozzle to the water seal, it is not necessary to pre-deeply heat the gasket: it will be pressed by itself when tightening the nut

Put the rubber gasket in the plug and screw it to the side outlet of the hydraulic lock. Not all siphons are equipped with such a plug, but this design is a priority when choosing a drain mechanism.

A water seal plug makes it easy to clean a clogged siphon from debris. If not present, the siphon must be disconnected from the sump to remove dirt.

Put a rubber gasket on the second outlet of the hydraulic lock, place a neck on it and tighten the fixing nut.

It is not necessary to lubricate the edge of the neck with silicone. The main thing is to install it without distortion on the seal to prevent water leakage

It turns out the finished siphon, which must be attached on one side to the pallet, and the second to the corrugated drain hose.

In the assembled form, you can check the siphon for leaks by substituting the neck under the stream of water in the kitchen sink

Next, prepare the neck for mounting on a pallet. To seal the connection, it is necessary to put a special wide rubber gasket on the upper part of the neck. On the inside of the pallet is also a rubber band.

Grease the pan gaskets on top and bottom of the drain hole with a waterproof sealant. This will prevent leakage and prevent damage to the acrylic coating.

Then the neck is placed on the bottom of the pan, and the top of the siphon with a drain hole and a fixing bolt is on top. The bolt is screwed with a screwdriver, and on this the siphon mount to the shower stall ends.

The fixing bolt must be stainless steel or brass, otherwise it will rot in 1-2 years and the siphon needs to be removed

The next step is to attach the corrugated hose to the outlet of the siphon and the overflow hole (if any). It turns out a ready-to-use siphon.

Only high pallets are equipped with an overflow hole, so if there is no overflow, you do not need to buy a siphon with the corresponding hole

All of the above procedures are preferably carried out on an inverted tray before installing the shower on the floor. And then the connected siphon will only need to be connected to the sewer pipe.

Secrets of choosing and installing siphons

Before buying and installing a new shower, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the advice of experts so that you do not have to exchange goods, change your own design or buy suitable parts.

Some important recommendations:

1. Before buying a siphon, you need to measure the distance between the outlet of the pan and the floor so that the siphon body fits under the shower. Most often there are drainage mechanisms measuring 80-200 mm.
2. The size of the drain hole of the pan should correspond to the width of the neck of the siphon. Their standard sizes are 52, 62 and 90 mm.
3. The lower level of the outgoing siphon pipe should be higher than the level of the sewer opening.
4. To maintain water flow in low-level pallets with compact drainage systems, priority should be given to filtering debris at the inlet of the drain hole.

It is necessary to take into account the advice of sellers, who understand the nuances of installing specific booth models and siphons presented in their plumbing store.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The videos will introduce you to the nuances of installing plumbing fixtures that will help you complete the installation and cab connection without the help of specialists.

The device, the scheme of operation and installation of the drain ladder:

The device and repair of a siphon for a shower tray:

Having considered the nuances of choosing siphons and their installation, you can safely go to the store to buy a shower. Now it’s clear what equipment is suitable for your bathroom and how to operate it for a long time and without breakdowns.

Do you have practical skills in installing showers and connecting a drain? Share your knowledge or ask questions about the arrangement of the drain system of the shower in the comments below.