You’re staring at a pool of lukewarm water that refuses to leave. It’s gross. We’ve all been there, standing ankle-deep in soap scum and wondering why on earth the water isn't moving. Most people reach for the liquid cleaner first, but honestly? That stuff is usually a waste of money and can actually eat away at your pipes if you use it too much. If the clog is deep or the hardware is corroded, you’re going to have to learn how to undo shower drain parts yourself. It sounds intimidating. It isn't.
Usually, the hardest part is just figuring out what kind of drain you actually have. Manufacturers like Moen, Kohler, and Delta all have their own little quirks. Some pop right out. Others require a specific wrench that looks like something out of a medieval torture chamber. But once you get the physics of it down, it's basically just a game of lefty-loosey.
The gear you actually need
Don't just go in there with a pair of pliers and hope for the best. You’ll scratch the finish. You might even crack the fiberglass of your shower floor if you're too aggressive. You need a few specific things. First, get a drain removal tool, often called a "dumbbells" wrench. It’s a double-sided piece of metal designed to fit into the crosshairs of the drain. If your drain doesn't have crosshairs—maybe they've rusted away—you’re going to need an internal pipe wrench.
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You also want some plumber's putty. This is that clay-like stuff that creates the seal. Without it, you’re just inviting a leak into your subfloor. Grab a flathead screwdriver and maybe some needle-nose pliers too. Wear gloves. Seriously. The stuff inside a shower drain is a biohazard of hair, skin cells, and old conditioner that has fermented into something truly haunting.
Identifying your drain type
Before you start cranking on things, look at the stopper. Is it a Lift-and-Turn? Those have a little knob on top. You lift it, turn it, and it stays open. To undo this kind, you usually have to look for a tiny set screw under the cap. If there’s no screw, the whole thing might just unscrew from the center post.
Then there’s the Toe-Touch. You push it down with your foot to click it shut, and push again to open. These are usually held on by a screw located directly under the cap. Then you have the Pop-up style, which is more common in tubs but shows up in walk-in showers occasionally. These are linked to a lever. If you’re dealing with a standard floor grate in a walk-in shower, it’s usually just two screws holding the finished plate down. Simple.
Step-by-step: How to undo shower drain flanges
Now we get into the heavy lifting. Once the stopper is gone, you’re looking at the flange. This is the metal ring that actually sits flush with the shower floor. It’s threaded into the drain pipe below.
- Clear the debris. Use your needle-nose pliers to pull out the "hair monster." It’s going to be disgusting. Do it anyway. If you don't clear the hair first, your wrench won't seat properly.
- Insert the dumbbell wrench. Fit the ends of the tool into the crosshairs of the drain.
- Turn counter-clockwise. Use a large screwdriver or a crescent wrench to turn the dumbbell tool. It might be stuck. Like, really stuck. Years of soap scum and hard water deposits act like glue.
- Apply heat if necessary. If it won't budge, hit it with a hair dryer for a few minutes. The heat can expand the metal just enough to break the seal of the old plumber's putty.
Sometimes the crosshairs break. It happens. If you’re working on an old house, those thin metal bars are probably paper-thin from corrosion. If they snap, don't panic. This is where that internal pipe wrench comes in. It expands outward to grip the smooth inside walls of the drain so you can back it out.
Dealing with the "No-Access" nightmare
What happens if you can’t get to the underside of the shower? In a perfect world, you’d have a basement or a crawlspace where you could see the PVC or copper pipes. But if you’re on a concrete slab or a second floor with a finished ceiling below you, you’re working blind.
This is where people mess up. If you push too hard and the pipe below the shower drops or shifts, you are in a world of hurt. You’ll have to cut through the ceiling below to fix it. When you are learning how to undo shower drain assemblies, the golden rule is: Support the pipe. If the drain body feels loose or moves when you touch it, stop. You might need a second set of hands or a specialized tool like the "WingTite" which is designed specifically for repairs where you have no access to the bottom.
The plumber's putty secret
When you finally get the old drain out, you’ll see a bunch of dried-out, grey gunk. That’s the old putty. Scrape every single bit of it off the shower floor. If the surface isn't perfectly smooth, the new seal won't hold.
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Take a golf-ball-sized amount of new plumber's putty and roll it between your hands. You’re making a "snake." Wrap this snake around the underside of the new drain flange. When you screw the new drain back in, the putty will ooze out the sides. That’s good. It means you have a solid seal. Just wipe away the excess.
Why pro plumbers hate chemical cleaners
I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating. If you are undoing your drain because of a clog, do not pour sulfuric acid down there first. If the chemical doesn't clear the clog, you now have a pipe full of caustic acid. When you go to unscrew the drain, that acid is going to splash on your hands, your face, or your expensive shower tile.
Professional plumbers like those at Roto-Rooter or local independent shops generally use mechanical means—snakes or hydro-jetting. It’s safer for the pipes and much more effective. If you’ve already used chemicals, flush the drain with water for at least 15 minutes before you start taking things apart.
Checking for leaks
You’re not done just because the new drain looks pretty. You have to test it. Plug the drain, fill the shower base with an inch or two of water, and let it sit. Mark the water level with a piece of tape. Come back in an hour. If the water level dropped, your putty seal is bad or the gasket underneath is misaligned.
If you have access to the pipes below, have someone else run the shower while you watch with a flashlight. Look for the tiniest bead of water. A small leak today is a mold colony and a rotted floor joist next year.
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Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your hardware: Take a photo of your drain and bring it to a local plumbing supply house (not just a big-box store). The experts there can identify the specific brand and the exact tool you need.
- Buy the right wrench: Spend the $15 on a drain removal tool. Trying to use two screwdrivers as a lever will almost always end with a scratched drain and a bruised knuckle.
- Clean the threads: Before installing a new assembly, use a wire brush to clean the threads of the pipe sticking up through the floor.
- Apply pipe dope: For extra security, some pros apply a thin layer of pipe joint compound (pipe dope) to the threads in addition to the plumber's putty under the flange.
- Don't over-tighten: Hand-tighten the new drain, then give it maybe a quarter or half turn with the wrench. If you over-torque it, you can crack the plastic drain housing or the shower base itself.
If you follow these steps, you’ve basically mastered one of the most common plumbing repairs. It saves you a $200 service call and gives you the peace of mind that your shower isn't secretly rotting out your house.