What if my existing shower drain does not line up with the Ella base?

If your existing shower drain does not line up with the drain molded into the Ella base you want, you have four routes: have a licensed plumber relocate the trap to match the base, choose a different Ella base whose molded drain position matches your line, order a custom-size base with the drain placed to suit, or use the reversible SMC base, which lets you put the linear drain at either end. The drain cannot be moved on the base itself, as Can I Choose a Left, Right, or Center Drain on an Ella Shower? explains, so the decision is made between your floor and your choice of base, and it is far easier to make before the order than after the base is sitting on the floor.

Why the Base Cannot Be Adapted to Your Drain

Ella shower bases and one-piece stalls are molded with the drain opening as part of the floor. The location is set when the base is made, so Ella does not offer alternate drain positions on a given model and cannot relocate the drain on request. Most Ella stalls and bases are center drain, and some bases are molded with a left-hand drain only, with no center or right-hand alternative. A drain that does not line up is usually discovered when the base is set on the floor, which is the hardest point to change course, so the measuring described next belongs before the order is placed.

Measure the Mismatch Before Choosing a Fix

Every Ella base has a dimensioned Specification drawing that shows the drain location as the distance from the back wall and from the side wall to the center of the drain opening. Those distances change from model to model and with the drain position, so there is no single figure. As two examples, one right-drain base lists the drain center 15 1/2 inches from the back wall and 9 1/2 inches from the front, while one center-drain base places it 19 inches from the back wall and 24 inches from the side wall. Shower Drain Rough-In: How Far the Drain Sits From the Back Wall and Side Wall explains where those figures come from and why you must always name the drain position when you ask for one.

1. Get the Specification drawing for the exact model and drain position you are considering. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can send it.
2. Have your plumber measure from the center of the existing drain pipe to the wall framing behind it and to the framing on the nearer side wall. The base sits against the framing once finish materials are removed, so measure to the studs where possible.
3. Compare your two measurements with the back-wall and side-wall figures on the drawing. If they match within the tolerance your plumber is comfortable with, the base can be set over the existing line and no fix is needed.
4. If they do not match, note how far off the drain is in each direction. That gap decides which of the routes below is practical.

Your Four Options Side by Side

What these differences mean for you is a question of how far off the drain is and whether your floor can be opened. A small offset on an open floor is almost always solved at the trap, because a standard base with its molded drain is then usable without compromise. A drain that is well away from any standard position, or a slab that cannot be cut, pushes you toward a custom base or the reversible SMC base, where the drain can be put where your line already is. A standard base of a different size or the opposite hand is the middle path when its drawing happens to land on your pipe.

Relocating the Drain Line

A licensed plumber can tell you whether your floor construction allows the trap to be relocated to match the base. Moving the drain line is routine in a remodel when the floor is open, and it is the route that keeps every base in the Ella range available to you. For the SMC bases, the published guide calls for a 5 by 5 inch opening in the floor for a 2 inch PVC waste pipe, positioned according to the product rough-in specifications for the exact drain location, and it asks you to dry fit the base in the pocket and confirm the drain body lines up with your mark before cutting. Ella does not send technicians, so the drain connection is made by your local licensed plumber.

Changing the Base Instead

Ella manufactures its own shower bases in standard sizes of 30x60, 32x60 and 36x60 inches, each available with a left or right drain, so the first thing to check is whether the opposite hand or another standard size puts the drain over your pipe. If none does, fully custom base sizes are also manufactured. A custom 58x30 inch base with a center drain has been produced, and a custom base can have the drain left, right or center as long as it sits at least 9 inches from each wall. A custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches, while zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier-free entry. The reversible SMC base is the other way around the problem: one part covers both handings, and the choice of which end the linear drain faces is made on the floor at installation rather than at order, as Which end can the linear drain face on the reversible SMC shower base? describes. Whichever base you land on, the wall panels are built to a consistent 98 inch height, so the base change does not change the wall kit; see Shower Bases and Wall Panels for the overview.

If Your Project Is a Walk-In Tub Rather Than a Shower

The mismatch problem is different for a walk-in tub, because a tub is not set down over a rough-in that has to line up exactly. The tub's drain body lets your plumber connect from the left, the right or the center, the T-type drains have ports that let the pipe run in either direction, and the tub can be shifted sideways so its drain is offset from the house drain, with PVC running beneath the tub to the trap. Ella publishes no maximum offset, and the first decision is the door side, since the door and the drains sit on opposite sides. How far can the floor drain be offset from the tub drain? covers that case.

Related Guides

• Custom-Size Shower Bases: Size Ranges, Threshold Options, Drain Placement Rules, Construction, and How to Request One
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases
• How Do I Measure for a New or Replacement Shower Pan or Base?

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