Max Torque, Anachronism - yep, it’s an old building. There’s no visible drain or trap, though - it’s covered with grout. So what remains is a divot with a bolt of some sort in the center sticking out about 2" from the floor. The main problem is that the divot collects water that splashes out from the tub, and it gets stagnant and stinky. I guess what Krusty’s seen in other apartments is a metal disc that would cover the drain/trap - if there actually was one.
Now that I’ve thought about it I can’t see what the hell good a metal disc is going to do for the problem. We’ll still have a bolt sticking out of the floor and instead of collecting in the divot, water will now seep and collect under the disc. Or am I wrong?
That bolt is very important. Loosening it could ruin the structural stability of all of Chicago. DON’T TOUCH IT! Call an experienced contractor and pay him a lot of money to replace the “metal circular thingy.”
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This has got to be one of the most inadvertantly funny threads I have ever read. How many dopers does it take to identify vaguely described, outdated plumbing equipment?
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I used to have a drum trap in one of my bathrooms, with an easily-removable cover in the floor over it for cleanout access. The cover was a square plastic thing, though. Maybe you have a different kind that attaches more firmly, with the bolt holding the access cover to the top of the drum trap.
Perhaps if you remove the bolt, you’ll see a drum trap underneath. Perhaps the concavity is from some earlier occupant thinking the cover had to be gorillaed into place with all his might to prevent leakage - if so, he might have been right. Overflow water from the tub or toilet would easily go around the access cover and moisten the ceiling below.
Anyway, if it really is a drum trap, they’re (fairly) easily replaced with P-traps, and the hole can then be covered over properly.
Gazoo, I really hate to disappoint (and I mean it…I really wish it was due to the acivities you’re implying) but the reason water is getting on the floor is because there’s a little ridge built into the wall that’s level with the top of the tub on the faucet side, and that gets a lot of water splashed onto it because the shower curtains are open at that side (it’s a clawfoot tub, so we need an open side to access shelves with shampoo and whatnot). All the water runs off one corner of the ridge, and right into the divot.
Criminy, this is way more complicated than I think Krusty intended it to be!
winky, you know, Louie, our local Ph.D. of plumberology, told us the same thing! He also mentioned something about DEFCON 2 but started mumbling and walked away.
Just to clarify a couple of points: there is no cover on the divot currently. The divot is part of the floor. We’re trying to figure out what would properly cover the divot.
Well my curiousity got the better of me (as it usually does) and I took that ‘metal circular thingy’ in my bathroom apart.
Only, I didn’t find much. The metal disc removes to find…some kind of hard plastic ring about 1/8" thick and just slightly smaller than the metal covering. It’s embossed with ‘chicago speciality.’ There’s a tiny hole in the middle (for the screw from the metal covering). Man, I tried to pry that plastic ring off but it must’ve been super glued on to the (floor/drain/whatever), cause all I succeeded in doing was chipping bits of it off.
And no, I’m not going to chip the whole thing off.
I believe the true problem is a poor description of the problem.
Is the little cover on the side of the tub as described here:
**“Gazoo, I really hate to disappoint … the reason water is getting on the floor is because there’s a little ridge built into the wall that’s level with the top of the tub on the faucet side, and that gets a lot of water splashed onto it because the shower curtains are open at that side (it’s a clawfoot tub, so we need an open side to access shelves with shampoo and whatnot). All the water runs off one corner of the ridge, and right into the divot.” **
Or is it," It’s not IN the tub, it’s on the floor right next to it. I had one in my old bathroom, and I saw one in a friend’s bathroom the other night, so I know it’s not just a quirk of my bathroom or house. It’s concave, meaning it goes into the floor a bit, and is thus able to hold standing water. I think it might have to do with the water pipe between the sink and bathtub, but I’m not sure."
Where the hell is the plate? is it on the side of the tub or on the floor, or are you pulling out collective chain?
If you somehow manage to open this “metal circular thingy,” crawl inside of it, and you’ll end up inside John Malkovich’s head. (or someone’s head anyway?)
Hey bud, we’re doing the best we can. Honest. If I could describe it better, I could have identified it my ownself.
It is both. The divot is on the floor, about an inch away from the wall, between the tub and the sink. The tub’s faucet end and the sink are against that wall.
Firstly: there is no plate. It’s just a divot in the floor with a bolt in it, right now. Krusty has seen a plate in other apartments that looks like it might serve some purpose for this weird divot we have. But we do not, at present, have a plate on the floor. We are plateless. I repeat, plateless.
Besides, why would I pull anyone’s chain about a freaking puddle on my bathroom floor? These crazy kids with their bathroom-supply practical jokes…
I would define a divot as a small concavity in an otherwise level surface. This particular divot is about 5-6" inches across, covered in a grout, and has a bolt in the center sticking up about 2" from the floor.
Wish I could upload a picture of it…I’ll see what I can do without a digital camera. But any Chicago dopers are welcome to come by and have a look-see, if for nothing else, to satisfy curiosity.
choosybeggar - He tried that. Well, minus “thingy”…I think he tried “doohickey”, or maybe “whatsit”.
We really do appreciate the help y’all have been able to give.
