Finding a Hidden Drain in a Concrete Floor

metal detector?

I've considered that. The drain would most likely be PVC, but I thought I could maybe insert a drain "snake", and try to head it in the most likely direction. One thing that may thwart me would be rebar in the concrete floor. Thanks for the input.

Tom

There must be some other drains connected with it of other bathrooms, simply produce some low pitch sound on those drains and ask an another man to keep his ear on possible locations of drain under search, I hope you will be able to locate it.

Isolate the drain further downstream and all branches. Apply hydraulic pressure to the isolated section and see which tile lifts up.

Turn down the AC, cover the floor with snow and flush boiling water down the drains? Look for the melted bits.

Although if you want to go all high-tech, then you could use a thermal imager instead of snow. Danged lazy kids today with their thermal gizmos and fancy cordless phones and I-blobs or whatever they're called.

First if in a development where the homes are built by the same builder. Break the ice with a potential new neighbor. They may have the same plumbing arrangement in their basement. I would all so look at the arrangement in the other full bath in this home. If not I would look in a straight line from the sink through the stool on the other side. Look for a depression in the tile. Tap it with a hammer. Listen for change in sound. If the wall is far enough from the stool they may built over it.

OZZB's method will ultimately be what you use to confirm the stud finder indications.

As a former drummer, I would urge you to get a drummer or two from the local marching band and have him/them bring a couple pairs of string wound vibraphone mallets (hard wound and a medium wound pair)

and have them drum on the floor in a search pattern.The tonal change will be easily apparent to even people addicted to 'iblobs'. If you buy him and his pals an energy drink they'll have it located before the cans are empty.

if the drain is there, this will find it faster and more positively than other methods. The better the drummer, the better the ability to discriminate based on tone.

GA ozzb

milo

Try a stud finder... cheap and easy ... run it around the floor, it'll tell you when the thickness of the floor changes....

Aha! I've got two different flavors of those. I like that idea. I'll have to give it a try. My newest one has three different settings, if I remember right, it's supposed to be able to find wiring as well as studs, but at the moment I can't remember what the third setting was. I'll have to give that a try once I take possession of the place (waiting impatiently for the closing date to arrive). Thanks all, keep them coming if you have an idea not mentioned.

Tom

I really should not tell you about this because there are only a few available, and I have considered getting one myself, (just in case for the future). However, after you get one and solve your problem, send it to me and I will then give you back half of the price as follows: Go to E-bay, find item #150244537552 for $5.99 + $12.00 shipping and then WHAMO! there is you answer.

Me, I'd look for the low point...

there won't be a low point to a shower drain! the shower would be mounted on the floor and the shower would have the low point, not the floor.

google "Interior decorator / psychic" ... buy him/her a plane ticket, and a couple grand later you'll be in business, guaranteed...

Pour water on the floor... water will find it way

there arevideo cameras for viewing the interior of pipelines. maybe a home depot or such might have one for rent?

Hello tdesmit,

Can I assume the floor has a tiled or 'solid' plastic sheet covering?

I had to deal with this quite often. And went for the 'low tech'' idea of taping the floor to find hollows. Just as you do when looking for wooden 'studs' on a ceiling.

I have found even if the floor is hard like a concrete, and the drain cover may be metal filled with concrete, the sound will be different. Hit a low pitched sounding spot and you should have found the drain?

You can locate the drain line (use a power snake down hole where toilet mounts to floor and wooden dowel to ear), and if necessary, you can always insert another shower drain.

If I get the picture, you will install a shower that will cover the floor area in question. If you can be sure that the drain kine runs under the place you want the shower, then why not pop up a few tiles and do a visual inspection? Any "damage" will be covered by the shower.

If you install another drain to the line, you will mess up even more but that too will be covered by the shower pan.

Hello GG,

................floor and wooden dowel to ear),.............

I used this trick with a dowel to the ear, when checking to see if electrically operated valves on a gas boiler were working! The thinner the rod the better.

The OP (me and mine) will take possession on August 14th. I'll try to come back and update the thread. Thanks for all the ideas, I'm sure I'll find the drain, provided there's one to find .

Tom

Hello tdesmit,

Good luck! Keep us up-dated please?

Find the drain outside and run a pipe snake up the line and have someone inside listening for the noise.

Close the basement door lol