Tub floor flexing-Problem?

[Tom Nicelley]

We just had a new tube & shower enclosure installed. The plumber foamed the rearward portion of the tube (seems nice & solid), but didn't foam much (meaning none) of the 1/3 closest to the drain. When your in the shower and step in this area, you can feel it flex. Is this a future problem (i.e. cracking), or can we just learn to live with it (Sterling fiberglass tub).
The easy solution would be to just foam that in myself (I have access), but the plumber left it unfoamed due to the water lines that come up through the floor there (the previous tub had the faucets in the middle of tub, rather than at either end). I kind of wish he had re-routed them a bit, but it's done now.
An additional question also. The old tub drain pipe was used, the plumber tapped into that with PVC, but I'm wondering why he didn't also tap into the vent pipe (there seems to be plenty of access room), instead he just put a cap over it and sealed it off-unused. Would this be the reason why the drain seems so noisey?
As you may be able to tell, I'm a little unhappy with whole job (particularly the 3/8" gap between the tub and enclosure at one corner, but I fixed that). Is this what remodeling plumbing is like, or did I just get a crappy install?

Thanks!

[LazyPup]

YOu say he sealed the vent,,do you mean the actual drain vent or the tub overflow?

Either way, no real plumber would do that.

I would immediately contact the plumber and tell him to come back and do the job right.

[Tom Nicelley]

He took a sawzall and cut-out the old drain plumbing, which basically left a iron pipe stub going down, and an iron pipe stub going up. The new tub drain (PVC) has an overflow and a trap and is connected to the pipe going down. The old pipe stub going up, isn't connected to anything-it has a rubber cap over it. Does this sound wrong?

What about the tub bottom flexing?

[HayZee518]

Like Lazypup said - the vent's got to be open. Call your plumbing inspector - that plumber should have his hand slapped!

[LazyPup]

Cutting the old pipe out was ok, but he should have replaced it with a length of PVC with a sanitary tee to connect a waste arm to the new PVC trap.

It is very important that the vent be connected, otherwise the tub will not drain properly and when it does drain the water in the trap is sucked out and allows sewer gases to enter your home.

The new section of PVC can be connected to the existing metal pipe with rubber Fernco connectors.

You could install additional foam,,just be sure to put some blocking in to keep the foam away from the pipes. Plain corrugated cardboard would be enough to block it till the foam has a chance to set.

[Tom Nicelley]

Just a bit of an update;

A call to the plumbing company got the plumber back out to connect the drain to the existing vent. Great

At the same time, more foam was squirted into the forward portion of the tub. Again Good.

The next day, a small group of spider-web cracks started appearing in one area (they may have been there earlier, but I hadn't noticed them). The plumbing company has referred me to the manufacturer (Sterling/Kohler), to resolve this "manufacturing defect". Kohler will be sending someone out to check on the defect, but after speaking with them, it sounds like more of an issue of a poor installation (I'm thinking the whole cause was due to the subfloor being inadequate). Thank heavens I had the one of the biggest plumbing contractors in the area do the work, imagine how badly the job would have went if I had a little guy do it.

Lazypup or HayZee? Can you come put my tub in?

Do I trust the original company to re-install a new tub? or should I just take my lumps and find a new plumber?

[LazyPup]

If the manufacturers rep determines the failure is a result of improper installation, the plumber who installed it should make it right without any further charges.