Water leaking under a shower cabin or steam shower tray is most often the waste connection … either the seal under the plug waste housing has perished, or the flexible hose beneath the tray has split or come loose. A tray that's gone slightly out of level on a failed foot is the next most common cause.
Applies to: shower cabins and steam showers
If your shower cabin is leaking from the bottom, the problem is usually coming from the waste system underneath the shower tray.
Most shower cabins use a waste trap connected to a flexible waste hose that carries water from the tray to the household drain. Over time these components can crack, split or develop leaks, especially if the cabin has been moved or disturbed.
In many cases the seals inside the waste trap can also perish, allowing water to escape underneath the shower tray.
This is a very common issue with both standard shower cabins and steam shower cabins, particularly once the unit is several years old.
Fortunately the fix is normally straightforward and involves replacing the waste trap or flexible waste hose with a new one.
Compatible with many shower cabin brands including
Quick diagnosis
If your shower cabin is showing these symptoms:
- Water pooling on the floor outside the cabin, near the base
- The tray feels wet underneath, or water is visible at the tray edge
- A damp patch or watermark on the ceiling or floor of the room below
- Water dripping from the waste pipe or the flexible hose under the tray
- The leak only appears when the shower is running, not when it's off
Likely causes, most likely first
- Waste connection not seated, or the seal has perished. The plug waste housing sits in the tray’s waste hole on a seal that hardens over time and lets water past. The most common cause of a leak that only shows when water is running.
- Flexible waste hose split, kinked or disconnected. Check the hose between the tray waste and the drain; a hairline split here shows up as a slow drip rather than a flood.
- Tray not level, or a tray foot has failed. If one or more adjustable feet have sunk or worked loose, the tray can flex under weight and open a gap at the low corner.
- Silicone seal around the tray edge has failed. This shows as a leak from the edge rather than underneath, and is a re-seal job rather than a parts job.
- Cracked tray or waste housing. Rare, but check for a hairline crack in the tray itself or the plastic waste housing before assuming it’s just the seal.
Likely cause
Most under-tray leaks trace back to the waste seal hardening with age, or the flexible hose beneath it splitting or working loose. Both are quick, inexpensive fixes once you've confirmed which one it is … a levelling issue on a failed tray foot is the next most likely cause if the waste itself checks out dry.
Check this first
- Run the shower and, if you can get underneath, watch exactly where water first appears
- Check the waste connection is screwed up tight, not just resting in place
- Look at the flexible hose for kinks, splits or a loose push-fit connection
- Check the tray is sitting level … a spirit level across it will show if a foot has sunk
- Dry everything off, run the shower for two minutes, then check again to confirm the leak is live, not residual water
Which part fits your cabin
| Brand | Model / range | Part | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | ES range, GT range, INS range … 15 models | Plug Waste Housing 60mm (DPS 122) | Listed on Insignia’s own parts pages |
| Vidalux | Essence 800, Essence 900, Essence 1000, Essence Classic 800, Essence Classic 900, SS80, SS90, SS1000, SS1200 (Left, Right, Rectangular) | Plug Waste Housing 60mm (DPS 122) | Checked against Vidalux’s own product records |
| Insignia | Diamond, ECO, ES, GT and RS ranges … 42 models | Flexible Waste Hose (SPS 057) | Listed on Insignia’s own parts pages |
| Vidalux | Essence 800, Essence 900, Essence 1000, Essence Classic 800, Essence Classic 900, SS80, SS90, SS1000, SS1200 (Left, Right, Rectangular) | Flexible Waste Hose (SPS 057) | Checked against Vidalux’s own product records |
| Insignia | Generic Shower Cabin and Steam Shower Cabin sizes (800x800mm to 1200x800mm), Noire90, and 7 Kids-range cabins … 24 models | Plug Waste Housing Large, 85mm-90mm (SPS 080) | Photo-matched against Insignia’s parts (not on their per-model pages) |
This is a floor, not a full list … measure your tray’s waste hole first, since the 60mm and 85mm–90mm housings aren’t interchangeable.
How to identify your part
We stock waste housings in two sizes … 60mm and 85mm–90mm diameter. Measure your tray’s own waste hole before ordering, not the pipe. Our 60mm plug waste housing comes with a chrome cover; the larger 85mm–90mm housing also comes with a chrome cover, and includes its own flexible waste, so you won’t need a separate hose with it. If you’re fitting the 60mm housing and need a hose to go with it, our flexible waste hose has 40mm (1.5″) push-fit ends and runs to roughly 90cm. The adjustable tray foot is 54mm tall with a 20mm diameter and an 8–8.5mm thread, and is sold individually so you only need to replace the one that’s failed.
Parts that fix this problem
If your shower cabin is leaking from underneath, the most common causes are the waste trap, flexible waste hose or one of the water supply hoses connected to the shower features.
Shower cabins contain multiple hoses behind the unit supplying the overhead shower, handset and body jets. Over time these hoses or their seals can perish and begin to leak.
If the leak is coming directly from the waste outlet underneath the tray, replacing the waste trap or flexible hose is usually the solution. If the leak is coming from one of the feature hoses, the damaged hose or seal will need replacing.
Not sure which replacement part you need for your steam or shower cabin ? Send us a photo and we will help identify the correct replacement.
How to fix it
- Turn the shower off and let the tray dry fully before starting.
- Unscrew the waste cover and lift the housing out to check the seal underneath.
- Fit a new seal, or replace the whole waste housing if the seal is hardened or cracked, then screw it back down firmly.
- Check the flexible hose is pushed fully home at both ends and isn’t kinked behind the tray.
- If a tray foot has failed, wind the replacement foot to match the height of the others before lowering the tray back onto it.
- Run the shower for a few minutes and check underneath again before calling the job done.
Also described as
- shower cabin waste trap
- steam shower waste trap
- flexible shower waste hose
- shower cabin waste pipe
- shower cabin hose connector
- shower body jet hose
- shower supply hose
When to call a professional
If the tray itself is cracked, or the leak is coming from a mixer valve or pipework behind the wall rather than the waste, that's a plumber's job … replacing a waste seal is fine to do yourself, chasing a leak inside the wall isn't.
