How do I disconnect my shower drain?
I've got a bathtub/shower that drains incredibly slowly. I've tried what's suggested here to no avail. Fortunately I'm able to get to the plumbing, but some of it's quite rusted and I can't seem to get it apart. Here's the entire contraption:
And here it is after successfully removing what looks like an overflow pipe (that actually isn't going anywhere anymore):
The above photos are two different angles of the same thing.
Any suggestions on how to get this contraption apart so I can clean the trap?
Update 11/9/16:
I was able to cut out the old cast iron trap with a sawzall:
It's a wonder that things drained at all:
However, there wasn't enough room to fit a flexible trap back in. I was able to put in a 90 degree elbow with flexible 1 1/2" pipe, but the elbow plus the flexible trap is far too large to fit into the available space. Is it ok to not have a trap, or do I need to figure out how to get a trap added back in? I do now have a mesh screen in the tub that I'd assume will catch hair and any other large items and prevent them from going down the drain. Any thoughts from plumbing experts?