Do shower pans fail?

If water runs through it, it can fail. They dont call it the Universal Solvent for nothing…

If the details on any shower are not done proper they can/ will fail.

I have seen many membrane systems fail.

Its all in the details!

Tried and true method I have seen is Copper…. Not been part of one of those installs in many years.

yes pans do fail.
each type has its own failure mode
rubber membrane with pre-slope and top mud layer typically fail due to nails through rubber within 8" of floor. This is especially problematic with wood curb as the leaks cause wood to swell over time rupturing the curb. Of course by this time the water has caused damage to subfloor was well

fabric water proofing membranes such as Schluter Kerdi over mud or foam base are very good (gold standard IMO) but failures occur when wood is used for curb structure and the glass door installers put screws through the water proofing causing curb failures as described above.

Metal pans such as copper and lead were common in northeast and when done properly are very good but expensive. In recent years, this methods seems to be surpassed by the fabric water proofing membranes.

Hot mop tar sealing is a west coast thing and is a mess IMO.

And then there’s Florida where up until recently no water proofing was applied to shower floor on slab on grade homes; any water that didn’t go down drain just seeped though tile grout and into the sandy soil. 🙄

So just like boiler there’s 1 million ways to screw up something particularly when you don’t read the manufacturers installation instruction.

Recommend johnbridge.com as an excellent resource for all things tile and water proofing. The picture below has a foam curb with mud base sealed with Schluter Kerdi. Walls are Kerdi board (foam). Great products

Hi, and yes, all pans can fail, even the pre-made ones, if the person using it is heavy enough to crack it. I'd only use pre-made upstairs, as they seem to hold up best. With hot mopped and galvanized, I've had to fix the floor joists, they were so badly rotted. The water wall of a shower has many ways it can leak too, so I always try to give access.

Yours, Larry

Yes! Pans of all types will potentially leak. Best brand-names of whole systems: Schluter, Kerdi, Wedi. The Germans have figured it out. Expensive, but worth every penny. Thick membranes, metal pans, hot-mopping, and cement board are generally methods of a by-gone era. The shower walls, pan and curb MUST be waterproof BEFORE the tile goes on.