ᐅ Make an oval-shaped bathtub slightly movable due to dirt buildup behind it?

No, what I mean is: before comfortably rinsing the bathtub clean directly above the drain, it would first need to be emptied, which would overload the drain. I was not at all referring to the issue of backflow or communicating gurgling. It was simply about the peak flow capacity of the drain.

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Oh, I think you misunderstood my intention regarding the floor drain.
The floor drain is meant to allow cleaning behind the bathtub without having to move it. This is regardless of whether it was just used or not. I actually imagine the more common scenario to be a full bath after thoroughly cleaning the bathroom, since that usually leaves you quite sweaty and with tense muscles...

Hello and thank you for all the responses and participation in my question.
I can handle the criticism, but I also notice some misunderstandings here as well as a few useful suggestions.

So here is my idea again of how the daily routine should work; the rollers were just the first thing that came to mind. Instead of rollers, it could also be felt gliders or a platform that stabilizes the whole setup. I should also mention that making it mobile has another advantage: we can position the tub for bathing in a way that offers a nice view through our two terrace doors, possibly even with some sunlight.

Now, about everyday use. Whether it’s a laundry collection tub or not, it works for us. We don’t have frequent visitors who wander around our bathroom. Also, the bathroom is not visible from outside because it’s a rooftop terrace on a hillside. We just don’t like the tiled tub, and the other option fits our style better.

So daily routine:
1. We come home from outdoor activities done either after work or before starting work. Mostly in winter, we arrive freezing and don’t feel like driving 25 minutes to the spa, though we do that occasionally.
2. If there is laundry in the tub, remove it and put it in the laundry basket, etc.
3. Position the empty tub as needed.
4. Align the hose so it drains into the shower drain or another suitable drain.
5. Fill the tub with water using the showerhead.
6. Person gets out of the tub, pull the plug → water drains.
7. Rinse out the tub; water again flows into the drain.
8. If possible, clean behind the tub.
9. Return the empty tub to its starting position.

DONE! Takes at most 2 minutes longer :-D

Tolentino schrieb:

No, it’s not possible. It’s also unsafe, or rather dangerous. What if the tub tips over?
You don’t put a tub against a wall or in a corner like that. Freestanding is serious here. If you don’t have the space, then get a "normal" tub. There are models that look a bit more stylish too...

The tub should not tip over, so appropriate measures will be taken. → see above routine
The suggested tubs look quite good, especially the first one (y)

Schorsch_baut schrieb:

The problem is that the filled tub weighs about 400 kg and is on rollers. Good luck making the water supply and drainage watertight.
Why don’t you swap the toilet and tub positions and put the tub slightly diagonally in the corner?

It does not need to be moved when filled. → see handling/operation above ;-)
The position still needs reconsideration, but based on several small reasons we had excluded it. → but will check again!

Tolentino schrieb:

It’s not about the empty state, although 40 kg can hurt a toddler or an adult’s foot, but what about when it’s full of water...
Question: Why a terrace door? Is there really a terrace? Or do you just want a floor-to-ceiling view?

Yes, then appropriate measures will be taken so it cannot tip over. You can be sure I’m the most cautious person about this since I am also the safety officer 🙂 Otherwise → see handling/operation above ;-)

KarstenausNRW schrieb:

Well, then you rebuild the bathroom completely. There’s no difference from a new build regarding content. And what false facts are there in the argument?

You’re making a simple DIY solution that has only disadvantages:
- filled bathtub with 400 kg on small casters
- casters (which become unstable on their own) mounted securely on the underside of the bathtub
- properly installing water supply and drainage, especially to keep the drain watertight
- someone accidentally bumps the tub (children, guests, you unloading laundry) and damages the drain → good luck after the next tub session
etc.

These are arguments you can’t easily dismiss. Whether new build or renovation.

I don’t understand why you don’t want a bathtub used 2-3 times a month that’s not freestanding. I would care much more about a well-functioning tub than such a makeshift solution.

Finally, I don’t understand the dirt problem. At most behind the tub, i.e., on the wall, which you won’t reach anyway. But it doesn’t matter if you place it close to the wall as planned, you won’t see any dirt.

And finally, just my personal opinion: The tub looks squeezed in that small bathroom, just awkward (in my opinion). A freestanding tub needs space. That is implied in the word “freestanding.” Or does the catalog say “tub model to be squeezed into the corner”? To have an effect, it really needs to stand free, not positioned directly against walls. But that is a matter of taste.

New build = wall dimensions and room size can be influenced and designed accordingly.
Renovation = wall dimensions and room size are set and only changeable to a limited extent.

Regarding your listed disadvantages/arguments → see handling/operation above (almost all disappear)
For the rest, we are more functionally oriented... → see handling/operation/post above ;-)

hanghaus2023 schrieb:

1.65 m may look nice, but the tub is basically useless.

How is entry to the shower supposed to work?

I have sketched the solution to this problem with the right dimensions.

Where are the existing drains and connections?

Huh, I just measured the dimensions of our current tub in the rental apartment.
Overall length = 168 cm
Overall width = 73 cm
Interior length (widest point, curved at head & foot) = 154 cm
Interior width at top = 52 cm
Interior width at bottom = 43 cm

I should mention that if the tub is too long, we have trouble keeping ourselves above water... → We are small people!

Entry – just walk in :-D, shouldn’t cause issues with the tub since it is narrow at the shower entry anyway (but must be considered).

Thanks for your effort on the sketch; as mentioned before, the previous one was not to scale and not made by me.

The drains and connections will be newly installed.

WilderSueden schrieb:

At correct scale, this does not look good.
The terrace door hopefully opens outward? How do you get into the shower? Where do towels hang and is there room for cabinets?

No, it opens inward, but that’s also a reason for moving the tub. Twice a year, we need to open both door panels fully and comfortably bring through our lounge chair.

You walk into the shower :-D, which should not cause problems as the shower entry is narrow anyway (but must be considered).

Towels hang on the opposite side of the shower splash guard, cabinets are under the washbasin, maybe a wall cabinet somewhere else, nothing very important.

11ant schrieb:

Says the one for whom 61 cm is a bit more than 74 cm and about the same as 168 cm. So the sketch is little help for realistically imagining the situation.

True, but using a designer freestanding tub as a laundry collector every day seems almost perversely wrong to me. A freestanding tub shoved into a storage corner looks awkward rather than stylish (my opinion). Besides, the OP makes the serious mistake of forgetting that the tub is still heavy before emptying, and when moving, forces will act on the rollers that they cannot withstand. Aside from that, the design is not suitable to carry and distribute the full tub weight (Physics says so).

Sorry, the sketch is not from me, and as I already mentioned in my original post, it’s not to scale.

Okay, it may look awkward, we need to reconsider it. Otherwise → see routine/handling/post above ;-)

kati1337 schrieb:

Think again if you really want to pay such a premium for a freestanding tub,

- to use it only about 15 times per year
- for which you actually don’t have room to make it look really good
- which in the end won’t look good anyway if you collect laundry in it

We are considering it...

Tolentino schrieb:

Here’s an idea. Make a floor drain in the middle of the room, so you can rinse behind the tub easily with the showerhead.
I think the recommendation to reconsider the entire plan is very appropriate.

Of course, the plan will be reconsidered. Thanks for the note (y)

kati1337 schrieb:

If the tiles are also 10x10 and white, you have two rooms in one: bathroom AND amateur horror movie set 😀

Great, maybe we can even make big money with major film producers :-D

Tolentino schrieb:

Haha.
That wasn’t meant to mock you; those drains are now available in nice designs too:

:-D

hanghaus2023 schrieb:

That saves the drainage for the shower and, with a somewhat larger bathtub (at least 1.8 m), also the mopping of overflow water when two people use it.

:-D

HeimatBauer schrieb:

Such a “Schöner Wohnen” victim accessory should only be placed in the spa palace if you have a chambermaid who diligently cleans it.

I often stay overnight in hotel rooms with such freestanding tubs, and several friends have such tubs in their palaces. Unfortunately, no one has a central drain like that, so the tub is practically unusable because the flooding immediately calls for the chambermaid. She could discreetly roll you to the adjacent room while she cleans the main bathroom.

Seriously: If you want a freestanding tub at all costs, buy it. But keep it in an appropriate bathroom size, as shown in the corresponding magazine article. Then don’t move or load it afterward.

Why is the tub unusable? What’s different compared to a normal tub?

11ant schrieb:

I completely agree with the closing remark. However, rinsing the tub out has to be preceded by emptying it, and the drain would struggle with that rush. That would top the silly idea.

I don’t understand!

11ant schrieb:

I just wanted to say something funny... Maestro, a drum roll!

...

Tolentino schrieb:

You mean if he pulls the plug, the water will come out of the floor drain?
I think with properly sized ventilation or, in the worst case, separate waste stack routing (to the washbasin side), that’s not a problem. The plumber should just calculate it...

Will happen if implemented!

11ant schrieb:

No, I mean: before rinsing properly over the drain, the tub must first be emptied, and the drain would be overwhelmed by the volume spike. I was not referring to reflux or communication gurgling. It’s purely about the peak drainage capacity.

→ see routine/handling above ;-)

Tolentino schrieb:

Oh—I think you misunderstood my intention regarding the floor drain.
The floor drain is meant to enable cleaning behind the tub without moving it. This is independent of whether it’s currently in use or not. I imagine rinsing the tub after a full bath as a more frequent case, as you’re often sweaty and sore afterward...

Certainly :-P

Besenkammer84 schrieb:

It should be noted that if the bathtub is too long, we struggle to keep ourselves comfortably above water… --> We are, after all, small people!

That is actually an important point. For bathtub model and size, I would recommend trying out several tubs in a bathroom showroom. No, that's not a crazy idea.^^ Neither my sister nor my mother did that back then (what do PEOPLE say??), and both of them hate their bathtubs.
We are both not particularly short and chose a tub measuring 180cm x 80cm (71 inches x 31 inches), which I absolutely love. However, it is rather shallow and has a wide backrest. We had been considering one from Villeroy & Boch that would have cost several hundred euros more. It would have allowed two people to bathe together, but none of us found it comfortable.
As for freestanding tubs (which would have been too expensive for us anyway), I did not find any that I found comfortable. They all had walls that were too high, making them too deep and narrow for me.

If you want wheels or something similar, the main issue is that they don’t just disappear when you don’t need them (hence the arguments in favor of a fixed tub). So, if you don’t want the full load resting on the wheels, you’ll probably need something that can be raised or supported. Otherwise, I suspect that if your drain is flexible, you might also need more space under the tub. Because this tub and its connections were never designed for that (which also applies to the adjustable feet—I guess that’s just not accounted for). So are you planning to build some kind of pedestal under it? Maybe I’m wrong, and it might be worth asking a plumber, but my guess is that it will be tricky with the drain for this kind of model. And then isn’t it true that you’re ruining the look anyway—the tub won’t appear attached to the wall, but instead will have an awkward supporting structure underneath? All this just for slightly easier cleaning?

So, if you really like the look of this tub, I’d be more inclined to say, “Cleaning will just be a bit more involved, but we can find a solution” (for example, with a telescoping handle, you can probably still get behind it, maybe you can push it 1–2cm (about 1 inch) away from the wall to make cleaning easier, but I wouldn’t lose sight of the shower entrance) rather than “let’s build a structure around it so it can be moved.”

For the shower, I’d consider whether the fixed panel that faces the door (if I understand correctly) could be made foldable or something similar. We have this in our rental apartment right now (two sides of the shower fold away). Otherwise, try drawing a scale plan to see how much space is left for the shower entry, but squeezing through 40cm (16 inches) every time doesn’t sound very comfortable.

Let’s gather the facts:
- You really want to have this
- It is legal to try it
- Still, no functioning implementations are known
- Any "what-if" scenarios are pointless

=> just do it and report back here!