It’s something you can do at home without a plumber’s license – even if it’s proving quite tricky for you to get right. What is it? Learning how to remove a bathtub drain stopper.
Why might you be looking into how to get a tub drain out? Well, it might be necessary to perform a tub overhaul, to fully clean out a blocked bath drain, to replace a corroded, broken or leaking one – or for some other reason entirely.
The best news of all is that it really isn’t very difficult – even if the bathtub drain won’t unscrew initially or easily. Better still, you probably won’t need anything other than basic tools and a bit of elbow grease. Let’s get started:
1. What drain stopper is it?
Perhaps the hardest part of learning how to open bathtub drain hardware is identifying which type of drain stopper you are dealing with. The stopper, remember, is the part that determines whether your bath is either holding the water or emptying it out – and there are a few different kinds. So here’s how to remove tub drain stopper varieties of all the most common kinds:
- Toe-touch: Simply open the drain, hold the part that fits inside it, and unscrew. You may need a screwdriver.
- Push-pull: Open the drain, lift the drain stopper, and twist it anti-clockwise.
- Lift-and-turn: Open the drain, unscrew the knob at the top, and look for a set screw. If you find such a screw, use the appropriate tool to loosen it, and then twist out the stopper by turning it anti-clockwise. You may need some pliers to pull it out.
- Trip lever: Open the drain and screw off the faceplate. You’ll find it connected to the overflow drain. Once done, lift all the hardware out, being careful not to damage it.
- Screen: Simply pop off the screen’s lip with a knife or flat screwdriver.
2. Clean the hardware
If you intend to simply inspect or clean the hardware you’ve just removed, this is the moment to do it. It should require nothing more than a basic cleaning chemical and a rag – and don’t forget to also check and clean the area you just removed from around the drain basket.
3. Remove the basket
Removing the hardware exposed the drain basket, which should now be fairly easily removed with a thin pair of pliers. A twisting and lifting action may be required, and in some cases a special drain tool may actually be necessary – although it should be possible to make do without it. Just be careful not to scratch your precious bath.
4. Clean the drain
It shouldn’t be too difficult to complete this step either, but you may discover some plumber’s putty – and other caked-on residue and even some mould. In the event of a lot of hard putty, heating the area can loosen it up enough to wipe it away. Just be careful not to allow too much of it to go down the drain, where it could create a troublesome blockage.
Bathtub drain won’t unscrew?
If that all sounds quite difficult, bear in mind that the most difficult part is actually identifying which type of drain stopper your particular tub features. If you really have no idea, or you’re struggling to complete the necessary steps, don’t stress – because your drain cleaning specialists right here at Drain Masters Plumbing are only ever just around the corner.
We can deal with every single one of your drainage-related issues, and any other general plumbing jobs all over Brisbane and beyond, with speed and affordability. So why not give the fully-licensed, highly experienced and always-friendly Brisbane drain plumbers a call today? We can’t wait to help you out!
