An old brass tub drain and overflow are removed and a new PVC drain/overflow is This is the back side of a 40+ year old bathThe overflow tube (the brass vertical pipe) had come loose from the tub, so water would spill into the crawl space. This I could see when I first examined the house. But when I replaced the ancient tub faucet (which had no shower) with a proper tub-and-shower faucet, I noticed that the drain was loose where it attached to the tub. wasn't the worst of it...The drain pipes had completely separated. The pipe on the right (red arrow) is a flexible plastic drain component, and it had completely detached itself from the tub The tub had been draining into the crawl space for who knows how many years! To begin my repair, I needed plenty of access toSince this house has no basement, and a crawl space that is mostly about 2 inches deep, I decided to cut away this section of bottom plate, which was rotten anyway.
With the bottom plate out of the way, I was able to more closely inspect the pipes. I could not find a trap inThe red arrow indicates the top end of At this point I decided to buy a new tub drain and an S-trap. This is the view from inside the tub. you like to take a nice long soak in this? contains so much iron that it is looks like dirty dishwater.) I tried to remove the drain basket with a pairThere is a tool for this (called a "basket wrench", I think) that also removes kitchen sink baskets, but I don't own one. I could not get the fitting to turn. The screwdrivers just bent. So I used my reciprocating saw with a short I made a cut through one side. With a twist of a pry bar, the drain fitting The tub drain kit. This PVC kit cost about $14 at a local home center. Brass drain kits are also available, for about twice as much. The long rod is the connecting link for the drain stopper. That whole assembly gets inserted into the overflow tube.
Adjustment of the length of the linkage is important, if it's too short, the stopper won't hold water. If it's too long, the water won't drain fast enough, and the drain may tend to clog. After I removed the old drain and the old faucet, I cleaned up the porcelain with a chemical meant to remove hard water deposits. This is the product I used, calledIt was purchased at Sam's club for aThe active ingredient is phosphoric acid, which I have seen in other professional-grade products, and is very effective at removing mineral deposits. This is the lower section of the tub drain. That lower section fits into the system like I assembled the drain pipes but did not fully tighten the After I made a test fit, I had to cut a small amount from the lower (horizontal) tube. Since I had no helper at the time, I rigged up some duct tape to hold the drain assembly in place while installed the components from the inside of the tub.
I applied a generous bead of clear silicone caulk around the underside of the drain basket. metal, while the pipes are PVC plastic. I also applied a small amount of silicone to the black rubber gasket (that goes beneath the tub) because I knew the tub surface was rusty and rough, and I figured it would never hold water without some extra help. There is a risk with this approach, however. gaskets get squeezed out of place because the silicone acts like aCare must be taken to not over-tighten the basket. I threaded the basket into the drain fitting and used a pair of pliers to tighten it. I connected the stopper and linkage to the I tried to estimate the correct length of the linkage, so I would not have to remove it again later for adjustments. On the back side of the overflow cover plate, the link attaches to the lever with a simple cotter pin. The link comes in two sections, one of which threads inside the other to allow for adjustment of the
The stopper cylinder attaches to the linkage with a cotter pin. I applied a bead of silicone caulk to the rubber gasket that seals the overflow tube to the tub. I inserted the stopper linkage assembly into theIt is necessary to slightly flex the linkage to(Plastic is easier than metal.) I installed the screws that secure the cover plate to the overflow tube. The back view of the above photo. The black rubber gasket is squeezing out on the left side. This problem is amplified by the slippery properties of theIf I tightened the screws further, I'm sure I could make this gasket leak. The lower end of the drain assembly. lies right at the "T" junction, and blocks the water in the horizontal tube from reaching the vertical tube. I installed the drain cover. The new drain and overflow are complete. I later bought cover plates for the old faucet holes. These cover plates were installed with the assistance of... more clear silicone caulk.
PVC Tub Drain Kit New (7) from $4.86 LASCO 02-3033 Heavy Duty Style Bathtub Rubber Gasket for Tub Drain ShoeDetailsSuperior Tool 06020 Tub Drain Wrench (Dumbell Wrench)-Dual Ended Drain Wrench that fits 3/8 or 1/2… FREE Shipping on orders over . LASCO 02-3033 Rubber bathtub gasket for tub drain shoe. Heavy duty style flat rubber bathtub waste drain shoe washer is 1-3/4 inside diameter by 2-5/8 outside diameter. Seals bathtub drain, 1-3/4-Inch ID by 2-5/8-Inch OD, Universal fit. Perfect for home remodels, housing flips, apartments, condominiums, or million dollar homes. Use other LASCO plumbing products for all of your home improvement plumbing project needs. 2.8 x 2.8 x 0.1 inches 5.0 out of 5 stars #94,770 in Home Improvements (See top 100) #80 in Tools & Home Improvement > Hardware > Nails, Screws & Fasteners > Washers > Flat Washers 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Item can be shipped within U.S. This item can be shipped to select countries outside of the U.S. Learn More