Service
Bathtub Drain Repair
Repairing bath waste assemblies, including plugs that will not seal, corroded waste bodies and the linkage that connects the overflow to the drain.
- Licensed and insured
- Price agreed before work
- A plumber who works your area
Which mechanism do you have
Bath wastes come in several types and they fail in different ways, so identifying yours is the first step.
Trip lever. A lever on the overflow plate, connected by a rod inside the overflow tube to a stopper or plunger down in the waste. Most failures here are the linkage.
Pop-up. Same linkage principle, but with a visible stopper in the plughole that rises and falls.
Lift-and-turn or toe-touch. No linkage at all; the stopper is operated directly. Failures are almost always the seal on the stopper itself.
The first two are repaired through the overflow. The second two are repaired at the plughole. Knowing which saves opening the wrong end.
The free fix, first
On any lever-operated waste, before buying a single part, the linkage adjustment is worth checking.
The rod running from the lever down through the overflow has an adjustable clevis, and its setting determines how far the stopper travels. Over years it slips, and the stopper stops seating fully.
The symptom is exactly the one people report: the bath holds water but empties slowly while they are in it.
The fix is removing the overflow plate, lengthening the adjustment slightly, and refitting. No parts, a few minutes, and it resolves a large share of these complaints. Worth ruling out before anything is replaced.
Does this sound familiar?
Problems this service solves
- A bath plug that will not hold water
- A waste that leaks where it passes through the tub
- A corroded or seized waste body
- A trip lever that has stopped operating the plug
- A pop-up plug that will not lift clear
Signs you need bathtub drain repair
If more than one of these is true, the problem is usually past the point a plunger or a store-bought cleaner will fix.
- The bath slowly empties while you are in it
- The lever moves but the plug does not
- There is corrosion visible at the waste fitting
- Water appears under the bath when it is full
What to expect
How the visit works
Find out which mechanism it is
Trip lever, pop-up, lift-and-turn and toe-touch wastes fail differently and are adjusted or repaired in different ways.
Adjust the linkage first
On lever-operated wastes, the rod behind the overflow goes out of adjustment. That is a free fix and it solves most of these.
Renew seals rather than assemblies
The seal on the plug and the gasket under the waste flange are the usual failures, and both are inexpensive parts.
Replace a corroded body properly
Where the waste body itself has gone, it is replaced and the tub face cleaned and rebedded rather than sealed over.
What's included
What you get on every job, whoever we send.
- Mechanism identified before any parts are bought
- Linkage adjustment tried first, since it often costs nothing
- Seals renewed rather than whole assemblies replaced
- Corroded bodies rebedded properly, not sealed over
Questions
Bathtub Drain Repair questions
The bath empties slowly while I am in it. What is that?
The plug is not sealing fully. On a lever-operated waste that is usually the linkage: a rod runs down inside the overflow from the trip lever to the stopper, and its adjustment slips over time so the stopper no longer seats completely. Readjusting it takes a few minutes and needs no parts. On a lift-and-turn or push waste, it is more likely the rubber seal on the plug itself, which is a cheap replacement.
The lever moves but nothing happens. Is it broken?
The linkage has usually come apart or corroded through rather than the lever failing. It is a metal rod and clevis assembly living inside the overflow tube in permanently damp conditions, so corrosion is the normal end for it. It is accessible by removing the overflow plate, and replacement linkages are readily available. It is a small job, but it does mean going in through the overflow rather than the plughole.
Water leaks under the bath when it is full. Is that the waste?
Possibly, and there are two candidates that the level of the water tells apart. If it leaks at any depth, it is the gasket under the waste flange where the fitting passes through the tub. If it only leaks when the bath is filled above the overflow, it is the overflow gasket instead. Both are inexpensive parts; knowing which before starting saves taking the wrong one apart.
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Get it fixed
Bathtub Drain Repair, handled locally
Call with your ZIP code and what you are seeing. We route you to a licensed plumber in your area who does bathtub drain repair every week.
- Licensed and insured
- Answered 24/7
- Price before work