A bathtub drain stopper is used to seal the drain and prevent water from flowing down the drain. Oftentimes, it can become stuck, making turning on and off of the faucet difficult. If you decide to remove the drain stopper at this point, it will give you a better perspective of the root cause of the issue. It’s also critical to understand how to detach your drain stopper in the off-chance it isn’t perfectly positioned. If your stopper isn’t completely covering the tub’s bottom when it’s in place might not keep the water very effectively, turning bath time into a pain.
The number one step in learning how to remove your drain stopper is to figure out which type you will end up using to fix your problem. In the article below you can find the most popular types of bathtub drain stoppers.
Push/Pull Stopper
This type of stopper has a push-pull rod on the side. A round handle extends from this rod at one end and your finger fits into the hole at the other end. The push-pull mechanism is connected to a plunger that plunges down into the drain to stop the water flow. Here’s the way to take off a push-pull tub stopper:
- Remove the knob from the stopper’s top. Remove the stopper and knob by hand. Using one hand, wiggle the knob until it comes free.
- Is the knob too firm to remove with your hands? Grab a towel and place it carefully around it and use regular pliers to release it.
- After it is detached, search for the very point that connects the crossbar of the strainer to the stopper. Remove the pot from the strainer with a regular flathead screwdriver.
Toe-Touch Tub Stopper
Toe-touch tub stoppers are pliers-shaped and can be pulled up to open the drain. As you push it down, the handle is released and the stopper closes off both drains of your bathtub. How do you remove a toe-touch tub stopper?
- Turn a screwdriver or a pair of tongs around one end of the plunger rod that extends out from under the rubber top. Pry up on this rod with your tools until it comes free from its position.
- Once you’ve removed the plunger, pull up on the rubber top to remove it from its base. You should now be able to rotate the head of your strainer clockwise with your hands to release it.
- When the head is unscrewed, pull it up and away from the stopper to remove it.
- Using your hands, grip the knob that’s connected to this type of stopper on top of the bathtub drain. Pull up carefully until the stopper comes free of its base.
Lift and Turn Tub Stopper
If you have a lift and turn tub stopper, it’s attached with two screws. How do you remove this type of bathtub drain stopper?
- With the stopper placed on “open”, one hand should be placed on top of the body to keep it in place.
- Remove the stopper from the strainer and slowly rotate the knob towards the opposite direction, searching for a screw set on the knob. In case you cannot find one, flip the stopper counterclockwise to remove it from the strainer until it can be removed.
- Occasionally the threads are removed, making it impossible to remove it. Try rotating it gently upward and pulling up.
- In case your stopper doesn’t feature a screw set right on the knob but still does not unscrew, lift it up and rotate it until you locate a tiny screw.
- Use a screwdriver or a wrench to release the screw. To unfasten the stopper, don’t take the screws out completely. It’s critical to be very cautious with this technique, as the screw can easily drop inside the drain if it’s totally removed.
- It’s likely a channel/pin mechanism if there are no set screws on both the stopper or the knob.
- Remove the stopper from the channel and slowly turn it in the opposite direction, lining up the bottom slot with the pin on the top part.
- Wiggle the stopper up to release it.
Alternative Tub Stoppers
A flip-it® tub stopper is attached to the bottom of the overflow plate with one screw. It is typically simple to remove this type of tub stopper. To remove the stopper, grab it by its body and twist it up and down (try all directions) until it comes free.
Steps to Take Once The Process Is Completed
Once you manage to remove the bathtub drain stopper, look down the drain with a flashlight. If your bathtub is taking a long time to drain, there may be an accumulation of soap scum, hair and other debris creating a permanent obstacle towards the drain. In case the obstruction isn’t too deep, you can try to take the strainer off and unstick it yourself if you’re brave enough. Although you can bypass all the nasty mess, and let Ricks Plumbing take care of your bathtub.
Get in Touch With Our Team Today
If you’re trying to remove a bathtub drain stopper, let us get the job done for you. Get in touch with our team today by giving us a call at 203-874-6629. Our team of experts will be more than happy to assist you and help you to get your bathtub back in shape.