I was trying to remove a 35 year old bathtub drain using a wrench. Turn the drive screw at the top of the key counterclockwise with your hand until it becomes tight inside of the strainer. If you have an old cast iron tub, or if you purchased a new cast iron tub, you probably aren't strong enough to lift it up over your head to get it out of, or into, the back corner of the bathroom. A VERY ROUGH VIDEO (AND PICS) ON HOW I REMOVED OUR OLD DRAIN THAT ORIGINALLY CAME WITH THE HOUSE WHEN IT WAS BUILT IN 1977. Some strainers were made with cross-hairs, some were not and some have had the cross-hairs removed due to damage or corrosion. The Husky Tub Drain Extractor is designed to hep you remove drains that have corroded crossbars that would otherwise be difficult to remove. Hold the wrench attached to the hex nut firmly and continue turning the drive screw until the tub strainer breaks free and begins to turn itself out. When you turn the drive screw, the bottom flaps of the drain key will open up, much the way a flower blooms, and the "petals" will grip the inside walls of the tub strainer. 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These types can be removed with a drain key. – The Evil Greebo Oct 17 '11 at 19:38 Actually they make a tool for those that work better than using a pair of pliers to hold onto the cross bars. But, no tub drain is complete without its stopper. How to Remove a Bathtub Drain Crosspiece. Now that the drain is out and the rubber washer has been checked and the opening around the drain has been cleaned from old plumbers putty you can prepare the new drain for insertion. We’ll show you how to remove that old tub stopper and transform your tub with a shiny new tub drain stopper. Tub drains can quickly become filled with hair and gunk or even get rusty. Older antique bathtubs relied on a rubber plug to stop the water from draining, so there weren't any threads. Find out how to remove a tub drain either by using pliers you already own or with a special low-cost tool called a plug wrench. Re: Old tub drain problem Author: Fixitangel (NC) Quote: So any idea how to remove the drain? © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Use a little spray lubricant along the sides of the strainer to make it come out easier. After attaching the tool to the end of a 1 in. Help someone! An old-fashioned cup-style, or sink, plunger is another great tool for unclogging a bathtub or shower drain without chemicals. Turn the hex nut counterclockwise to release the tub strainer once it has been removed from the tub drain. Most of the time, removing the toilet before you start will give you a lot more room to work and will keep you from having to lift a very heavy tub up and over. Attach an adjustable wrench to the drive screw, and while holding the wrench on the hex nut so that it doesn't move, begin turning the drive screw counterclockwise with the adjustable wrench. How to Replace a Bathtub Strainer Without Crossbars. How to remove the drain from a tub when there is nothing for your tools to grab. The difficulty of this step is directly related to the type of stopper you want to use. Once you figure out the type of drain you have, start by It greatly reduces the risk of accidentally breaking the Unfortunately the spokes of the drain broke and the drain flange cracked. Place another adjustable wrench on the hex nut on the drain key, which is located directly beneath the drive screw. You will also need to remove an old drain to replace it with a new one. While a tub can weigh up to 500 pounds, pulling it out is entirely doable. But more modern tubs have all been threaded to accept a bathtub strainer. When the crosshairs on your old tub drain are corroded and/or missing and the average drain removal tool fails, use the Tub Drain Extractor™ to remove those stubborn 1-1/2" tub drains. The drive screw has four equal flat sides to accommodate the jaws of an adjustable wrench. Unscrew the drain with a claw hammer. To remove the drain basket, you will need either locking pliers or a tub drain wrench. Clean the tailpiece threads with a Virtually all bathtub strainers were originally screwed into place. While there are several kinds If it's possible, I'd fix the linkage for the trip lever drain, and drop in a small drain screen to catch the loose wide and deep in the old stopper body with Step 4: Cleaning the tub drain opening Use a flat type of screwdriver or putty knife to remove old putty from the drain opening. Cut a notch 1/4 in. When you remove the drain stopper most times there are crossbars that the stopper is attached to, these are used to back the drain out. This time saving tool does all the work with its helical knurl design. Whether you're replacing it or just cleaning it, removing a tub drain is something anyone with a little DIY experience can handle. How to Remove the Sprayer on a Moen 7900 Faucet, Plumbing Supply House: How to Use a Drain Key, Family Handyman: How to Convert Bathtub Drain Lever to a Lift-and-Turn Drain, How to Remove a Stubborn Corroded Old Bathtub Drain. Thankfully, you seldom have to do this, but if you ever do, you'll Removing a tub drain in 7 s a on how to replace bathtub drain 34a506 tub drain wrench by value brand how to remove a bathtub drain the unclog a bathtub drain do it yourself Replacing Tub Drain No Crossbars Doityourself Munity ForumsRemoving A Bathtub Drain That Has Broken Crossbars FlounderingsReplacing Tub Drain No Crossbars… Read More » ratchet or other The drain crosspiece uses plumber's putty or a … Those crossbars are not structural - they're paper thin and just there to keep large objects from falling down the drain. Next, use your household cleaner to wipe off any rust or gunk. A drain wrench is a drain removal tool that is form-fitted to drain basket crossbars. There are "expansion" devices to remove drains without the crossbars, ASSUMING it will unscrew without breaking the under tub piping. I attempted to use my tub drain removal wrench to remove a bath tub drain. Most of the bathtub drain is hidden underneath the floor and behind the tub wall, and you usually have to remove some drywall or floorboards to access it. Superior Tool 05255 1.5" Tub Drain Extractor-Removes One and a Half Inch Old or Stubborn Tub Drains (2) LDR Industries 502 5108CP Toe Style Touch Bathtub Drain Stopper, Chrome Moen T90331 Push-N-Lock Tub and Shower Drain Kit with 1-1/2 Inch Threads, Chrome All bathroom fixtures have been replaced except the tub drain flange. Not being terribly skilled at plumbing I am now unsure of how to remove this tub Alot of work for a funky tub. Of course, you can call in a professional plumber to do it for you. A good plumber could remove both drains in less than an hour. Replacing Bath Tub Drain: This Instructable is to help people who are first timers like me.This is the first time I have attempted any plumbing repairs and the videos are a little wonky.Let me know in the comments if you How to Remove a Drain from a Tub. Hi, I live in an apartment - built in 1959 - with the original tub. In order to repair or clean your tub's drain, you first have to remove the stopper. He specializes in do-it-yourself projects, household and auto maintenance and property management. I'm having our tub re-glazed soon and I'm wondering if it's possible to remove and replace the chrome plated ring around the drain without removing the tub. This is the plunger that just has a rubber cup-shaped end on it rather than an extended, more complex We're in the process of trying to remove the drain plug from our tub and, after buying the dumbbell wrench and breaking the crossbars, we're now going to buy the internal wrench and (for good measure) a hacksaw blade. The tub overflow piece that's located inside the tub can usually be unscrewed with two Phillips head screws. Step 1 Shut off … I broke the little crossbars in the drain opening and now I have no way to grip it to twist it out. Do this when you can no longer turn the drive screw with your fingers. Spring-mounted bathtub drain stoppers are screwed onto a drain crosspiece. Dale Yalanovsky has been writing professionally since 1978. How To: Remove a Tub Drain If your tub drain just isn't doing its job, you may need to take it out to clean or replace it. Just follow these steps for how to remove a bathtub on your own. There's no way to access the underside of the tub as the walls and floor of our co-op are concrete. The tub drain remover tool just makes it easier, you can pick one up for $10. With the SimpliQuick Tub Fix solution, it’s as easy as 1-2-3 with three simple steps to a shiny new tub drain stopper. Plug wrench: A plug wrench is a small wrench made of cast iron or steel that is milled to fit the crossbars of two or more different sizes of drains. Continue turning until the strainer comes out of the drain. Yalanovsky also writes a bimonthly column that provides home improvement advice. For example, if you are content using an old-fashioned rubber stopper, all you have to do is buy How to Remove a Tub Drain Stopper. Virtually all bathtub strainers were originally screwed into place. Grab a piece of plumbers putty and work it in your hand until it becomes flexible. However, removing a drain is quite a simple task, and many people will be able to DIY it. The tub drain threads into the drain shoe body of the waste and overflow and snugs up both to the bath tub. Never again will you need to chisel and hammer out the old drain and risk cracking the tub. 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