How to Replace a Tub Drain | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 20 дек 2021
- In this video, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner with an old 1950s bathtub replace the tub drain assembly when the current one stops plugging the tub.
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Richard Trethewey visits a 1950s ranch house to help a homeowner replace his tub drain. The drain is rusted, and the stop can't be used to fill the tub. The homeowners have done some repairs and upgrades themselves but were nervous to touch the tub drain because they don't want to mess with water. Richard assures that replacing a drain is a straightforward project, as long as you have reasonable access underneath the drain and everything is correctly sealed.
Luckily, the drain is easily accessible from the basement, so the homeowner and Richard get to work. Richard lays out a mockup version of what he'll be installing and demonstrates what each piece will do. Together they remove the old drain and install the new one.
Skill: 2/5
Cost: Under $100
Time: 3-4 hours
Shopping list:
Bath waste and overflow kit [thd.co/3pcQyfu]
Plumber's putty [amzn.to/3qgcJR9]
Tools:
Rag [amzn.to/3qf1Mzy]
Screwdriver [amzn.to/3q6jzJ6]
Pliers [amzn.to/3qgdklR]
Strainer wrench [amzn.to/3mlzBha]
How to replace a tub drain
1. Using a screwdriver, remove the two screws securing the overflow plate.
2. Using pliers, reach down to the drain show and turn counterclockwise. Depending on how old the tub is, you might have some trouble. Richard had to go in with a reciprocating saw for the 70-year-old drain.
3. Once the drain is completely removed, the drain piping should be loosened and removed with a pair of pliers and hand removed.
4. Remove the old putty.
5. Loosely assemble the bath waste and overflow kit.
6. Add putty to the underside of the shoe strainer and put it in the tub drain hole.
7. Underneath the tub, align the rubber gasket and show elbow under the tub drain.
8. Have the person in the tub catch the threads and turn the shoe strainer to tighten using pliers or a strainer wrench.
9. Align the overflow assembly to the overflow hole in the tub.
10. Attach the linkage assembly to the trip lever faceplate.
11. Insert the plunger linkage assembly into the overflow hole.
12. Screw the overflow plate back on.
13. Secure the slip nuts and washers.
14. Thread the new drain into the pipes.
15. Install strainer drain plate.
16. Test out new drain and stopper.
Where to find it?
Richard replaced the old bath waste and overflow with an Everbilt Trip Lever Brass Pipe Bath Waste and Overflow [thd.co/3pcQyfu] in Chrome, though most bath waste and overflow kits would also work.
Richard needed other tools and materials to replace the drain, including plumber's putty, screwdrivers, and the tub drain wrench.
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How to Replace a Tub Drain | Ask This Old House
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Having the basement underneath was sure handy…
Recently watched a TOH about retrofitting a central vacuum. I was hoping to learn how to send it through the walls… “Fortunately this house has a laundry chute that goes from the basement to the attic”
Crawl spaces suck!
THE HOMES THAT ARE USUALYL 100 YEARS OLD DONT HAVE BASEMENTS LIKE THAT
I love mine 😂
Yeh. Don’t count on it in most situations.
That tub might've been 70 years old but the grout and caulking was impressively sparkling and professional. That homeowner might just have missed his calling.
V
this whole video is just the homeowner flexing his tile and caulk skills. LOL
That drain was stuck, classic plumbers lament. Great job 👏
Ever notice how whatever they are working on has super easy access?
Literally the same exact issue i have with the same exact drain assembly. Love it when a plan comes together
Great video! First time homeowner and got the tub drain replaced!
I laid a major dump in the shower the other day and while I was stomping it down the drain I noticed that my tub drain was a little loose.
That was quite a doozy to repair but this video helped me a lot.
🤣
Oh that PVC coupling at the very end that spun when he tightened the shoe end to the waste line. That's gonna leak. Thank God for editing. Lol
Haha, nice catch. 7,59
Swear I was about to comment the same thing lol
Nice catch man👍
Saw that…😂
@@J-Hudd the bottom tail piece has threads that screw into the tee. You typically don’t use a nut and gasket on it. Just tape and/or dope.
Can't believe Richard didn't use that special tool they have for taking out a tub drain..
That tool is called a spud wrench, and believe it or not, they don't always work on those old spuds, I've had to cut many of them out over the years
Love seeing what they do when plan A fails. I don't know that I've ever gone with a plan A or even a plan B in any project I've done. C would be a good day by my standards.
Richard is Always Awesome
Man that guy use whole small bucket of that plumber's potty LOL
Surprisingly well done. Not just "call a plumber, buy an expensive thing" or somehow an outlet magically appears where you need it. More real life stuff is good.
Just shut up and watch
C mon Ryan this old house for the past 30 years has always had the mod perfectly laid out houses where everything is perfectly in place to put together 😂😂
Just shut up and watch
A plumber without a tub drain tool??? GOOD
I'm guessing in 2012 it was futuristic idea? .....nope it wasn't. It was just not mentioned in this video. For who knows what reason. ATOH "hey you can use a vise grip with a spanner wrench to get drain out, life hack!"
Also ATOH "hey, you can't use a vise grip with a spanner for a drain removal, just doesn't work, sorry but that's the truth" smh
He forgot it at the garage. He still got the job done in a clean and professional manner.
It seems Richard forgot to glue the new PVC adapter to the 2 in. pipe (7:58). It moved when he tightened the compression fitting.
Yep!!! Caught that too
And he never bothered checking the basement for leaks
I was starting to wonder if anybody else caught that lol
I want them to show more about 50's/60's ranch houses.
Good job social media intern
I think this was the first real life video I have seen on this channel. Lol
Knock knock who's there ? Dwayne , Dwayne who ? Dwayne the tub I'm dwowning !!! Nice job Richard ! 😊
😂
should have used the special tool for that drain man! then a nice big pipe wrench
Great video if you have a drain above a basement, any videos without the basement there??
I used a propane torch to loosen the threads on a stubborn tub drain. Worked like a charm. Luckily the tub was metal. Also used a tub drain wrench, which (I’m surprised) THEY DIDN’T use.
Show us how you’d replace the drain when on a slab and the crossbars in the drain are broken out and it won’t unscrew. And yes, seriously, no drain removal tool? Seriously, I’d REALLY want to see that!
To make the repair you describe, why not open up the adjacent wall and access the open cavity in the slab under the tub drain. Get an oscillating tool to cut the old brass
You need a drain extractor. It is like a really large easyout
I use a dremel or multi tool to cut a slot in the flange and hammer/punch to tap it around. Those expanding drain tools never work. The expansion actually increases the friction on the threads. Bad physics.
Exactly. Use a Dremel with a metal-cutting disk.
Thanks for the video.
How about putting a drop cloth down, or some sort of protective towel/cardboard for the tub?
That's a good move. Glazing will chip like crazy if a metal tool is dropped on it.
That pepto pink tub needs to be reglazed anyway lol
Interesting title 😂
like to see how its done on a house bulit on a concrete slab
I understand that that color pink was prevalent during WWII. It was an attempt to cheer the people up during a war.
yeah..like agent orange...
@@paulp1008 How else do you get a full serving of citrus?
Your videos are v good showing every single step.There is a better tool for opening tub drain,but sometime that also does not do anything.You have good tricks like cut from bottom.Thank you .
Always check in lower floor too after fixing to make sure no leak.
i just got done cutting and busting one of those tub.
Just in case some of you may not know but you can have that tub refished to about any color. They can reglaze it, cheaper than tearing it out and replacing it as long as you like the style. Even its chipped they can fix it and make it look brand new
I had to pull my tub and toilet to replace the subfloor (rot from behind the toilet). What I did when it came to that drain was to check the diameter and then go to the local restore and pick up a socket that fit down into the drain and then notch it out, so it fit down over the cross and worked very nicely to remove and reinstall the drain.
Use a drain extractor to get the stubborn drain unscrewed.
Yeah. Or use drain removal tool if grid still intact in old drain.
I bought a drain socket... thingy at Lowe's and was able to get my 40-year-old drain out with a breaker bar.
I always watch these videos, try to think about how they'd apply to our slab on grade, and cry a little.
Y'all don't forget this is a TV show
Now imagine trying to do this on a slab with a 12x12" access panel from outside. OMG!
Or a slab with no access below on level grade
How convenient that everything is right there in the basement.
Yep. Try this laying on your back in a 100 year old tight crawl space.
How nice to use a bermuda coral towel to clean the tub.
Same tub, and it is weirdly customized with slanted piping on a concrete slab. I would like to update this part but I’m a chicken & not crazy about the toe tap. I wonder if I look down the drain if I’ll see Tom lol! PS, they have this repair paint available online in case you have any dings.
Why is that the title 😂
I have no idea.
Put it up to fast
I say keep the title, its the main reason I clicked
I replaced one of those levers with a push pop-up like the one in a bathroom sink! More reliable than one of those levers!
You did not mention the gasket on the back side of the overflow. This is where a lot of people make a mistake and not use the right one or not line it up right, and it leaks.
Good point.
Thought I’d see more comments on how weird the home owner was 😂
Richard's brain "hey man, take this tiny screw driver and go upstairs so you can stay out of my way, thanks"
at 8mins as he’s tightening the trap adapter you can see it’s not glued lol
I know….I saw that too.
What’s up with that? That connection will leak.
Also, doesn’t he go down into the basement and check for leaks?!……duh! Of course you do.
... nice work .. what about access on a second floor - Thanks!
I worked in hotels for 20 years. I'm familiar with the toe tap device. We used to install them. They actually work pretty good 80 percent of the time. You have to screw it in. Sometimes the thread rots out and you can't get it out. Then, you have to cut it out.
Lot more hair down the drain with the toe tap no?
One issue I have is that the "toe tapper" and any other in place stopper usually collects hair and restricts flow. I know they are very common for convenience sake. I just redid a bathroom in a new home we bought. I didn't test the drains prior. When we got in and used the new bath I assumed that there had to be a blockage and I would correct that later. Turns out that the plug (once I remembered how to remove it) was the culprit for severely restricting draining.
I know convenience is a good thing but when there is a risk of impeding use, I would always recommend some disclaimers. Most people don't like constant maintenance but will be ok putting a plug in every bath.
I’m always happy that it catches the hair there. Much easier to remove a toe tap and get hair out there than it is to run a snake to remove hair from further down the line.
I prefer plugs over toe tappers cause I just remove the plug and put a mesh basket in. Then if someone needs a bath, they remove the basket and insert the plug
Retro seal makes a tub strainer basket that will remove 99% tub strainer
No towel in the tub?
Nice!
Heads up to pvc folks, twice now, every 10 yrs or so, the pvc pipe below the tub has broken. I will be trying the brass system.
If that was my tub, the drain structure would've broke trying to loosen it and I would've had to replace the whole tub.
😂Yea …..if it was me ,the same thing would happen but I would have cut half the floor joist getting it out and I would’ve had to re support my house
My friends replaced their tub with a shower (shame on them), and the workers had to chisel the tub out of the space with a jackhammer.
Thought he was about to say owners get to jump in first...as he starts taking his shirt off.. lmaaaoooooo
What would he do with no access from underneath??
Scream and regret buying that house.
Exactly
There's always access it's just a question of at what cost. These type of repairs mean cutting open the ceiling below usually.
From above, there are special tools shaped like a two pronged fork that would work better. He could also gain way more leverage by using a longer wrench or pipe.
Sometimes you get lucky, and on the other side of the wall you can cut it open, get to work and patch it back up. Doing this myself now
Install the toe touch stopper he demonstrates at 3:15.
Why not use the Kobalt tub drain wrench which is specifically designed for this removal?…
Same issue, the pipe wrench he used has a bigger lever arm for more torque
@@Rturroo you don’t use a pipe wrench on that Coble drain tub which Rosie was talking about, you use the biggest Phillips screwdriver they can fit into the hole that is in that tub drain range for some good leverage. I’m a plumber and I have one and use it and not ever have I had to use a pipe wrench on it!
You must be kidding me right? Who has access to the bottom of this lmao
In the middle of a remodel and Just had my whole house replumbed with copper. Walls are up but only the tub, toilet, washing machine and exterior hose bibs are functional. When washer and toilet run, running water in pipes are quiet. It when I use the hoses outside and run a bath, the sound of running water is so loud. Why would that be?
I need to replace a tub drain, but there is no easy access to the pipes below the drain. My landlord is suggesting ripping out and replacing the tub- yikes! Is the solution to open up the first floor ceiling below the tub to get access?
Odd, I'm subscribed (with the bell on) yet these are not showing up in my feeds... Just an FYI, at any rate Happy Holidays All. :)
Does anyone know the brand of that face plate for the trip lever? This is the one I have, and I am looking to replace it with one that matches, instead of having to send my original one for repair to a chromer..
What if you don't have access.below and it's stuck in good? Any other tips?
I used an angle grinder to make several notches, then tapped it out with a screwdriver and hammer.
What would you do if there was no access from below?
Whole trap adapter spun it wasn’t glued together.
not sure about others, but that older brass fitting seems way more reliable than replacing it with some white plastic.
In the real world they never go this easy
This was anything but easy. Without a buddy it is beyond diffict
Sorry but I've done it by myself by just slightly putting pressure on the compression fittings so they wouldn't drop back into the drain pipe and could still be pulled up from the upper level. The hardest part was going up and down the stairs a half a dozen times. 😉
I can't figure out why he didn't have a tub drain tool they're only about 14 or 15 dollars and they work great
quick question: i used that tool and it worked great but the drain isn't coming up, its just spinning and not rising or unscrewing. any idea what i can do? thanks.
Could be that elbow joint under it came loose from the rest of the piping. I'm dealing with that issue right now. Not sure what I'm going to do.
@@harleyhalliburton9997 yup. that's what happened. i snapped the elbow joint. i never even heard a noise. you'll need to access it through the wall or from the floor below to fix it. good luck,
@Tom O'Leary that's what I was afraid of. No easy way to get to it. It's our 2nd floor bathtub that's giving us issues.
This is hilarious to watch as a german. This type of slot screws and the two guys in the bathtub try to unscrew it with a wrench and a plier. Please tell me that there is a tool for that :D But other than that it is entertaining to watch.
At 7:58 that whole threaded coupling spun 🤦♂️ but no worries steven lavimoniere will fix that leak momma 👌
She's a leaka!
You caught that too! Good on ya mate! She's a leaka!. Probably wouldn't leak tho unless it backed up in all actuality since bottom of drain tube was inserted lower than the leak point, but not something should be shown in a how to video. Nice catch!
This homeowner has the same voice/disposition as that new boss guy at Ala-hican airlines on F is for family.
The secondary audio on this video is a bit distracting…thanks for the video though!
So what happens if this same tub is on a second story?
Super easy if you have a basement. What do you do otherwise?
Buy a home with a basement.
I have the same tub, but....... no basement. How does that even work??
anyone notice that pvc trap adapter turn at the end there, not glued? *shrug*
Anyone else think that was way too much putty?
Why not use a plumbers bar bell?
That’s you need handyman but not that expensive!!!
A little heavy on the plumber's putty.
And if you don't have a basement or crawl space...?
Alcohol
Why not use the correct wrench for the drain?
That dude has human flesh lampshades in his basement
I hate the toe touch type , they end up sticking.
I am having trouble removing the drain. The t is broken and when I use needle nose pliers it free spins. HELP!
I’ll come and remove it for you. No worries.
If I opted for just replacing the visible part with the toe touch assembly, would the existing drain pipe stay in place, attached to the bottom of the tub?
"For once, a plumbing part that's so jammed up they can't remove it easily for the camera! We'll get to see what real people have to do!"
*takes a sawzall to the fitting from underneath
Two-story-home owner: :/
How does he not have a drain wrench?
Wait a second, no gasket behind the overflow plate???
It was on there When he showed it before he installed it… I know I saw it
The thing that needs replacement here more than anything is the tub itself.
7:58 they did not glue the adapter.
Not all threads on those replacement drains are the same.
I think we found Mark Zuckerberg's cousin.
I have to do this to my 1963, original, "Regency Blue" bathtub, but the cross in the drain is rusted out and gone. My idea for an attack is to drill two holes in the shoe and then use the tines of a box end wrench to turn the shoe and break the seal. the location of all of this is not conducive for me to use a sawzall... a "Plan C" if anyone needs it
4:22 I cringe at him putting those metal tools on the tub surface. Should have placed a cloth rag or some other protector so that the tub doesn't get scratched by heavy and sharp tools.
I watched this to see if I could do mine -- but since I have a cement slab and no basement there's no way I could do this replacement. Oh well.
Same and plus the pipe is on a slant.. don’t ask me why I guess for drainage? This is what my Grandma told me haha
At 5:27, Richard's saw hits maybe half an inch above the electrical wire. Close call
So close! Good catch.
yeah, also those metal shavings could have gotten in his eye too....
Glaze the tub white my guy!
Nooooo it won’t last.
1st effort by homeowner was using vice grips in wrong direction! Most vice grips and all channel locks and pipe wrenches have teeth that only grip one way! They will grip of course the other way but will slip and could dull the teeth! I see this with vice grips on most videos!