When you have had a stressful day, sometimes all you want to do is relax in a nice hot tub. But, when you engage the drain stopper, the water still just keeps pouring down the drain. There is certainly nothing relaxing about that.
So, how can you fix the problem? Well, when a bathtub doesn’t hold water, it means that the drain stopper is not working correctly. This could be a disconnected plunger, an incorrectly adjusted rod length, entangled rods, or a clog gage preventing it from working.
The most common style of stopper is a trip-lever style installed on the side of the bathtub. This is the style we will look at today.
How Trip-Lever Drain Stoppers Work
Generally, you will find a trip-lever style drain stopper installed on the overflow drain along with a decorative cover. Underneath this cover, you will find the trip-lever fastened to two rods connected end to end.
At the bottom of these rods, there is usually a plunger assembly, depending on the style of trip-lever drain you have installed. If it is the most common style, which is a lift bucket style, a plunger affixed to the bottom of the rods will be raised or lowered into place each time you flick the lever.
This plunger will seal the pipe, preventing water from draining; however, if for some reason the plunger cannot move fully into places, such as from entangled rods or short rods, the water will continue to drain no matter which way the lever is flipped.
Repairing a Trip Lever Stopper
It is typically quite simple to remove this style of bathtub stopper and repair it. Removal only takes a Philips head screwdriver, and once it is out, you will just need to check the condition of the assembly and repair it as needed.
Here is how:
- Use a rag to plug the bathtub drain to keep anything from falling into it.
- Remove the screws holding the cover plate for the lever in place.
- Take hold of the trip lever assembly and pull it out and upwards. This may be difficult depending on how long it has been since the assembly was installed. If necessary, use pliers to grasp the assembly and gently but forcefully draw the assembly out.
- Now wash the assembly off to remove any built-up material and inspect the condition of the assembly. Are the rods entangled or the plunger covered in excess material build-up.
- Before reinserting the assembly, look for a lock nut on the top of the assembly. By loosening this lock nut by just a few turns, you can lengthen the rod just slightly.
- Being cautious to avoid entangling or damaging the rods, insert the assembly back into the overflow drain.
- Replace the cover and engage the drain. If the bathtub is holding water, congratulations, you did it!
Final Thoughts
This fix will work for the most common style of bathtub stopper the majority of the time. However, if you have another style of bathtub stopper or this fix doesn’t work, don’t fret. This is generally a very quick and affordable repair if you need to call a plumber.
Contact Us
If your bathtub can’t hold water anymore, contact J Griffin Heating & Plumbing. Our experienced plumbers have more than 30 years of experience solving residential plumbing issues and are ready to help you. Call us at 781-520-1212 and connect with us on Facebook.
