In this how-to video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to adjust a leaky tub stopper In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how to fix a bathtub drain stopper. 1. Remove the two screws holding the trip lever plate to the tub wall. Put screws in safe place, so they don't fall down the drain. 2. Grasp the trip lever plate and carefully pull out the brass waste-and-overflow linkage. 3. If the cylindrical brass plunger isn't attached to the end of the linkage, use a flexible retriever to reach down into the overflow hole and grab the plunger.Once you've retrieved the plunger, hook it back onto the end of the linkage rod and pinch it closed with pliers. Check to be sure the plunger can't slip off. 5. Loosen the locknut and rotate the plastic fitting to lengthen the linkage about 1/4 inch. 6. Tighten the locknut and slip the brass plunger and linkage back down the overflow hole.

7. Replace the screws in the overflow plate, and flip up the trip lever. 8. Fill the tub with a little water, shut the faucet, then check to see if the water stays in the tub. If it drains out, remove the overflow plate, lengthen the linkage a little bit more and reinstall it. 9. Lift up on the trip lever, add some water to the tub and check once again to see if the tub stopper is properly adjusted. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to obtain a watertight seal.Determine what kind of drain you have before you tackle a drain repair project. A beginner do-it-yourselfer (DIYer) should be able to repair a tub drain in about three hours with common household tools.Types of Bathtub DrainsDrains Without Trip LeversFoot Lock: To change the setting of the drain, push it down with your foot. Roller Ball: Push the plug down to hold water, and pull it up to drain.Lift and Turn: Rotate the plug in opposite directions to release or hold water. These drains have set screws under the lip of the drain.

Drains With Trip LeversPop-Up: The trip lever opens and closes the drain by moving the stopper up and down.Plunger: Plunger drains don't have a visible stopper. The trip lever opens and closes the drain by moving a hidden plunger up and down.Pueblo El Mirage Rv Resort Homes For SaleFixing Foot Lock and Roller Ball Tub DrainsIf you're fortunate enough to have one of these types of drains, it should be an easy fix. Homes For Sale Gilead Road Huntersville NcTo remove the plugs from foot lock or roller ball tub drains, simply rotate the plug counterclockwise until it's free of the drain.House For Sale Martin Grove And SteelesClean the plugs with a mild cleaning solution or vinegar and reinstall.Fixing Lift and Turn Tub DrainsStep 1Lift the drain plug and locate the setscrew under the lip of the plug.

Loosen the setscrew and remove the plug.Step 2To clean any remaining residue, flush the tub drain and overflow drain with a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. After it stops fizzing, rinse with boiling water. Clean and reinstall the overflow faceplate and drain plug. Be sure to tighten the setscrew.Fixing Pop-Up Tub DrainsStep 1Set the trip lever in the open position. Wiggle the assembly to get it out of the drain. The assembly isn't actually attached to the drain, but don't be surprised if it takes some effort to get it out.Step 2Take the screws out of the cover plate. Remove the trip lever and linkage from the overflow drain.Step 3If the tub has been leaking or the drain is hard to operate, clean the linkage, rocker arm and stopper. Use a brush and a mild cleaning solution or vinegar. Flush the tub drain with a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda and rinse with boiling water.Step 4Lubricate the moving parts of the rocker arm and stopper. Slide them back into the drain until the stopper is in the closed position.

Lubricate the moving parts and the threads of the linkage, and reinstall into the overflow drain. It may be necessary to adjust the linkage. To increase the flow rate of the drain, loosen the locknut, turn the lift rod counterclockwise and tighten the lock nut. If the stopper won't seal in the closed position, loosen the locknut, turn the lift rod clockwise and tighten the lock nut. To avoid overcompensating, screw the lift rod in or out three or four turns at a time.Fixing Plunger Tub DrainsStep 1Take out the screws on the coverplate, and pull it away from the tub wall. The linkage and plunger will come out with the coverplate.Step 2If the tub has been leaking or the drain is hard to operate, clean the plunger and linkage. Flush the tub drain and overflow drain with a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. Rinse with boiling water.Step 3Lubricate the plunger and linkage; reinstall them into the overflow drain. Partially fill the tub, and check to see if the drain holds water.

Then open the drain and check the flow rate. If the drain allows water to seep out, loosen the locknut, turn the lift rod counterclockwise and then tighten the locknut. To increase the drain flow rate, loosen the locknut, turn the lift rod clockwise and tighten the locknut. The linkage is behind the trip lever and isn't difficult to repair. Some people refer to the system of adjustable rods that connects the drain stopper of a bathtub to the trip lever as the "guts" of the bathtub. Plumbers call it the linkage, and when moving the lever has no effect on the stopper, the problem is usually that the linkage isn't properly adjusted. If you can see a stopper in the tub, and raising the lever raises the stopper, the mechanism is probably spring-operated. If the stopper is invisible, it gets lowered into the drain when you raise the lever. The repair procedure is the same in both cases. Unscrew the cover plate from the front of the bathtub, using a screwdriver. It's usually held on by two easy-to-remove screws.

Pull the lever out, then lift it straight upward to remove the linage from behind the tub. On the end will be a weighted plug or a spring, depending on the kind of stopper mechanism you have. If there is nothing attached, it may have fallen off, which accounts for the fact that the trip lever doesn't work. Excavate for the plug or the spring with a magnetic retrieval tool, if necessary. If you don't have such a tool, tape a magnet to the end of a length of string. Hook the plug or spring back onto the end of the linkage. Check other connections on the linkage to ensure they're secure. For example, look for a U-shaped pin holding the top of the linkage to the handle. Replace it if it has fallen out. Ensure the linkage hangs straight and is not entangled in any way. Adjust the length of the linkage by turning the adjustment nut that connects the two halves of the linkage. For example, shorten a spring-loaded stopper linkage if the stopper won't close and the tub won't hold water. Alternatively, if the stopper is a weighted plug, lengthen the linkage to make the tub hold water.