"headware" wrote in message
...
On Apr 27, 9:15 pm, Speedy Jim wrote:
headware wrote:
On Apr 27, 8:56 pm, headware wrote:

I was replacing the caulking in my bathtub and I removed caulking
around the drain trip cover plate just below the faucet. I also
loosened the plate it self so I could clean the tub behind it. I then
screwed the plate back into place but did NOT caulk it. I then started
to fill the bathtub up with water, got distracted, and accidentally
filled the tub about half way up the cover plate. I turned off the
water and could hear it draining. I know it was draining through cover
plate because I had duct taped the actual drain closed.

My question is where did that water go? Did I just flood the wall
behind my bathtub or does the space behind the cover plate lead down
into the drain? Diagrams online seem to indicate that it goes into the
drain, which is in line with the sound I heard, but I wanted to make
sure.

Thanks,
Dave

After doing a little more research, it looks like the plate is
actually the overflow safety mechanism and is intended to drain water
out of the tub in case you leave it running. I'm not sure why this one
had been caulked since that would seem to negate its purpose, but I
guess the point is that these do, in fact, lead to the drain. I won't
replace the caulking around it.

Dave

Here's an exploded
view:http://www.plumbingproducts.com/wasteoverflowparts.html

Yes, it goes into the drain.

One note: Rubber gasket, Part #1, fits *behind* the tub
and seals the tub to the overflow tube flange.
Often, that rubber deteriorates and doesn't seal well.
In that event, you can get leakage behind the tub any time
water runs down the tub surface, such as when showering;
it doesn't need to be a true overflow situation to do it.

The rubber can be replaced (if yours has gone bad) by working
a new one in thru the opening.

Jim

Jim,

Thanks for the reply. I looked and there does not appear to be any
rubber gasket at all. I do have a Price Pfister so I'm not sure why
there isn't one there. I looked at the other tub in my house and saw
the same thing; no gasket. Is it possible my model doesn't use that
part? It's likely an old tub (15-20 years). Not sure how it would keep
a good seal if it didn't have one. Maybe I should order a couple.

The gasket should go between the outside of the tub and the overflow drain pipe.
If there is none, it may leak, which could explain why the drain holes were
caulked shut.