Almost always we only shower in the bathtub but today I needed to fill
the tub with water. The stopper would not keep water in the tub. I
found a old posting from this group in 1999 and it had the following
suggestions:

- remove and clean the plug
- lengthen the rod
- remove the drain screen and remove hair

I have done all three. The plug was actually fairly clean. I also ran
a small sink snake down the drain (through the trip lever opening) and
removed only a very small amount of hair and then I tried a brush
designed for cleaning sink drains, again with very little crude
retrieved. (Both the snake and the brush were smaller diameter than
the pipe so I might not be getting a good cleaning action.)

What else should I try?

If the brass plug is not attached to the trip lever is there a danger
of having it fall down the drain such that it can't be removed? I'm
assuming there is an "optimum" depth the plug should be at and if
lower than that point it will not properly work.

When the stores are open tomorrow I guess I need to go in and see
exactly what the plumbing looks like behind the tub so I determine
what I'm dealing with but duggestions would certainly be very welcome
right now!


John Keith

John Keith wrote:

Almost always we only shower in the bathtub but today I needed to fill
the tub with water. The stopper would not keep water in the tub. I
found a old posting from this group in 1999 and it had the following
suggestions:

- remove and clean the plug
- lengthen the rod
- remove the drain screen and remove hair

I have done all three. The plug was actually fairly clean. I also ran
a small sink snake down the drain (through the trip lever opening) and
removed only a very small amount of hair and then I tried a brush
designed for cleaning sink drains, again with very little crude
retrieved. (Both the snake and the brush were smaller diameter than
the pipe so I might not be getting a good cleaning action.)

What else should I try?

If the brass plug is not attached to the trip lever is there a danger
of having it fall down the drain such that it can't be removed? I'm
assuming there is an "optimum" depth the plug should be at and if
lower than that point it will not properly work.

When the stores are open tomorrow I guess I need to go in and see
exactly what the plumbing looks like behind the tub so I determine
what I'm dealing with but duggestions would certainly be very welcome
right now!


John Keith



http://www.plumbingstore.com/wasteoverflowparts.html
for exploded view.

No, the brass stopper can't "fall in".

Hang the stopper from a long coat hanger/hook.
Grease the stopper with vaseline or crisco.
Lower it in place till you feel the weight taken
off the hanger. Run water and see if it holds.
Measure the length needed if that works.

Jim

Usually if a bathtub will not fill (see Subject heading) it has nothing to
do with the drain.


--James--

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 22:07:50 -0500, "James" no
wrote:

Usually if a bathtub will not fill (see Subject heading) it has nothing to
do with the drain.


--James--

Of course it does. Subject line did not exclude a water supply.



--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

Nope, impossible. If a bathtub won't fill, there has to be something
wrong with the supply water. The hot and cold taps.


NOT THE DRAIN !! THAT IS WHERE THE WATER GOES OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





--James--




On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 22:07:50 -0500, "James" no
wrote:

Usually if a bathtub will not fill (see Subject heading) it has nothing
to
do with the drain.


--James--

Of course it does. Subject line did not exclude a water supply.

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 21:24:54 -0500, Speedy Jim wrote:

Hang the stopper from a long coat hanger/hook.
Grease the stopper with vaseline or crisco.
Lower it in place till you feel the weight taken
off the hanger. Run water and see if it holds.
Measure the length needed if that works.

Thank you Jim.

That is exactly what I finally did. For unknown reasons the plug was
not going into the "T" fitting. The coat hanger allowed me to adjust
the insertion depth easer than with the trip lever mechanism and I did
find the depth that stopped the exit of the water form the drain. I
then reattached the plug to the trip lever mechanism, took about three
adjustments to get the depth correct and all seems well right now.


John Keith