How To Remove A Broken Bathtub Drain Stopper?

Bathtub drain stoppers are tiny but the most crucial feature to function your bathtub properly. A broken bathtub drain stopper can affect your whole household system.

The best and simple solution here would be replacing the broken one with a brand new drain stopper. Any wrong steps while installing the new stopper can affect your bathtub. The first thing here would be removing the broken drain stopper.

However, there are various types of drain stopper available in the market. However, all of these work for the same purpose. Each of these has got various features and processes to remove and install.

Here I’ll mention six methods on how to remove a broken bathtub drain stopper. Identify your bathtub drain stopper type and follow the mentioned procedure to remove that carefully.

Contents

1 Different types of broken bathtub drain stopper
2 How To Remove A Broken Bathtub Drain Stopper? – Six Common Types

Different types of broken bathtub drain stopper

Although all the bathtub drain stoppers are used to hold water in the bathtub, there are various designs. Each of these drain stoppers has got different installation and removal functions. Here I’ll mention the most common six types of bathtub drain stoppers and their features,

Follow here:

Lift & Turn: A lift and turn bathtub drain stopper has a tiny knob over the drain cap. This small-cap controls the entire bathtub system. With this type of drain stopper, you need to lift the knob over opening the draining system.

Push & Pull: Push & pull drain stopper functions like the Lift & turn drain stopper. You can pull the knob up to open the draining system. To close the draining system, simply push the knob down.

Pop Up: The pop-up drain stoppers are primarily found in french bathtubs. You’ll find a pop-up plug for holding and removing drained water.

Toe Touch: Toe touch drain stoppers are super handy and quick to use. This type of drain stopper has a spring-loaded design to control the draining system of water. You can simply on/off the draining system by simply pushing it with your toe only.

Flip It: Flip it drain stoppers function with a side to side system. You need to move the toggle lever in the side to side method for controlling the water draining system.

Trip Lever: Trump lever drain stopper has piped for controlling the water overflow in the tab. You can force the plunger down to close the bathtub drain.

Before you remove the drain stopper, make sure you’ve identified its type. Each of these stoppers functions in different designs.

How To Remove A Broken Bathtub Drain Stopper? – Six Common Types

Each of these drain stoppers has different methods of removing them. Any types of broken parts of the drain stopper can create extreme filthiness in your bathtub.

To maintain the cleanliness and a proper draining system, you should immediately replace/ fix your broken bathtub drain stopper.

You don’t need to hire any plumber for this job. If you have got a bit of patience and some essential tools, this is a matter of no time. Here I’ll mention the most accessible direction for removing all types of drain stoppers quickly,

Follow the procedures here :

1. Remove your Lift & Turn the Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

First of all, check if your lift & turn drain stopper check if it has any visible set of screws. You’ll mostly find the screws over the knob. With the invisible screws, you’ll find the set screw system under the stopper.

Now you need to keep turning it in a clockwise stopper system for unthreading it from the connection.

Next, you need to make the screw set loosen with a flat screwdriver.

Now, it’s time to lift off the stopper post. Use a liquid wrench-type solvent to make the process easier and smoother. This will quickly let you pull off the stopper from the strainer.

2. Remove your Push & Pull Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

Firstly hold the knob of your push and pull drain stopper and open it.

You can loosen the knob using a counter-clockwise system. Keep turning the knob until it’s loose enough.

If clockwise movement is not working enough, use pliers. Simply wrap the rang around the stopper knob to remove the stopper properly.

For unscrewing the post, use a flathead screwdriver.

Once the post is loose enough, simply lift the post from the strainer.

3. Remove your Pop- Up Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

First of all, pull the stopper out.

Now, clear the stopper from all dirt and debris.

Next, check the rubber seal out.

Flip the pop-up drain stopper or rotate it.

Next, pull the stopper straight up gently.

Pull the stopper horizontally away from the bathtub drain.

4. Remove your Toe Touch Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

Firstly, take the toe touch in the open position.

You’ll find a top cap in the strainer. Grab a screwdriver and unscrew it from the main cylinder.

Turn the cylinder cap in the clockwise position. Keep continuing the unscrewing method till you obliterate the stopper.

You can use the flathead screwdriver to unscrew the drain stopper cylinder from the strainer.

5. Remove your Flip It Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

Firstly, pull the flip it drain stopper from the bathtub drain.

Now, press the suction cup over the drain stopper. It will help if you keep rotating the pressure till it gets loose enough.

Once the stopper is loose enough, pull the stopper straight up.

6. Remove your Trip Lever Broken Bathtub Drain stopper:

Firstly, place the screws on the trip lever drain stopper.

Now, remove all the screws from the cover plate.

Loosen your screwdriver and remove the screws from one of them.

Now, hold the faceplate and remove other screws slowly.

Once it’s loose enough, pull the trip lever drain stopper.

Finally, pull the stopper away from your bathtub. For easier pulling, you can wiggle up the stopper for more time.

These are the six ultimate types of bathtub drain stoppers and their removal methods. All you have to do is, identify your broken bathtub drain stopper type and remove it properly using the mentioned directions in the article.

What you’ve been missing

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Homemade Drain Cleaner Without Baking Soda
How to Fix a Septic Tank Full of Water When It Rains
Alternatives to Caulking Around the Bathtub

Frequently asked Question

How much does it approximately cost to replace a bathtub drain stopper?

Replacing a drain stopper by yourself can save enough bucks of yours. Without the labor cost, you need to spend around $60 for reinstalling a bathtub drain stopper. The cost will also vary depending on which type of strain stopper you’ll need.

How to Loosen Nuts and Bolts of your drain stopper without a wrench?

If you’ve got no wrench in the house, you’ve some alternative way to loosen nut bolts of the drain stopper. Spray some penetrating oil and let it sit for 25 minutes. Then use a hammer against one side of the hammer. This will quickly let you loosen the nut bolts of the drain stopper.

Conclusion

If your bathtub drain stopper somehow gets damaged, there is no better way than installing a new one. But for this, you don’t have to spend many bucks behind plumbers. The most confusing part of installing a new drain stopper is removing the old one. Here I’ve mentioned six different methods on how to remove a broken bathtub drain stopper. Follow the directions and remove the old/ damaged bathtub drain stopper in no time.