Tub overflow gasket6/21/2023 Remember what I said about the bathtub floor drain and overflow drain sharing the same drain line. That means it is still very possible for your bathtub to overflow despite having an overflow drain.īut how is that possible in the first place? The truth of the matter is that tub overflow drains are not foolproof. Can a Bathtub Still Overflow even with An Overflow Drain? Accessing the P-trap through the overflow drain is quite easy and also makes the process very effective. Whenever you are dealing with a clogged bathtub, the clog in most cases is usually the U-shaped part of the drain line called a P-trap. It therefore makes more sense to snake the drain line through the overflow drain, unless the clog is just below the floor drain opening. How is that the case?Īs you can see from above diagram, the overflow drain pipe is straight while the pipe from the floor drains takes a few turns. To accomplish that, a tee (T-fitting) is used to connect both the overflow drain and the tub’s floor drain.Īpart from draining excess water from the tub, the overflow drain also plays a vital role when unclogging a bathtub. To plug the drain you simply push the trip lever up and to drain the tub you pull it down.Īs I have already mentioned, the overflow drain and the tub’s main drain share the same drain line. The plunger is what seals the drain when you want to fill the tub. However, inside the vertical section of the overflow drain is an adjustable link chain which is connected to a plunger. What you will see mounted on the drain overflow cover plate is the trip mechanism. You can also convert a trip level stopper into a pop-up stopper as shown in this post. Trip-lever stoppers are what you will see in most alcove bathtubs (bathtubs installed in an alcove/3 wall of the bathroom. On the other hand, trip-lever tub stoppers are installed inside the overflow drain. Pop-up bathtub stoppers are found at the bottom of the tub screwed on the tub’s main drain. These are pop-up bathtub stoppers and trip-lever bathtub stoppers. A tub stopper is the mechanism which allows you to plug the drain and fill the tub with water. It is almost impossible to talk about a bathtub overflow drains without mentioning tub stoppers. The leak is usually caused by a worn our seal/gasket which you can easily replace on your own. Having a floor drain is one such way but be sure to first check your local plumbing codes.Ī bathtub drain overflow can leak, which is manifested by a leaking or stained ceiling of the floor below. It is however important to make sure that you have a mechanism in place to prevent flooding in the bathroom. So, are bathtub overflow drains required? Like must a bathtub have a bathtub overflow drain?Ī bathtub overflow drain is not a requirement. For a permanent solution consider installing an adjustable overflow plate. If you want to stop your bathtub overflow from draining (to have more water in the tub), seal the overflow drain opening using a bathtub overflow cover, plumber’s tape or duct tape. If there is a problem (clog) affecting the drain line, both the overflow drain and floor drain will be affected. It is important to mention that the bathtub floor drain and the overflow drain share the same drain line and drain trap. The metal plate however has a small opening through which the water enters the overflow drain. Water from the bathtub will then flow out of the house through the underground sewer line.įor aesthetic purposes, the tub overflow drain opening is usually covered using a metal plate. The overflow drain runs vertically along the wall of the tub and is then connected to the main bathtub drain a few inches below the tub’s floor drain opening. Its function is to drain excess water from the tub through the drain line therefore preventing the tub from overflowing and flooding the bathroom. Unless you do a very good job drying the water, you are very likely to have a mold problem after a few days.Ī bathtub drain overflow is an opening few inches below the rim of the tub which is connected to the tub’s drain line. Without a tub overflow drain, the tub will simply fill up with water and the excess water will flood your bathroom, soaking anything on the floor including the floor/subfloor itself. And that is where a bathtub overflow drain comes in. It is therefore very easy/likely to get distracted and forget that you had a bathtub filling with water. What you therefore tend to do is turn on the faucet and step out of the bathroom to do other things as the tub fills. The thing about bathtubs is that they take quite long to fill up.
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