How to Stop Water From Leaking Through a Closed Lever-Controlled Bathtub Drain

It's relaxing to take a nice hot bath on a cold winter's night. But every time you get in and plug up the tub, there's that slow leak out of your lever-controlled bathtub drain when it's closed. You don't want to have to replace the whole drain (that's where plumbers get the big bucks). It's possibly just a washer that needs replacing underneath the chrome drain flange. Here's how to readjust and replace some pieces and get your tub holding water again.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start with the top piece, adjusting the trip lever. Remove trip lever drain assembly. There are two screws on the face plate. Remove them and pull out the face plate.

2. The rods attached to the face plate will come out too, along with the stopper. Adjust the stopper by turning it up, clockwise a bit. Reinsert everything and screw face plate back in place.

3. Next go to your tub floor to your drain cover, or flange. There should be little crosshairs or nibs in the chrome flange. Use one of two special wrenches to remove this flange--a "dumbell" (tapered and has crossed slots at both ends) or a "pickle" (forked at one end and crossed slots at the other). Unscrew flange.

4. Remove old plumber's putty from underside. Slide new washer between tub and the "shoe" (part with the female threads).

Tips & Warnings

• Both the "pickle" and the "dumbell" are relatively cheap at hardware stores.