How to Remove a Pop-up Bathtub Stopper

A pop-up bathtub stopper consists of a rubber gasket that seals against the tub to block water from going down the drain and a center, threaded, bolt that holds the stopper in place over the drain. A pop-up stopper can be removed quickly by raising the stopper and unscrewing it from the metal drain. Once it's removed, you'll be able to clean the drain trap, replace the stopper with a new stopper or do any other cleaning and maintenance that might be necessary around the bathtub drain.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pop-up bathtub stopper
• Pliers
• Needle-nose pliers

1. Press and release the top of the stopper to break the rubber seal with the tub. The stopper should spring up about 1.2 inches from the surface of the bathtub.

2. Turn the top metal knob counterclockwise to unscrew the popup stopper.

3. Use needle-nose pliers to hold the bolt underneath the stopper and regular pliers to turn the top knob if the stopper turns freely but will not disconnect from the drain, possibly due to corrosion or gunk in the drain trap.

4. Turn the top knob and the threaded bolt underneath counterclockwise with the pliers to free the stopper.

References

• Pop-up Bath Stopper Removal
• Removing a Pop-up Bathtub Stopper