Replacing pipes for bathtub drainage

 

A leaking or malfunctioning tub drainage system will result in severe water damage if not repaired. This is a situation that needs to be fixed before a property is shown or sold. Drainage pipes consist of the fixture and drain pipes that lead to the main drain. However, the actual drain from the tub pipe and the overflow pipe can also be considered part of the drainage system. The replacement of these pipes and the tools used will depend on what type of drain pipes are present to begin with.

Step 1

The overflow cover is removed by unscrewing the mounting screws on the cover plate. Remove the drain basket by placing a screwdriver on each side of the basket and turning it counterclockwise.

Remove the faucet from behind the tub. If it is plastic, use tongue and groove pliers to loosen the connecting nuts. If it is metal, use two pipe wrenches. Attach one pipe wrench to the pipe that is not to be rotated and the other pipe wrench to the pipe that is to be removed. Rotate the pipe wrench on the pipe that is to be removed while holding the other pipe wrench. Use penetrating oil on the threads if they do not come off easily.

Step 2

Attach a PVC tub drain assembly to the tub. The top cover overflow plate and drain assembly are retrofitted over the original. Apply some silicone to the gasket and tighten the plate with a screwdriver.

Using two screwdrivers, screw in the tub drain basket in the exact opposite direction from where it came out. Coat the gasket with silicone where the pipe attaches to the basket and tighten the fitting with needle nose pliers.

Connect the fitting to the overflow pipe and the drain pipe of the tub basket. Tighten the connecting nuts with pliers.

Connect the faucet to the original pipe if it is in good condition and has no leaks. If it is a PVC faucet, there will either be a screw-on union nut, or the tee will need to be glued in place with PVC glue.

Step 3

Remove the drain pipe that goes from the tub to the main drain. If it is a metal pipe, unscrew it with two pipe wrenches. One pair of pliers will hold the joint while the other pliers unscrews the pipe.

If it is a PVC connection, use a hacksaw to cut the pipe 2.5 cm from the main drain.

Replace the old pipe with PVC and the appropriate connectors. These are available at your local hardware store, and you can purchase PVC pipe with the proper threads to screw into metal pipe. When doing this, wrap the threads with Teflon tape or cover them with pipe sealant before tightening the PVC pipe.

If you are connecting PVC to PVC, tape a connector to the 2.5 cm piece that goes to the main drain. Cut the remaining PVC pieces with a hacksaw and glue them together.

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