Remove a Pop-Up Drain Plug
Removing a pop-up drain plug is one of a do-it-yourself task that you can do immediately on your own because it is an easy task. If you\’re familiar with the functions of a pop-up drain plug then it wouldn\’t be difficult for you to remove it yourself. If you don\’t then the instructions below should help you proceed with this task smoothly with no worries ahead of you. If you\’re still unsure, feel free to ask for some assistance.
But first of all, you must know that the pop-up drain plug is usually used together with a trip lever, a mechanism that allows you to pull up in order to prevent water from draining. If you don\’t know where to find it, you can locate it behind the faucet of a sink or locate it below the spigot if you are working on a tub. You must also identify the type of plug being used because there are many types of different plugs and the most commonly used one is the trip-lever. This trip-lever plug comes with a lever that enables you to either raise or lower its stopper which can be an invisible plunger stopper or a visible pop-up stopper.
What you need:
- Flathead screwdriver
Method:
- First thing that you must do is to confirm that your drain is the pop-up type. After ensuring your trip lever has been opened, you can drain all of the water out.
- If you are working on a tub, you need to unscrew the cover plate that can be found below the spigot and then remove the trip handle. As for sinks, they do not have a cover plate.
- After that, remove the drain plate and unscrew the single screw which normally holds the plate. Then, pry up the drain plate using a flathead screwdriver and this step is not required if you are working on sinks.
- You also need to pull the entire assembly gently out of the drain. This task needs to be done carefully because the assemblies are normally not directly connected to the drain plate.
- The next step is either to repair if it is needed to be repaired and cleaned or you can replace it with a new pop-up drain plug if necessary before you start to re-seat the cover plate. This kind of pop-up drain normally comes with a drain stopper in its opening and if this pop-up opening is not fully opened it will cause a slow-running of the drain while a leaky drain might be due to a bad rubber seal on the pop-up assembly or it can also be due to inaccurate adjustment of the control mechanism connecting the pop-up to the trip-lever.
- Finally, the last step is for you to ensure that the replacement drain plate for the tub is securely screwed into its original place. This is to ensure nothing is loosen and you work here has been properly done.
There you have it: a removed pop-up drain plug.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2386174_remove-pop-up-drain-plug.html
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-remove-a-tub-drain-plug
http://articles.directorym.com/Cleaning_and_Adjusting_a_Drain_Stopper-a936912.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwstucke/5146836/
