There are a couple of places a bathtub drain can leak. One is around the drain. The other place is where the vertical overflow tube and the horizontal drain come together.

Not your problem? See 'Plumbing Repair' or 'Plumbing Drains' for a complete listing of related plumbing topics.

Leaking Drain Pipes

There are some compression fittings there, similar to the ones under your kitchen sink. You should be able to get to the compression fittings through and access door or from the basement.

Just like the sink drain fittings, these have washers in them. You can try to tighten them and it may stop the leak. Replace the washers when it will not stop leaking. They should be 1 1/2", she same as a kitchen drain. Use the adjustable pliers to loosen the nuts to replace the washers. You will have to pull the fittings apart to get the new washers on.

Tighten the nuts back up, snug but not too tight. Try running some water and see if you have solved your leak. Did you? Good you are done with this bathtub drain repair.

Leaking Drains

A leak around the drain is another matter. The strainer is held in place by a large nut on the bottom of the tub. The flange of the strainer is sealed with plumbers putty. There is also a rubber gasket between the big nut and the tub. Whenever you disturb this connection you have to put new plumbers putty around the flange.

They make a wrench that can loosen the strainer but the average person does not have one. The handles of metal pliers will work to loosen it if you use a screwdriver for torque. Loosen the strainer and clean the old putty away. Check the rubber gasket, if it is worn or broken, you should replace it. Put a new bed of plumbers putty around the drain and thread the parts back together.

Use the pliers and screwdriver to tighten the nut. The putty will ooze out, this is normal. Get the strainer good and tight. Then clean up the excess putty. Try running some water down and see if you have completed this bathtub drain repair.

Many bathtubs have a metal lever at the bathtub overflow that controls the drain. There is a metal plunger that is connected to the handle by linkage.

Not your problem? See 'Plumbing Repair' or 'Plumbing Drains' for a complete listing of related plumbing topics.

Checking the Linkage

Sometimes the pins that hold the linkage together can corrode and break. This will cause the plunger to stay in the closed position. Try the handle and see if it feels like it is controlling something. When it moves freely without any resistance, it is likely broken.

Removing the Linkage

Remove the screws that hold the overflow cover in place. When you pull the cover away the linkage should be attached to it. If it is, check the plunger and make sure it is moving up and down the vertical tube freely.

Has the linkage separated from the lever. Yes, then you will have to try and fish the linkage out with a pair of pliers or a coat hanger. The linkage is held together with cotter pins. You will have to obtain some replacements for the one that has broken.

Assemble the linkage making sure it is securely attached to the handle. Put it back into the vertical tube and put the screws back into the cover plate. Try the handle and see if the stopper moves up and down freely.

With the stopper up the drain should work. When it is down the tub should fill. Simple but effective technology. Got it? Does the drain work? Outstanding you have solved this clogged bathtub drain problem.

Many bathtubs have a metal lever at the bathtub overflow that controls the drain. There is a metal plunger that is connected to the handle by linkage. Sometimes the pins that hold the linkage together can corrode and break. This will cause the plunger to stay in the closed position. Try the handle and see if it feels like it is controlling something. When it moves freely without any resistance, it is likely broken.

Remove the screws that hold the overflow cover in place. When you pull the cover away the linkage should be attached to it. If it is, check the plunger and make sure it is moving up and down the vertical tube freely. Has the linkage separated from the lever. Yes, then you will have to try and fish the linkage out with a pair of pliers or a coat hanger. The linkage is held together with cotter pins. You will have to obtain some replacements for the one that has broken.

Assemble the linkage and put making sure it is securely attached to the handle. Put it back into the vertical tube and put the screws back into the cover plate. Try the handle and see if the stopper moves up and down freely.

With the stopper up the drain should work. When it is down the tub should fill. Simple but effective technology. Got it? Does the drain work? Outstanding you have solved this clogged bathtub drain problem.

Many bathtubs have a metal lever at the bathtub overflow that controls the drain. There is a metal plunger that is connected to the handle by linkage. Sometimes the pins that hold the linkage together can corrode and break. This will cause the plunger to stay in the closed position. Try the handle and see if it feels like it is controlling something. When it moves freely without any resistance, it is likely broken.

Remove the screws that hold the overflow cover in place. When you pull the cover away the linkage should be attached to it. If it is, check the plunger and make sure it is moving up and down the vertical tube freely. Has the linkage separated from the lever. Yes, then you will have to try and fish the linkage out with a pair of pliers or a coat hanger. The linkage is held together with cotter pins. You will have to obtain some replacements for the one that has broken.

Assemble the linkage and put making sure it is securely attached to the handle. Put it back into the vertical tube and put the screws back into the cover plate. Try the handle and see if the stopper moves up and down freely.

With the stopper up the drain should work. When it is down the tub should fill. Simple but effective technology. Got it? Does the drain work? Outstanding you have solved this clogged bathtub drain problem.

A bathtub drain repair is usually required when you have either a clog or a stopper that is malfunctioning.

There are (3) Key Topics associated with 'Bathtub Drain Repair', take a quick jump here or check out the overview below:

Checking the Bathtub Stopper Assembly - Broken linkage can cause the stopper to stay in the closed position, thus stopping the bathtub from draining.

Leaking Bathtub Drains - Leaks are never a good thing. Your bathtub has a couple of spots it can leak at.

Clogged Bathtub Drains - Find out where a clog is likely to occur and how to fix it.

It is pretty easy to figure out when you have a clog. The water won't go down, simple right? The stopper linkage could be broken and this will also cause the drain not to work. The other problem would be a leak. There are some places that a bathtub drain might leak.

There is always one villain that stands out from the rest. A sinister villain that causes much heartache. With a bathtub that villain is hair. Hair and soap put together and you have a recipe for a clogged drain.

Don't despair, many times the problem is easy to fix. Check out the information below and try to assess whether you are up for the task. The evaluation section will help you see what you can save and how hard it will be to do.

Bathtub Drain Repair - Finding Information

Troubleshooting Bathtub Drains

You have three things that could be wrong. One the stopper won't close or open. See Step One for instructions. The second item would be a leak. See Step Two for what to do when you have drips.

One item that causes trouble in a bathtub drain is the stopper assembly. There are some moving parts that can break. 'Checking the Bathtub Stopper Assembly' covered the issue and how to fix them.

Another common problem is a leaking bathtub drain. There are seal that can leak. 'Leaking Bathtub Drains' talked about what you can do to stop the leaks.

'Fixing Clogged Bathtub Drains' provided information on what to do if your bathtub drain is not working.

Summary

Bathtub drains are fairly simple to work on. The worst part is getting to the parts. Even with an access door they are pretty tight. Was it a simple clog or a broken cotter pin? That should not have been too difficult.

Or did you have an entrenched clog? No matter what you had to face in dealing with your bathtub drain repair, you are better for it. With your new strength of character you can move forward and accomplish great things.

Troubleshooting electrical circuits can be helpful when you are getting overloads on one circuit. It may be that you have to move a high wattage item like a 'space heater' or 'kitchen appliance to another circuit. This can eliminate the breakers tripping when multiple items are turned on at the same time.

For some related topics, see the articles 'Troubleshooting Electrical Wiring', 'Fixing Electrical Outlets', 'Installing Light Switches', 'Reparing Three Way Switches' and 'Basic House Wiring'. Follow these links for more information.

Tracing the wiring for a circuit can be challenging for an amateur. The wires run through walls and ceilings and don't always follow a logical path. Most of the time tracing the wiring is not necessary. Knowing which circuit supplies an outlet or light fixture is all that is needed most of the time.

Do you have a desire to know exactly what each breaker does in your basic house wiring. It may be a little confusing when you try to determine which outlets and lights are on which circuits. The labeling in the panel will give you an idea, but usually lacks specific information. A simple way to check is to shut a breaker off. Go around with voltage tester and see what is off.

Most of the time you can find the right breaker by trial and error. Does that bother you? You can take the time and check all your electrical devices by shutting off the circuits one at a time. Write down which items belong to which circuits.

Checking for Overloads

Too Much Load

Each circuit is designed for a certain load, or amount of electricity it will use. It is possible to exceed that load by using extra plug in devices. You can buy a plug strip for less than ten dollars. Now a normal duplex has six places to plug things in. Want to 'double down', yes you could even plug another plug strip into it. You get the picture, when you start exceeding the limits of the circuit breaker it will trip.

I use an electric heater in my office downstairs. My wife irons in the next room. Guess what? Too much load, the breaker trips as soon as the heater tries to start when the iron is on. Two high wattage items, recipe for an overload. Installing a new circuit breaker is not needed when you are overloading the circuit.

Do you experience the same thing? Does the breaker trip when a certain device is used? You probably have too much load on that circuit. Try moving things around and see if it solves the problem. Overloads are not the fault of the circuit breaker. Remove the overload and the problem is solved. No need to install a new circuit breaker.

Electrical Shorts

Shorts would be another culprit. Dead shorts are not that common, but they do happen. Old or frayed wiring can get crossed at the wrong spot. When you have a short the breaker will not stay on. As soon as you turn it on it will trip. No funny combination of devices, just 'Click' as soon as you turn it on. Again, for this problem, installing a new circuit breaker is not the answer.

Check all the wiring for the things you have plugged in. Do you see any obvious problems? Fix or remove any device with bad wires. Don't see anything obvious? Use the process of elimination. Remove one item and see if the breaker holds. No? Try another item. When you find the culprit you need to fix it or get rid of it.