Unclog Your Tub with a Plunger and the Overflow Plate

Standing dirty water in a bathtub is no laughing matter, it’s unsanitary and leaves soap scum marks in the tub when it finally does drain. A clogged tub drain can just happen naturally over time as hair and soap accumulate in the drain. Maintaining your tub stopper and making sure you have a drain cover can help, and it is also important to maintain your overflow plate.

If your tub is draining slowly or is clogged, you can oftentimes use a plunger to unclog your bathtub without the use of harsh chemicals.

Using a Plunger to Unclog Your Tub

A plunger is a handy device that you can use to create a vacuum suction and unclog a bathtub clog just like you would unclog a toilet. In a bathtub, however, the overflow pipe and the main drain are connected, so you have to plug up one in order to create a vacuum.

If you have a flat drain cover and a trip lever stopper, you can remove the overflow plate, pull out the linkage, and put a rag in the tube to block it up while you use the plunger over the main drain cover.  

If you have a tub stopper that is over the main drain like a push-pull stopper or a lift-and-turn stopper, you can use the plunger right over the overflow tube after you remove the overflow faceplate. Just put the stopper in the position to plug up the tub and use the plunger on the overflow opening. 

Maintaining Your Overflow Plate

The overflow tube and faceplate on a bathtub serve an important function that is often overlooked. The overflow tube and hole in the bottom of the faceplate cover allow water to divert through the overflow tube to prevent an overflowing bathtub from spilling over the side. The overflow plate should be made of noncorrosive materials and should be maintained by keeping it clean and making sure the hole does not get corroded and covered. Even a good overflow faceplate should be replaced at least every decade.

If your tub drain is not protected enough from hair or debris falling in your drain and clogging it up, consider replacing your bathtub stopper. The Watco SimpliQuick® Tub Fix White Finish is one of the easiest tub stopper replacements to install and comes with a mesh-grid drain cover to protect your drain.

FixMyDrain.com offers the Watco SimpliQuick® Tub Fix White Finish solution along with the easy-to-install Innovator® Snap-On Bathtub White Finish Overflow Plate.  Watch simple video instructions to show you the best way to remove your current tub stopper. Fix your bathtub today with SimpliQuick® Tub Fix White Finish from FixMyDrain.com.