
The inner container is open to allow water to pass through the drain line. Place the new cover plate on the overflow opening and connect the screws to attach it. Use the screwdrivers to open the old gasket from the overflow drain opening. This process involves the replacement of the overflow gasket. Screwdrivers Step-1:Remove the Old Gasket.Bath overflow plates made of chrome or brushed nickel will not wear off quickly and will work intensely for a longer time.
Tub overflow gasket how to#
So, if you need to know how to cap off the tub overflow drain, follow the steps below. Isn’t it? Then you should use a solid and permanent cover plate. You need a permanent solution if you need to seal the bathtub overflow drain every day for your regular shower. So, it is not a permanent sealing solution. These reusable cover plates are rubber-made material, and so it wears off easily after a few uses. After peeling the cover plate, your bathtub will set in the previous normal mode to drain water. As it is a reusable cover plate, you can store it and use it the next time. Step-2: Peel off the CoverĪfter you finish the shower, you can peel the cover plate.

Tub overflow gasket full#
Now you can fill the tub to the full and soak into the water as you like. It will stop the water from passing through the overflow drain. Take the plate and place it on the overflow drain opening. This plate is perfect for holding the required amount of water in the bathtub and changing it to the normal mode of the bathtub. Method-1: Using an Overflow cover Plate Necessary ItemĪ reusable overflow cover- If you need to seal water in the bathtub of fewer than 10 pounds, you can get an overflowing plate with suction cups. Let’s learn the processes to seal off bathtub overflow drain. There are many ways to seal the tub overflow. If you can seal the bathtub overflow drain, you can get the desired amount of water on your tub. When the bathtub water reaches the hole of the overflow opening, the channel passes the water down to the main drain pipe.įor this overflow drain, it is common that you find your knees above water level while taking a shower. On the backside of the bathtub wall, an overflow drain passes the water down to the pipeline. Replace the drain assembly and then fasten the plate with the two mounting screws to finish the job.4 Final Words How to Seal Off Bathtub Overflow Make sure it seats evenly for a complete seal around the connection. The overflow pipe will have a little play (although not much) that should allow you to adjust its position and make room for the gasket. Use a little plumber’s silicone grease to lubricate the gasket and work it into place around the mouth of the overflow body. When installing the gasket, make sure the thick side is at the bottom. You’ll need to buy a new overflow washer or gasket from the hardware store. But since I had already opened the wall, here’s a look at the rear of the overflow body where the old gasket is falling out. With any luck you can complete the repair from the tub without having to open the wall. I used an old wire hanger to dig out the rotted gasket material from the overflow body. Shown here is the old deteriorated gasket that must be removed. Pull out the assembly, including the drain plug. The first step is to remove the screws that mount the cover plate. The good news is that replacing an overflow drain gasket is a fairly easy fix. I only mention this to demonstrate that plumbing leaks can happen in some seemingly unlikely places, and locating the problem can be half the battle. Something about the manner in which my wife showers-whether it’s the way she shampoos her hair or maybe shaves her legs-directs water onto the overflow drain, and consequently past the deteriorated gasket. Finally, as she was showering, I inspected the plumbing from the floor below and followed the active leak all the way up to the overflow drain.

The tub only leaked when my wife took a shower in it. Nor did we have problems when my kids took a bath. Most frustrating of all: I could not reproduce the leak when I took a shower. I eventually opened up the ceiling and the wall behind the faucet to investigate. Convinced of this, I replaced a couple of faucet valves, tightened some threaded connections, and sealed a couple different drain connections with silicone tape, yet I still had a leak. It didn’t make sense to me that the overflow drain got enough water exposure to be the source of a leak which was ruining a drywall ceiling downstairs. You wouldn’t think a bathtub overflow drain would be the source of a water leak, especially if you never fill the tub to a level at which water would enter the opening. Alternative Heating & Fireplace InsertsĪ simple leaky gasket can cause a big problem.
