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plantfrog · Jun 20, 2009, 11:49 AM

Hi all,
My roommate was trying to get the tub to drain better the other day and broke the linkage that attaches to the stopper in the overflow tube. The tub drains very slowly (more or less not at all). I have tried fishing around with various pieces of wire, but cannot seem to get a hold of the linkage or the stopper. Roommate says we need to replace the whole tub to fix it. Seems a bit excessive to me. Thanks in advance for any help.
Josh

speedball1 · Jun 20, 2009, 02:25 PM

Your roomie's mistaken. Look at the image I've put up. See where4 the linkage hooks into the stopper? That stopper has a cross bar that hooks to the linkage. Take a stiff coat hanger and put a small hook in it and go fishing. Once you get it out clean it up with some steel wool and grease it before you reinstall the linkage. Once you get the stopper out let clear the drain. Rub your snake down the open hole.(see image) You will run into the return bend of the trap about 18 inches down but once past that you only have about 10 more feet to put out. Flush with a tub full of hot water. Good luck, Tom

plantfrog · Jun 21, 2009, 02:30 AM

Thanks for the answer Tom :). I will try to fish it out again today. I will update later if I am able to get it out.
Thanks again,
Josh

massplumber2008 · Jun 21, 2009, 04:56 AM

Hey Josh...

Worst case, if you have an access panel at the back of the tub you can pull the access panel and then loosen the tub waste assembly nut and pull up on the TUB WASTE assembly itself and then just reach in and grab the TRIP LEVER assembly... ;)

Good luck!

MARK

afaroo · Jun 21, 2009, 11:45 AM

Hello Josh,

See The Picture below it may help you what Mark is telling you, Good Luck.

John

plantfrog · Jun 22, 2009, 02:03 AM

Hi all,
Thanks for all the help. Had to work yesterday so did not get a chance to mess with the tub. Hopefully today. I will let you know how it goes.
Thanks again,
Josh

massplumber2008 · Jun 22, 2009, 04:00 AM

Hey Josh:

If you look at Afaroo's picture the nut I am referring to is #12... ;)

Good luck!

MARK

plantfrog · Jun 22, 2009, 01:37 PM

Hi all,
Well, just tore into the tub. There is no access hole, so I took out the tile to get to the overflow tube. Took off the overflow tube and no stopper. Fished around in the drain with wire and could not find the stopper. Looks like it fell down into the p-trap. Access is very limited and there does not appear to be a way into the trap without getting the tub out. Thanks again for all the help and suggestions.
Thanks,
Josh

massplumber2008 · Jun 22, 2009, 02:34 PM

See if you can post a picture of the trap. There is NO WAY you should need to remove the tub itself to fix this... maybe the trap, but not the tub.

Otherwise, go out and purchase a GRABBING TOOL... see image. This has a tensioned claw that can reach into the trap and grab the edge and pull the plunger up and out.

If this is on a 1st or 2nd floor don't forget that you can gain access through the ceiling or in the basement and remove plasterboard and cut into pipes if needed.

Finally, if these options fail let an experienced plumber come in and see what he can do with this issue... bet he can figure it out... or at least I hope he can.

MARK

plantfrog · Jun 22, 2009, 03:24 PM

Hi all,
Just talked to the owner of the house and he is going to try and get a plumber to come over in a day or so. Might still try the shop vac idea. I really want to thank you for all the help and advice.
Josh

speedball1 · Jun 22, 2009, 03:59 PM

There's a cross bar on the stopper. I've fished many of them out using a coat hanger. All you need to do is make is make the hook small enough to slip past the crossbar. I can't believe this thread has gone this far for such a simple problem.
A shop vac isn't going to help since the stopper's open at both ends. If I were the plumber they called in my main tool would be a coat hanger. Good luck, Tom

mygirlsdad77 · Jun 22, 2009, 04:53 PM

Is this tub on a concrete floor. Also, what is on the backside of the tub assembly(behind the waste and overflow). Unless tub is up against an outside wall, you should be able to cut an access hole on back side of tube to access waste and overflow. And if you are not on a slab, you could cut a hole underneith tub(may require cutting a hole in ceiling below, but a lot easier to patch that than remove tub).

msrsw · Aug 18, 2015, 09:44 PM

Even thought this was from 2009, it helped me today August 2015 - the coat hanger worked, but a trick I found is it's not forcing it up (that's how I lost it, pulled it apart from the original metal hook attachment), with the thin coat hanger I could work it gently up to the point it would get stuck and rotating the coat hanger and changing the angle... finger in the overflow helped direct the ascent and finally got past whatever what catching.
Thanks for your comments.