How to Take Off a Drain Stopper

A bathtub drain stopper is used to seal the drain and stop water from going down the drain. It often gets stuck, which makes it hard to turn the faucet on and off. If you decide to take off the drain stopper at this point, you'll be able to see the problem more clearly. It's also important to know how to take off your drain stopper in case it's not in the right place. If your stopper doesn't cover the bottom of the tub completely when it's in place, it might not keep the water in very well, which would make taking a bath a pain.
The first step in figuring out how to take off a drain stopper is figuring out which kind you will need to fix the problem. In the article below, you can read about the most common kinds of drain stoppers for bathtubs.

Stopper for push/pull
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This type of stopper has a rod on the side that you can push and pull. At one end of this rod is a round handle, and at the other end is a hole that your finger can fit into. The push-pull mechanism is connected to a plunger that goes down into the drain to stop the flow of water. Here's how to take off a tub stopper with a push-pull mechanism:

1. Take the knob off the top of the stopper. Take the lid and knob off by hand. Move the knob with one hand until it comes off.
   
2. Is the knob too tight to turn by hand? Grab a towel and carefully wrap it around the object. Then, use regular pliers to pull it free.
   
3. After it has been taken apart, look for the exact point where the strainer's crossbar meets the stopper. Use a flathead screwdriver to take the pot off of the strainer.
   

Toe-Touch Stopper for Tub
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Toe-touch tub stoppers look like pliers and can be used to open the drain by being pulled up. When you push it down, the handle comes off and the stopper closes off both drains in your bathtub. How do you take off a toe-touch tub stopper?

1. Turn a screwdriver or a pair of tongs around one end of the plunger rod that sticks out from under the rubber top. Use your tools to pry up on this rod until it moves out of its place.
   
2. After you take the plunger out, pull up on the rubber top to take it off its base. You should now be able to open your strainer by turning the head of it clockwise with your hands.
   
3. Once the head is unscrewed, it can be taken off by pulling it up and away from the stopper.
   
4. Grab this type of stopper's knob, which is on top of the bathtub drain, with your hands. Carefully pull up on the stopper until it comes off its base.
   

Tub Stopper You Can Lift and Turn

The lift and turn tub stopper is held in place by two screws. How do you take this kind of stopper off a bathtub drain?

1. When the stopper is in the "open" position, you should put one hand on top of the body to hold it in place.
   
2. Take the stopper off the strainer and slowly turn the knob the other way to look for a screw set on the knob. If you can't find one, turn the stopper counterclockwise until it can be removed from the strainer.
   
3. Sometimes the threads are taken out, which makes it impossible to take off. Try slowly turning it up and pulling it up.
   
4. If your stopper doesn't have a screw on the handle but still won't come off, lift it up and turn it until you find a small screw.
   
5. You can loosen the screw with a screwdriver or a wrench. Don't take the screws out all the way to get the stopper off. When using this method, you need to be very careful because the screw can easily fall down the drain if it is fully removed.
   
6. If neither the stopper nor the knob has a set screw, it's probably a channel-and-pin mechanism.
   
7. Take the stopper out of the channel and slowly turn it the other way until the slot on the bottom part lines up with the pin on the top part.
   
8. To open it, move the stopper up and down.
   

Other Stoppers for Tubs

One screw holds a flip-it® tub stopper to the bottom of the overflow plate. Most of the time, this kind of tub stopper is easy to take off. To take off the stopper, grab it by its body and twist it up and down (try all directions) until it comes off.

What to do next after the process is done
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Once you get the bathtub drain plug off, use a flashlight to look down the drain. If it takes a long time for your bathtub to drain, there may be a buildup of soap scum, hair, and other things that are blocking the drain. If the blockage isn't too deep, you can try to take the strainer off and free it yourself, if you're brave enough. But you can avoid all that mess by calling CBJ Plumbing Union City NJ to take care of your bathtub.

Reach Out to Our Team Today

Let us help you if you're trying to take off a bathtub drain stopper. Call us at 201-875-1054 to talk to a member of our team right now. Our team of experts will be more than happy to help you get your bathtub back in shape.