I just want to take a bath, and I can't do that when you let all the water run out of you.

September 27, 2011 4:44 PM

I'm sick, I'm achey, and all I want to do is take a bath. So how the *%@# do I work this bathtub stopper?!

I'm at my parents' house and decided to use their super-nice whirlpool bathtub to relax. The only problem is I can't figure out how in the hell to make the drain plug work. They aren't here right now and neither of them has used the thing in years, so they're no help. I know it's something to do with the lever, but it doesn't move very far in any direction, as this video demonstrates. Please someone help me before I flip my shit.

posted by Captain Cardanthian! to Home & Garden (31 answers total)

You pull it towards you to close the drain. If that doesn't work I would say its likely stuck/broken.
posted by Captain_Science at 4:47 PM on September 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Well, fuck. Because that doesn't work.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 4:49 PM on September 27, 2011

If you do a test of both the "up" and "down" positions and neither stops the water...

I suggest you hop off immediately to your nearest CVS or RiteAid and buy one of those rubber discs that cover the entire drain.

Immediate problem solved.

Call a plumber later to get it fixed.
posted by jbenben at 4:50 PM on September 27, 2011 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Is there anything I might be able to do to fix it without spare parts?
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 4:50 PM on September 27, 2011

Find a tube of skin goo or something that's a bit smaller than the drain opening, cover it with a washcloth, jam it in to the drain, and bath's your uncle.
posted by kmennie at 4:50 PM on September 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Normally those are closed by pulling up on the end of the level so it flips sorta like a light switch, or pushing in on the bottom of the lever to open, but from the video it looks like it might be stuck and you clearly don't need to spend much more time wrestling with it. Do you have a cup you could invert over the drain, or a small piece of rubber mat that could cover it?
posted by ulotrichous at 4:51 PM on September 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Show the drain! Generally a medicine dosing cup, of the kind available to someone in your circumstances, should work. Hold it down with the heel of your foot.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 4:52 PM on September 27, 2011

You need this for now.

It should only run you a few bucks.
posted by jbenben at 4:52 PM on September 27, 2011

+1 for the big stupid flat stopper disks.

I have also utilized a plastic bag for this purpose. It works terribly, but when I gotta have my bath fix, I gotta have it.
posted by artlung at 4:53 PM on September 27, 2011 [3 favorites]

how about a tupperware lid as an emergency stopper? lid inverted over drain + wet washcloth over top to "suction it down" while you are filling the tub might work.
posted by countrymod at 4:54 PM on September 27, 2011 [3 favorites]

Nthing the flat rubber drain stopper. Check around in your parents' bathroom & kitchen, they might have one lying around somewhere.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:54 PM on September 27, 2011

I find a rag and a shotglass fits my tub perfectly in a pinch. Think of something along those lines. I think plastic cling wrap would hold a seal once you got enough water weight on it.
posted by Edogy at 4:55 PM on September 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

DUCT TAPE OVER A DRY DRAIN AND A WASHCLOTH MIGHT WORK.
posted by jbenben at 4:55 PM on September 27, 2011 [3 favorites]

I have one of those. You unscrew it (the two screws on the front there), and then you see on the inside that the lever thingy attaches to a rod at a 90 degree angle - mine always slips off, and I have to unscrew the "face plate" thing, put the lever hook back on the rod, and carefully screw it back on so it doesn't slip off again.

If you don't want to do that, wrap a plastic bag around a washcloth and stuff that in the hole. It works in a pinch.
posted by HopperFan at 4:55 PM on September 27, 2011 [3 favorites]

In a pinch, I have used a plastic bag weighted with coins as a stopper. Plastic wrap could work, too.
posted by exogenous at 4:56 PM on September 27, 2011

Half a tennis ball can sometimes also work in a pinch. Also good for travelling so you can do your landry in the hotel sink.
posted by kcm at 4:56 PM on September 27, 2011

Further note : If it's like mine, it only takes about 5 minutes to fix, any flat head screwdriver will do.
posted by HopperFan at 4:56 PM on September 27, 2011

Oooo. I think HopperFan, FTW!

Cheaper than a plumber, who will likely perform the same fix IMHE.
posted by jbenben at 4:58 PM on September 27, 2011

Response by poster: HopperFan: Unfortunately, taking off the back plate only shows two pieces that are properly stuck together (i.e. no misplaced hooks), so I think the problem is further down than I can get to. It feels like something's loose, but I can't get it back on, so I think I'm just going to say "screw it" and try to cover the drain grate with something like everyone has suggested. Thanks, internet pals.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 5:08 PM on September 27, 2011

Another immediate fix. If the drain grate is attached with a screw in the middle, unscrew that sucker and put a piece of plastic or rubber over the drain area then screw it back on, which will punch a hole in the middle of the plastic/rubber but will hold it in place until you unscrew it again. Even relatively flimsy plastic (a few layers of a grocery bag) should work fine.

Good luck!
posted by The Deej at 5:21 PM on September 27, 2011

saran wrap. duct or packing tape if needed.
posted by pointystick at 5:23 PM on September 27, 2011

you can 'make' one of those circular stopper dealies out of an old (or even still useable) shower mat -- just cut a piece out of it. You might have to push it down more often then you'd like (that's why you don't want to use the whole darn thing),and add water occasionally, but it will get you though the night without a run to the store.
posted by Webnym at 5:38 PM on September 27, 2011

There is a metal rod inside that can come detached (my bathtub is the same vintage with the same device and that is what happened to it)

I prefer the rubber drain cover to drains with internal stoppers where you can see the drain holes and which inevitably leak causing your bath water to drain out.

About those drain holes, I feel rather like these people. I want my bathtub drain covered so I don't have to look at it. When I was a kid I was afraid of it.
posted by bad grammar at 5:53 PM on September 27, 2011

If you're still looking for a temporary drain cover, I've had luck using one of those circular, rubbery things that are used to open stubborn jars ...

Happy bathing, however you manage it!
posted by DingoMutt at 5:53 PM on September 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

"It feels like something's loose, but I can't get it back on"

Aw, nuts. To get to the parts lower down, you have to take off the access panel. That's kind of a pain depending on where it's located. I hope you got your bath, *and* feel better soon.
posted by HopperFan at 6:01 PM on September 27, 2011

I would just cram a washcloth into the drain hole and fill the tub. If the drain is flat with holes, duct tape over it.
posted by gnutron at 6:16 PM on September 27, 2011

I've taken baths with a washtub jammed in the drain for about a year now because I've been too lazy to get a new stopper. it works fine. go have your bath!
posted by changeling at 6:29 PM on September 27, 2011

This looks similar to what I grew up with. Really similar. Ours didn't plug a damn thing...it was a drain clean out. You unscrewed the cover and pull the whole thing out. At the end of a metal rod that was hinged so it was somewhat flexible was a big spiral that served as the hair trap. Living with 3 females with long curly hair in the 90's where we tried to make everything as poufy as possible meant that thing caught a lot of hair. And was gag worthy when mom pulled it out to clean it off.

So yeah...it may not actually be a plug at all, sorry to say. Everyone else has given good suggestions...have you looked in the cabinets or drawers to see if your parents have a rubber drain stopper they use?
posted by MultiFaceted at 8:50 PM on September 27, 2011

And after watching the video I see it says "clean out" at the bottom of the silver plate. I'm going to guess your original drain looked like this and someone has taken that top silver part off so you can't seal the drain anymore. Or your whole mechanism should be this and your missing the stopper part that seals the drain. That last picture has the spiral hair trap looking thing that I mentioned earlier...wonder if that's what ours originally was?
posted by MultiFaceted at 9:00 PM on September 27, 2011

Duct tape is your friend. Seriously.
posted by dg at 10:10 PM on September 27, 2011

Over the long term, those push-pull drain plugs MultiFaceted linked to are cheap, reliable (next to no moving parts!) and very easy to install. All you'd need to do is unscrew the current drain grate (jamming a long screwdriver into the grate and using the leverage to turn the drain will usually work; if not, the hardware store will have a little drain wrench you can buy). Then you'd clean the place where the drain was, squidge a bit of plumber's putty around the edge of the new drain to prevent leaks, and screw it in. It's maybe a 15-minute job, and then you can put your ziploc/duct tape/plastic bag/tennis ball/shotglass collection back on the shelf!
posted by vorfeed at 11:52 PM on September 27, 2011