Bathtub Drain Behind The Wall

What is there about a bathtub drain that I should know? Why should I care to know about it?

When talking about a bathtub drain , people might not even think about the importance of learning how the system was designed and how it works in general.

The fact is that tub drain is a very simple system and can easily be maintained.

However, the bath tub drain is one of those drains in the house that can very well confuse people when the problem is related to the drainage of it.

In fact, I have been in many of my customers’ houses to diagnose tub drain problem that they called about and that it turned out to be a completely different problem.

Just because I see water or sludge coming out of a tub drain, it does not mean that the tub drain is the one having the problem.

A bathtub drain in most cases is connected to another drain pipe and, therefore, it may be possible that the problem is being caused by that other drain and not the tub itself.

So, if you understand this basic principle of plumbing, you will also understand the importance of getting to know your home’s plumbing system as a whole.

Bathtub drain design:

Depending on what side the tub is located in your bathroom, you will have a different plumbing design for your tub, but just so you have an idea, a bathtub drain usually measures between 5 to 10 feet long on an average. But it can also be shorter or longer than that.

Also, your tub drain and piping types will vary based on the age of your home.

If your home was built over 30 years ago and it did not have any upgrades or been remodeled yet, it is likely that your home will have galvanized and/or cast iron piping throughout the house.

But, if your home was built less than 30 years ago, it is likely that you home’s plumbing was built of ABS pipes.

Here you will find a picture diagram that will show you a typical bathtub plumbing installation.

On a tub drain system, you will find a stop waste and overflow, a face-plate also known as the cover plates or your tub cleanout access. Inside the waste and overflow, you will find the linkage with a plunger and rocker arm which connects to the pop up drain stopper.

As you leave the whole waste and overflow system, the tub drain goes into a drum-trap or a p-trap, then goes to the pipe drain until it connects to the main sewer pipe which is located behind the toilet in most cases.

This is the typical tub plumbing system, but just so you know, the tub could also be connected to another secondary fixture, such as, a bathroom sink drain or even a floor drain before it connects to the main sewer pipe.