We have 1 3/4 bathrooms in our little Cape Cod style house - that means that one bathroom (the one on our main level) has a full tub/shower surround while the other has only a shower stall. For L's first year we bathed her in the tub, using one of these:
Spiffy, right? Unfortunately as she entered toddlerhood she started to outgrow said infant-to-toddler tub and we switched to an inflatable duckie-shaped tub that gave her more room. In recent months we've found that she's outgrowing even the duckie tub, and it's a pain in the neck to keep it clean. Naturally, one might think that the next step would be a bath in the tub proper, but our bathtub had one of those lever-style pop up drains and the linkage was not working well and leaked terribly. Last fall M went to replace the lever mechanism only to discover that the linkage was completely corroded and fell apart as he was trying to remove the old one.
Awesome. Sure, we could use a rubber stopper but that just doesn't look very nice since the corroded drain flange is now exposed and corroding further as the weeks wear on.
The next idea was to replace the lever style stopper with a toe-touch or lift and turn stopper and drain flange. The upside is that there would be no linkage to corrode and eventually break, and if we need to replace it in the future it's much easier than replacing the linkage style stopper. It's an easy installation for any homeowner. The downside is that the old drain flange was kind of stuck in place like it's effing welded to the tub. Lots of home improvement websites tell you to just grasp the crossbar with a set of pliers, and turn counterclockwise - that may work if the drain/stopper was installed in the last few years, but not if it's been there for a while. We tried this method for an hour with no success before giving up but we don't want to have to call a plumber at $150/hour unless we really need to.
I took today as a vacation day and decided to finally tackle this project. After a trip to the local Home Depot, where the associates were characteristically unhelpful, I returned with a can of WD40, a special tool intended for tub drain removal, and a toe-touch style drain kit. I also picked up plumber's putty since the putty we had leftover from our upstairs bathroom refresh last summer has dried out more than I'd like.
Step 1: Spray WD40 around the drain flange. This may be a mental thing more than having any real effect on the corroded flange and ancient, hard plumber's putty, but few homeowner problems can't be helped with either WD40 or duct tape. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 2a: Utilize new $9.67 tub drain tool that will likely never be used again after this project. Attempt to turn counterclockwise using a screwdriver wedged into holes intended for this purpose. Flange does not budge.
Step 2b: Remember fundamentals of mechanics and decide that a longer lever arm should do the trick. Spend 10 minutes rummaging through husband's workbench, cursing his poor organizational skills, until a 10" adjustable wrench is located. Attempt to turn tub drain tool using adjustable wrench without success. Put partial body weight on tool by standing on it while trying to turn with wrench - again, no success. Spray more WD40 and retrench to the Internet.
Step 2c: Upon reading several online how-to guides that suggest cutting a notch into the drain, locate mini hacksaw (shockingly, towards the top of the tool pile on the workbench). Curse when mini hacksaw blade breaks shortly after commencement of sawing. Find a new hacksaw blade. Weep upon realization that the mini hacksaw literally isn't cutting it.
Step 2d: Search for husband's Dremel tool. Again curse his poor organization of the workbench, make note to buy pegboard and other items needed to organize it. Unable to locate Dremel.
Step 3: Repeat steps 2a-2c. Spray more WD40 and consider if a hole could be drilled very carefully into edge of flange to get notch started. Decide against this option for fear of damaging the tub.
Step 4: Repeat steps 2b-2d. Look very carefully at position of crossbars in hopes that the drain has rotated approx. 1/16", then decide it has not. Finally create a notch in the drain, wedge cold chisel in, hit with hammer. Accidentally get webbing of thumb caught between hammer and chisel handle, causing serious bruise. Cry. Spray more WD40 and decide to leave it for several hours, then Google several variations on "plumber's putty solvent" in the hope that some magical solution will present itself.
Step 5: Oil company repairman arrives to fix leaking valve between boiler and hot water heater. Upon learning that this repair will be $350-400, renew resolve to replace the drain without paying for a plumber. Take one's mind off the situation by sewing for a few hours while oil repairman does his work.
Step 6: Read a tip that heating with a hair dryer can soften plumber's putty. Locate extension cord and hold hair dryer a few inches from the flange for 4-5 minutes while playing Angry Birds Space.
Step 7: Insert tub drain remover and put weight on it with left foot. Put large crescent wrench on and hit the wrench with a hammer (it's a Craftsman, it can take it) in the right hand. See a real 1/16" rotation; mood improves considerably.
Step 8: Use hair dryer again. Continue as in Step 7 until the flange can be unscrewed by hand. Marvel at the corrosion (this is the original 1976-vintage drain for sure), use Scotch Brite to scrub tub surface underneath flange. Must leave in 5 minutes to get kid from daycare but this should only take a minute or two, right?
Step 9: Apply a bead of plumber's putty to the new flange and screw it in. Curse when it stops 3/8" above the tub surface. Remove and re-try, then realize that the drain is too shallow for the toe tap style flange. Curse some more. Throw old flange into a bag for comparison at the store and run out the door to pick up kid.
Step 10: Get child from daycare and take her to the Lowe's down the street. Bribe with a Happy Baby pouch and playing with car keys. Thank sweet baby Jesus that they have a lift-and-turn style drain/stopper that appears to have a compatible threaded length to the old flange.
Step 11: Get home and entertain child with Baby Signing Time DVD. Apply bead of plumber's putty to the underside of the new flange, screw in, remove excess putty, insert stopper, admire handiwork. Perform leak test - result satisfactory.
Step 12: Realize that the two bolts needed to install the new flat overflow plate are missing from the old lever overflow plate. No hardware in the basement is suitable.
Step 13: Feed child, nurse child, get child to bed while husband goes to Lowe's to procure two bolts of an appropriate size. Decide that husband will clean up the tools when he gets home - it's only fair.
I had to get L to bed, plus the tub is a mess from all of my standing in it, so I really want to give it a good scrub but I'm so excited that we'll be able to give her baths in the tub from now on! I'll be a lot easier than using the duckie tub. It's also occurred to me that a nice relaxing soak might be just the ticket for me from time to time as well (the stopper has never worked in this tub in the 6 years we've owned the house). No, it's not the toe-tap stopper but the lift and turn is still better than a rubber plug or nothing.
The moral of the story is: spend the $9.67 on the special tool intended for this purpose and always try to soften plumber's putty FIRST. I could have saved myself a bruised hand and a lot of frustration.
And yeah, our tub is a hideous shade of blue. Did I mention that the house was built in 1976? We're lucky it wasn't avocado or harvest gold. We plan to have the tub and the tile surround re-glazed at some point but for now this is how it is.
