Best bathroom sink & bathtub drains according to redditors

I disagree with the earlier posters. Soap (and soap scum) buildup is a real thing. Hair makes it worse, but still. I occasionally have to use a plunger to clear the pipes. When they get really bad a Clog Buster does the trick.

https://www.amazon.com/Essentially-Yours-Deeper-Overflow-Drain/dp/B078RT2J2T/ref=sxin_2_ac_m_rm?ac_md=1-1-YmF0aCBjb3ZlciBvdmVyZmxvdw%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&keywords=bath+cover+spout&pd_rd_i=B078RT2J2T&pd_rd_r=7f67f146-7cd8-4136-92bb-7848f0ca24fe&pd_rd_w=4EWIe&pd_rd_wg=GJIB3&pf_rd_p=d1a6ea92-24ed-409e-8e33-97dc5a8de815&pf_rd_r=2AJ5R9MNT0KPP48R30K6&qid=1569200333&sprefix=bath+cover

Use one of these.

They're stupid expensive for one-time use, but it's the only way I got out of the same situation.

Perhaps try this tool https://www.amazon.com/Rectorseal-97258-Golden-Extractor-Drain/dp/B008A3UM7U

It's a Rectorseal tub drain removal tool. The tool that you used that broke is good only for new installs. They're made of cheap metal and can't handle any real torque applied to them. If this doesn't work then like other have posted you'll have to cut it out.

Edit : Provided better link

The Waste & Overflow is 1-3/8. It's a fairly common size for decorative Waste & Overflows for clawfoot tubs.

$300 fuck that.

I had the same problem. Cross rotted/broke out.

You need one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C0M7DVA/ I've also seen these at Lowes, if you're not the order off the internet tape.

Tap it in with a hammer, push down, and crank it out with a 1/2" ratchet, and an extension. If you have ZERO tools, you can do this job for probably less than $35 with a Harbor Freight ratchet and extension.


edit: video of one in use - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO-bZF4L1HE

This is what you need: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0M7DVA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_eCO1PrW9BRfBw

I've got these rubber ones which are great, too

No, honestly it's so easy I just did it myself without instructions. But I can summarize what I did.

I connect my changer to my shower head pipe; takes standard pipe threads; I use a pipe-thread to hose thread adapter I got at the hardware store. Put some teflon tape on the threads to make it water tight; make sure to wrap the tape the right way so it doesn't unwrap when you screw on the adapter. Crank the hose to adapter connection to german gutentight specs so you can leave it on the hose forever. If you do the teflon tape right you can install and remove the adapter by hand and it won't leak.

I bought a 50' hose and cut off about 6 feet and used hose repair fittings to put new ends on both pieces, so I have a 6' hose and a 44' hose. I use the short section to go down from the shower head pipe to get the actual water changer thingy closer to the drain so it doesnt' spray dirty tank water all over my shower. You can skip this if you connect it to your sink. The waterbed adapter comes with a shitty plastic sink thread adapter; throw it away and get a brass one from the hardware store.

I run the long hose from the changer to the tank. At the far end of the long use I use a cheap garden hose shutoff valve and a barbed fitting to adapt hose threads to the normal vinyl gravel vac tubing.

I vacuum using just cold water. When I'm done vacuuming I pull the vac up out of the water and let the venturi suck all the dirty water out of the hose. Then I go back to the shower with my digital thermometer, run the hot water out of the tub spigot until it stabilizes, and then use the thermometer to get within a couple of degrees of the aquarium temp, I try to shoot for a couple of degrees colder rather than warmer, the thermal mass of water left in the aquarium moderates the change anyway and the heater will do it's job.

The only thing about these is they waste a lot of water by using a hydro venturi to create suction for vacuuming. You could potentially turn off the venturi and use it as a siphon, if the changer below the tank level, I don't bother on my 20g tank.

Here's somebody's writeup, I'm sure there's others

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_python.php

I bought this waterbed water changer; it appears to be the exact same one used in the Python: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FT2PUO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Don't get the python, get a water bed one. Its the same darn thing and it costs $4!!! lol You just need to have your own garden hose, which you can buy for cheap and get the length you want.




Stopped using that style of system a couple years ago. We now have a pond pump connected to a garden hose. We put the pump into the tank to drain the water & then we use the "python/water bed thingy to put water back in OR we just screw a garden hose onto the tap OR we use the pond pump inside a bucket in the sink to push water into the tank. For us, it really depends which floor we are working on.




The basement has the hot/cold taps for a washer leading to a Y which connects to a garden hose that goes up into the rafters. We have 1000 gallons of water to deal with, so this was best for us and it keeps the hose out of the way.




EDIT: Its the large blue piece. I bought a few at Walmart but here is an image from Amazon http://www.amazon.ca/Drain-Innomax-Waterbed-Flotation-Mattress/dp/B005XST1M2/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1420912780&sr=1-2&keywords=waterbed+Fill+and+Drain



I think this is the same but for cheaper http://www.amazon.ca/Rps-Dfk-Waterbed-Drain-Fill/dp/B000FT2PUO/ref=pd_sim_k_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=17Y2JJSR56YATAW2JEEB



Please note I was using Amazon Canada.

Look for something like this. its soft rubbery plastic so it shouldn't bother him much and is great for catching hair. They make one for the shower too.

https://www.amazon.com/SinkShroom-Revolutionary-Protector-Catcher-Strainer/dp/B01N96430F?th=1

I’ve been using this for the last couple of weeks. Not long enough to tell how well it works.

SinkShroom The Revolutionary Sink Drain Protector Hair Catcher/Strainer/Snare, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSNO3KC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xZJhAbBJ77KHC

bought this when it was a kick starter, works like magic!

Like u/OpticalPrime said, "Push Pop up Sink Drain ". Think commercial use where you don't want Joe Public to pop out and steal the stoppers all the time, so there's the screw-in aspect to keep things secure. But after it is screwed in, you can still pop the top up & down for draining.

https://www.amazon.com/Fryotuc-Bathroom-Vessel-Overflow-Brushed/dp/B07DHM8VJ7/ref=pd_sim_60_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DHM8VJ7&pd_rd_r=a2df292a-c821-11e8-8c11-7fd735fac2a8&pd_rd_w=nBb1Y&pd_rd_wg=5kw8h&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=56838e6b-66d4-41e0-a762-743f1a1a628a&pf_rd_r=9KNTZE8PSP4M6ME4W3CS&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=9KNTZE8PSP4M6ME4W3CS

The hole would be in the faucet itself. Does not look like there's one. You child still use this faucet and add a pop up drain. Something like this KES S2008A-2 Bathroom Faucet Vessel Vanity Sink Pop Up Drain Stopper with Overflow, Brushed Nickel https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00IY4LOEA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DeLLDb5SSRD6X

I use a similar setup and I like it very much.

I have used this and this in the past. The first one works better because it has smaller holes in it.

They do make what is called "clog-buster". ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AJ5RNA?pc_redir=1410002965&robot_redir=1 )

However most plumbers I know would never use anything like this. Use a snake and be sure you can get it. If there's something actually blocking the pipe, the pressure could cause multiple problems, if it's not fully clogged the pressure goes past the clog usually.

Just replace it with a non-overflow drain like this https://www.amazon.com/Stopper-Without-Overflow-Bathroom-Lavatory/dp/B07S5Y3HN9

I’ve heard these work great for catching hair. I was actually looking into them myself because we are a family with three girls (the 3 boys don’t shed so much) and I just pulled a huge clump of hair out of our shower drain yesterday.

Get a faucet to hose adapter for a water bed. Hook it up and spray down your car. When I was a kid a guy at our apartment would do this every Friday. Wasn't until I was older that I realized this guy was a genius.

I'm pretty sure that's what ya need. Plus a garden hose and nozzle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FT2PUO/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1522637966&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=waterbed+fill+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=41qgeX9MJpL&ref=plSrch

Went online to find out whether there are coasters you could ride, first thing to pop up is an article about a tall man getting stuck on one.. :-(

One thing we installed in my best mate's (already huge) bath tub (he's only 6'8", mind) was a stop for his overflow. That would allow him to 'overfill' the bath tub to where the water would almost be at the rim of the bath (with him in it..).

Essentially this, but his was more permanent.

Cool, you're welcome. Whenever one does work on old cast iron there's a high probability of dislodging a bunch of shit when removing old threaded fittings, ect. My house's cast iron has literally a quarter inch of rust scale/slugde on the inside. Every time anything disturbs it, it seems to throw a clot so to speak.

If you can get the drainage rate to sustain some amount of water flow, I would highly recommend a caustic or acidic cleaner, not an enzymatic cleaner. There's nothing like good, old fashioned gnarly ass chemicals. IF you can make sure it drains before the plumber has to deal with it. Otherwise you're totally right to use the enzymatic cleaner if you think it might still be sitting there when the plumber might have to deal with it.

I had a pretty darn similar situation with my upstairs sink, and what we did there was slightly risky but very effective. I had a garden hose that could reach the bathroom and so what we did was we capped off the vent stack on the roof with duct tape, and shoved the garden hose in the drain fitting in the wall. I was holding this in with a gloved hand and hand pressure, so the actual applied pressure was only as hard as I could push (maybe 20psi?) but we just pushed that clog right through. Most satisfying sound I've ever heard when it went (ca-THUUUNK).

There's actually a much nicer looking tool for doing this type of pressure assisted unclogging. It's called a clog buster. I haven't used one but what you'd do is shove it down past the vent T (so that you didn't have to tape up the vent pipe like I did) and then when you turn on the water it inflates and seals itself against the pipe, so you can successfully apply the hose pressure to the clog downstream.

Now, I will totally not take resposibility if this friggin floods your house. If you have plain threaded cast iron pipes all the way through, I don't think the risk is super high. But if there are leaded joints, they could in theory push apart with pressure. That would not be fun. So use with caution.

I've been looking to switch out to a magnetic drain stopper as there are fewer points for things to clog up. Furthermore I think you can pull out the stopper and have clear access to clean it.

https://www.amazon.com/PF-WaterWorks-PF0324-BN-CH-Assembly-Easy-Stopper-Brushed/dp/B01NH50G0O

may be easier to just replace the drain assembly, assuming the plumbing under the sink is standard. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Pfister-972053J-Assembly-Lavatory-Brushed/dp/B00D4AGXNG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1499876166&sr=8-4&keywords=lavatory+drain

I get a lot of my odd tools on Amazon, so I found the Superior Tool 05255

It hasn't let me down yet

Same thing happened to me with the cross member breaking. Not sure mine was as stuck as your but this worked well for me. Maybe use it with a breaker bar?

You could use an xt60 female and a male/male adapter on the charger instead to mate the two female ends.. safer but still prone to water damage etc.

Ideally you could use xt60 caps like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FUOFZE6/

Though personally I just use a piece of black electrical tape on the tip when not in use.

https://www.amazon.com/Superior-05255-Extractor-Removes-Stubborn-Drains/dp/B00C0M7DVA

Hammer it in and crank that drain out

Do you mean one of these?

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Overflow-Gasket-Aluminum-Bracket/dp/B01BXB7FIY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510679106&sr=8-2&keywords=tub+overflow+gasket

The accordion ones are the worst. I have used Snappy Trap and was pleased with it.

The important distinction is this is flexible but not compressible. The hoses do not get shorter, and the interior is smooth so no gunk build up, but it's flexible enough to give you some wiggle room. I used the kitchen sink kit and it worked great and gave me a good amount more space under the sink.

Obviously your mileage may vary, but I will never do an accordion pipe again, but this I've had no issues with.

Yeah I’m just having a hard time finding one. Home Depot doesn’t carry in store, amazon isn’t showing me any yet. As soon as I type no overflow, the results only show pop up ones that work with faucets without a pull stopper. Like this:

KES Bathroom Sink Drain without Overflow Vessel Sink Lavatory Vanity Pop Up Drain Stopper Oil Rubbed Bronze Finish, S2008D-ORB https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VWIR0A2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sFdsDbHK6WYFQ

Are you able to use a saw and cut the top section off since you're replacing it anyway? You'll need to find a way to get to the actual drain and then you'd use either needle nose pliers to twist the cross piece or when that inevitably breaks you'll get something like this for your toolbox https://www.amazon.com/Superior-05255-Extractor-Removes-Stubborn-Drains/dp/B00C0M7DVA

Do they have smaller tools? I recently put a new stopper in my tub, I had to buy this stupidly specialized thing called a drain extractor, which I'm sure I'll never use again... but it was the only way I could get the damn thing out.