The bathtub drain stopper plays an unheralded but important role in the hygiene routines of many Americans. If you exclusively take showers to get clean, you probably don't think twice about the drain plug, and might not even own one. For a relaxing bath, however, the drain plug is even more important than candles and a rubber ducky. Read on for tips on how to install a universal drain plug if yours is missing or malfunctioning.

A DIY Bathroom Plumbing Repair

There are plenty of reasons you might need to install a new drain plug in your tub. Even a tiny leak around the seal of a stopper can be annoying and wasteful. Perhaps the old plug has become lost or broken, or you're tired of dealing with a standalone plug that gets in the way when you aren't using it. Or maybe you just want to update the look of your tub. Fortunately, you can purchase kits that include press-on drain stoppers and overflow caps that will fit in most tubs.

Replacing the stopper is one of the simpler bathroom plumbing repairs you can take on. The kit should have supplies that allow you to either screw the new stopper into your drain flange or glue it into the tub using an adhesive. It's easier and less time consuming to screw in the part, but that may not be an option because your flange doesn't have threads, or they don't match up with the new plug. If the plug isn't a perfect fit, you can also use the silicone adhesive to fill in any gaps and create a better seal. Keep in mind that if you use glue, you need to wait several hours for it to harden before you can test or use the tub.

Don't Forget the Overflow Cap

If you purchase a press-on drain stopper, there's no need to hook it up to a new or existing lever that you control via a switch on the overflow cap. This makes your bathroom plumbing repair far simpler than it would be otherwise. However, you still might find it worthwhile to replace the overflow cap with a new model, even if just for aesthetic purposes so it matches the new drain plug.

In some cases, you can simply unscrew the old overflow cap and replace it with a shiny new one. However, the job gets more complicated if you have an old drain lever that you want to remove. In that scenario, you might need some extra tools to extract pins and pull out all the old parts.

Expert Help in Your Bathroom Today

If you aren't up to the task of installing a new drain stopper on your own, or you need any other assistance with bathroom repairs, contact an expert local plumber. Contact us at (800) 259-7705!