Tub Drain Types

Pop-Up

• A pop-up drain is a two-piece, lever-activated unit. One piece houses the pop-up lever and the other piece serves as the drain plate. When you want to fill the tub with water for a bath, you depress the lever with your hand or foot. This plugs the drain opening so water stays in the tub. Then to empty the tub of water after bathing, you depress the lever again and the action reverses to open the drain plate and allow water to flow down the drain.

Stationary

• A stationary drain is another type of lever-activated unit. However, unlike a pop-up drain, a stationary drain does not pop up. When you depress the stopper to fill the tub, the drain plate moves down, less than one-half of an inch. To drain the water, the action reverses. Since there is only a small gap when the drain is open, stationary drains are better at preventing hair and objects from flowing down the drain, in comparison to pop-up drains.

Foot Lock

• Foot lock drains have a stopper made with a metal or plastic cover. Foot lock drains have a cone-shaped lining, from four to six inches long underneath the cover. The bottom of the cone plugs and unplugs the drain opening. To close the drain you depress the top of the cover with your foot and press it again after bathing to release the water.

Roller Ball

• A roller ball drain has a small knob attached to the top of the stopper. To close the drain opening and fill the tub, you grasp the knob with your fingers and pull it up. To open the drain, you press down on the knob.

Lift and Turn

• A lift and turn operates and looks similar to a roller ball drain. However, as the name implies, you lift and turn the knob. By lifting it up and turning it clockwise, you unlock the drain to allow water to empty the tub. To close the drain, you turn the knob counterclockwise to fill the tub.

Waste and Overflow

• Waste and overflow drains are often found in vintage claw foot tubs and replicas. In fact, the name “claw foot tub drain” is also used for waste and overflow drains. These drains have a waste tube that connects to the drain hole and an overflow drain on the walls of the tub. The waste drain is used to empty the tub of bath water. The overflow drain is usually on the side or back of the tub and a few inches below the rim of the tub. The purpose of the overflow drain is to prevent the tub from overfilling and flooding the bathroom floor.