How to Redirect a Tub Drain

The tub drain in your bathroom sometimes requires alteration when renovating your bathroom. The drain connects to a series of pipes that safely removes your tub water from the home. The pipes also separate sewage water from regular waste water to prevent bacteria contamination. Redirecting a tub drain requires careful work to ensure the job follows local building code. Have the finished product inspected by a professional upon completion to verify everything is legal and safe.

Things You'll Need

Towels
Tubing cutter
Plastic trap arm

Rubber coupling
Teflon tape

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off the water valves leading to the tub, so you don't have water flowing through the pipes while you work. This helps reduce water spillage. Lay towels under your work area to help prevent water damage during the job.
- 2
  Locate the section of piping under the tub that sends water into the sanitary tee, which branches waste water away from sewage water. It gets its name by looking like a T-shape, making it simpler to locate. Cut the pipe a few inches above the tee with a tubing cutter.
- 3
  Connect a plastic trap arm to the end of the pipe you just cut, using a rubber coupling. Twist the trap arm in place until the other end of the trap points in the direction you need it to go.
- 4
  Wrap the other end of the plastic trap arm in Teflon tape to help seal the eventual connection. Connect the trap arm to the pipe you're redirecting the drain to. The plastic pipes should have a male connection, while the metal pipe has a female connection so they screw together. Reversing this with a female plastic fitting and male metal fitting makes the piping more likely to leak.

How to Install a Compression Fitting on a Washing Machine Drain

How to Cement in a Closet Flange in the Basement

Plumbing