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How to remove bath drain?

I removed a screw from my bathtub drain thinking I could remove the plug hole and clean it! However it’s fixed to the bathtub and I don’t have underneath access. I’ve been told that it may have held the water drainage system in place and that if I use the bath, it could cause a major leak when emptying? The house is about 12 yrs old. Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @anthonytodd71. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about bath drainage.

It would be a good idea to start by having a close look down through the drain grate using a torch to check whether the pipework underneath is still properly connected. If you can see that the PVC pipework is still in place beneath the drain, then you’re probably in the clear, and I’d suggest simply putting the screw back in to secure the drain assembly again.

If, however, when you look down you can see open space under the bath or something that doesn’t look like a connected PVC pipe, then there’s a chance the waste outlet may have loosened or shifted slightly. In that case, it’s best not to run the bath until you’ve confirmed it’s secure, as it could cause a leak when you empty the water.

Hopefully, the screw you removed was just locking the two halves of the drain grate together and the fitting is still held in place with silicone. Start by checking through the grate to see whether the plumbing underneath is still intact. If anything looks out of place or you can’t confirm the connection, it would be safest to call in a plumber to make sure nothing has come loose.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

anthonytodd71

Thank you 👍

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