When a pop-up drain stopper in a sink or bathtub stops working, how do you fix it? This expert guide shows how drain stoppers work and how to repair them. Pop-ups are simple mechanical devices that use a system of links and levers to move a drain stoppers up and down to seal a sink bowl or bathtub. Bathroom sink pop-ups are raised and lowered with a lift knob or lever, usually located on or near the faucet body. The knob or lever is connected to a lift rod that is fastened to a flat, slotted bar called a “clevis.” The clevis is connected by a small spring clip to a pivot rod–and–ball assembly—a rod that runs through a rubber pivot ball and slopes slightly upward to the tailpiece of the stopper. This pushes the stopper up or lets it drop down into the drain body. Pushing the knob and the lift rod down causes the pivot rod to push the stopper up; pulling the knob causes the pivot rod to pull the stopper down. If you want to remove the assembly, you may be able to pull it right out.

On a bathroom sink, it’s often necessary to remove the retaining nut and extract the pivot rod first. Red Tie Dye CurtainsYou may have to twist the stopper to unhook it from the pivot rod.Teak Outdoor Furniture Asheville Nc A bathtub pop-up is raised or lowered with a lever at the tub’s overflow plate.Bamboo Flooring Best Quality The lever operates a lift linkage that pulls on a spring. The spring pulls a rocker arm that raises and lowers the stopper (see the illustration). It is usually very simple to pull out the stopper and rocker arm linkage. Click here to buy pop-up drain stoppers online. Stoppers that don’t close can keep the drain or tub from filling properly and waste water. Stoppers that don’t open readily or don’t open all the way make water drain sluggishly.

These kinds of stopper problems are mechanical and can be solved with simple adjustments. It’s easy to remove a tub stopper to check it for mechanical problems or blockage. 1. Simply grip the stopper body and pull it out of the drain along with the hinged rocker arm. 2. Clear the stopper and rocker arm of hair and debris. 3. Check the rubber seal for damage and, if necessary, replace it. Remove the old seal and slip on a new one if needed. 4. Reinstall the stopper and rocker arm. Make sure the flange is tightly seated and in good shape. (Older tubs may have corroded flanges.) For more, see Bathtub Pop-Up Repairs. Water may leak or refuse to drain around a sink pop-up for a number of reasons. If your sink pop-up won’t pop up or seat properly, fixing it is quite easy—usually just a matter of adjusting a few parts. The culprit is often a buildup of hair around the base of the stopper or the pivot rod mechanism. Or, the clevis may be out of adjustment (see illustration to identify the various parts).

Here’s how to fix the problem: 1With a slight twist, try to lift out the stopper. If it seems to be linked to the mechanism below, reach under the sink and unscrew the pivot rod retaining nut and pull out the pivot rod to disengage it. 2Lift the stopper from the drain. Clean off all hair and debris. If the stopper is broken or its seal looks worn, replace it. 3Face the hole at the bottom of the stopper toward the pivot rod’s location, and drop the stopper back into the drain hole. Insert the pivot rod so that it engages the hole in the bottom of the stopper, and tighten on the retaining nut with the stopper in its up position. When the drain is closed, the pivot rod should slope slightly uphill from the clevis to the tailpiece. 4Loosen the set screw on the clevis and adjust the strap up or down so that it operates the pivot rod to open and close the stopper. Retighten the set screw. 5If adjusting the clevis screw doesn’t help, reset the pivot rod by squeezing the spring clip and freeing the pivot rod.

Move the clip up to the next clevis hole and insert the rod. You may need to keep tweaking this a little to find the right hole on the clevis. 6If water drips from around the pivot ball, tighten the retaining nut that holds the ball in place. You may also need to replace the gasket or washer (or both) inside the pivot ball-and-rod assembly. Keeping drains clear of hair, soap and shampoo residue, and other debris is one of the best ways to help keep pop-up stoppers in good working order. Featured Resource: Get a Pre-Screened Local Plumbing ProExpert advice on how to repair a bathtub, with illustrated diagrams and information on how to fix a bathtub drain stopper, spa jets, and bathtub cleaning tips. Tubs tend to work without mishap for years, except for minor problems such as clogs, which are commonly caused by hair buildup, and issues with pop-up stoppers that control the tub’s drain. We’ll look at problems with pop-up stoppers on this page. For a tub that drains poorly, see Clearing Bathtub Drain Problems.

A common problem with bathtubs is that the pop-up stopper doesn’t close fully, fit the drain flange tightly, or open easily when the lever or knob is engaged. Stoppers that don’t close can keep the tub from filling properly, thereby wasting water. These kinds of stopper problems are mechanical and can be solved with simple adjustments to their workings. A bathtub pop-up is a two-part mechanism: first, the stopper, which has a rocker arm that extends back toward the drain, and second, the overflow assembly, a lever that lifts or lowers a rod with a spring-like end. When you flip the overflow lever up, it pushes the rod down on the stopper’s rocker arm, which raises the stopper. Flip the lever up, and it lifts the rod, allowing the stopper to drop down and plug the drain. Depending upon the type of pop-up, you adjust the way the stopper seats either by adjusting the length of the striker rod or by adjusting the rocker arm. To adjust the overflow assembly, remove the screws that secure the overflow cover plate, and pull the plate and lever away from the overflow hole, partially pulling out the mechanism.