How to remove a bath drain, and bath paint recommendation

[tonton]

Can anyone recommend a tool or method for removing an old (6 spoke) bath drain? Will I be able to remove and refit/replace it from above, or will I need to access underneath the bath as well?

I want to repaint the rusted area around the waste (it's a metal bath), does anyone have any paint recommendations? I'm not bothered about the colour matching perfectly.

 

[CountryFan]

Access underneath to remove that, if you're planning on re-using it then you'll need some new washers, assuming they're available. Look up bath repair kit for the paint.

 

[tonton]

Access underneath to remove that, if you're planning on re-using it then you'll need some new washers, assuming they're available. Look up bath repair kit for the paint.

Thanks. Though not the answer I was hoping for! My bath panelling will be particularly difficult to remove without damage.

I'll look up a bath repair kit.

 

[tonton]

Any tips for tackling this? It looks like some kind of lead collar has been used... Is that the method I should use when replacing it, or is there a better way?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Any tips for tackling this? It looks like some kind of lead collar has been used... Is that the method I should use when replacing it, or is there a better way?

Under the collar, is an actual nut, undo that, with a big spanner.

Clean off any loose rust, paint the rest with Phosphoric acid, or rust convertor, which is a clear solution, like water. once thoroughly dry, the rust will be black, then you can paint it. Making tape, a tidy circle, around the area to be repainted, then use a touch up kit, to cover the damage.

Buy, and fit, a complete replacement bath plug hole kit.

 

[Madrab]

Hmmmm - old bath with a lead sealing collar. You may find one that once off, if that nut will actually undo and come off, which is debatable, that the bath waste will probably be rusted through. Given the tooling marks on the bath trap and the old nut from what would probably have been a cast trap, I would suspect that someone has tried to tighten that up using a pair of grips and that's burst that lead seal and waste from the bath, over time it's just rusted up.

If that the case then unfortunately it's new bath time, it cannot be repaired.

 

[Koolpc]

The waste should undo ok. Spray it with ample WD40. Leave to soak around before undoing...

I have repainted an iron bath. I bought a kit. All went really good. Thing is, that was over 20 years ago....

There are decent kits around. Just rem to follow the instructions...

 

[Madrab]

The waste should undo ok

Have to disagree with you there - these old fittings do not go quietly, that's been on there from the word go. Also highlighted by the fact that the old original brass nut from the old cast trap has been left on the shank of the waste. It obviously didn't want to come quietly either so was just left there, especially given it's full of hemp. The trouble is there is no way of clamping the shank to stop it moving without damaging the brass threads and wrecking things further.

I also wouldn't be happy with the current trap, not too sure that's on properly either. I'd be preparing my client for the worst case with that the way it is.

 

[Koolpc]

Have to disagree with you there - these old fittings do not go quietly, that's been on there from the word go. Also highlighted by the fact that the old original brass nut from the old cast trap has been left on the shank of the waste. It obviously didn't want to come quietly either so was just left there, especially given it's full of hemp. The trouble is there is no way of clamping the shank to stop it moving without damaging the brass threads and wrecking things further.

I also wouldn't be happy with the current trap, not too sure that's on properly either. I'd be preparing my client for the worst case with that the way it is.

Have to disagree with you as i have had exactly the same, many years ago. I sprayed it with copious amounts of WD40 and let it soak in for quite sone time....it loosened quite easily after doing that...

Then, i bought a paint kit and in the end it looked brand new...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I sprayed it with copious amounts of WD40 and let it soak in for quite sone time....it loosened quite easily after doing that...

WD-40 is not the best, penetrating fluid would be better.

 

[Madrab]

Have to disagree with you as i have had exactly the same, many years ago. I sprayed it with copious amounts of WD40 and let it soak in for quite sone time....it loosened quite easily after doing that...

Believe you me - I've tackled quite a few of these in my time - come across them on occasion up here. Old cast iron baths with lead sealed brass wastes, onto a cast iron trap out onto a lead or copper waste pipe that then runs into a cast iron soil stack.

I'm not saying it won't go but in my professional opinion, I'd be warming the client up to having to replace the bath as a worst case. I can count on one hand how many times I've manage to get them all loosened up and apart in one piece.

No reason not to give it a punt though of course.

 

[Koolpc]

WD-40 is not the best, penetrating fluid would be better.

I just used what i had

 

[Mottie]

WD-40 is not the best, penetrating fluid would be better.

 

[dilalio]

Wd40 is no longer the same recipe so not as good as it once was.

All to do with lowering the use of VOCs

 

[tonton]

Have to disagree with you there - these old fittings do not go quietly, that's been on there from the word go. Also highlighted by the fact that the old original brass nut from the old cast trap has been left on the shank of the waste. It obviously didn't want to come quietly either so was just left there, especially given it's full of hemp. The trouble is there is no way of clamping the shank to stop it moving without damaging the brass threads and wrecking things further.

I also wouldn't be happy with the current trap, not too sure that's on properly either. I'd be preparing my client for the worst case with that the way it is.

Maybe the best idea is to just paint the bath from above without removing the waste at all?

I'll check how well the trap is attached. Everything has been in place without problems for years. I just wanted to paint the bath to make it look better and prevent the bath from rusting further. Though if I paint it without removing the waste, then the seal won't be that great so presumably it will still be prone to rusting, albeit under the chrome waste where no one can see it.