Leaking Bath Waste

[BathDIY]

Bath waste is leaking, its fitted together with a screw going down into the centre of the plughole. This screw seems to compress together the system bringing the 2 pieces together to get the seal, looking around it looks like a budget dial type fitting. We want to replace the bath in the fullness of time but I also want the leak to stop. I can feel silicone around the system under the bath and the chipboard around the area is rather wet.

My first thought is to replace the waste system, but it seems to me that I could just remove silicone and try to repair unless there's a good reason not to do this.

What's the best way to remove the silicone, is there a product I can use? Have heard about WD40 but I don't want to make the area impossible to re-silicone when I come to repair.

What could/should I use to reseal and make watertight am assuming sticks like s##t might work?

 

[terryplumb]

There would usually be a rubber seal between the underside of the bath and the waste fitting below ,which makes the joint watertight without the need of anything else. Maybe whoever fitted yours omitted it and used silicone.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

There would usually be a rubber seal between the underside of the bath and the waste fitting below ,which makes the joint watertight without the need of anything else. Maybe whoever fitted yours omitted it and used silicone.

Or used silicon as well because they could, or because the waste isn't sitting square with the underside of the bath due to floorboards or loo waste in the way or just general incompetence. If you can get at the underside bits then take it off, clean all the silicon off, replace the rubber washer and try again. The silicon will usually just roll off the joint face with your fingers, no need for any solvents. Rubber grease on the rubber washer will compensate for a fair bit of roughness in the joint.

 

[BathDIY]

Thanks guys.

Just in case the rubber washer isn't present where could I get one from and what should I ask for?

Could I use silicone as an alternative temporary fix? And if so what product would you suggest?

Justin

 

[oldbutnotdead]

If the washer is AWOL or damaged then best bet is take the bottom bit of the waste to a plumbers merchant (Plumbase or similar) and ask them for a rubber washer to fit. Or buy one of these https://www.toolstation.com/chained-bath-waste-with-overflow/p90876 or similar and use the washer from it. Don't use silicon, it'll make a mess and won't work unless you can get a flat bead all the way round and wait for it to cure before you reassemble.

 

[BathDIY]

Thanks for all your help.

 

[gasbusters]

I always use a washer AND silicone. A bath full of water emptying will likely leak if no silicone is used under the bath.