The Main Bathtub Parts And How They Work

Every homeowner should understand the different bathtub parts and how they work for easy tub repairs if something goes wrong. Understanding the parts of a tub also makes it easy to upgrade your bathtub with new replacement stoppers or tub fixtures. The main parts of a bathtub besides the tub itself include the means to supply water to the tub, and the framework of plumbing pipes and drains to control the flow of water.

The basic parts of a bathtub include:

Water supply - the water supply is the pipes that bring the water to your tub with a hot water and a cold water supply pipe.

Diverter pipe – a diverter pipe is often used to connect the hot and cold water supply to come out of the same faucet. They are used in many sinks and tubs and to send water to the shower. If you suddenly experience low water pressure, it is a good idea to check your diverter pipe.

Shut off valves - in newer homes built within the last 40 years, many fixtures will have a separate stop valve to shut off the supply to the fixture. In case of emergency, without shutoff valves, you would have to shut off the main supply to the house. If you do not have separate stop valves on your water supply, you may want to install them in case of emergency.

Tub faucet - your tub might have a separate faucet for hot and cold water control or it could have one handle to control the temperature from both hot and cold water supply. Your faucets control the flow and temperature of water entering the tub.

Bathtub drain - the tub drain is a key component of any bathtub, allowing for easy draining of water. The body of the tub is typically designed so that water will run towards the drain to exit the tub. A drainpipe is affixed under the drain to take your tub water to the main waste drain. If your drain is clogged, it is usually from a buildup of hair or debris and it may be a good time to change or tub stopper and make sure that you have a drain cover.

Tub stopper - your bathtub stopper holds water in your tub and can easily be controlled to let water flow out of the drain. If your tub stopper is not holding water, you should replace it with an easy to install product like the SimpliQuick® Tub Fix by Watco. This is a very simple tub stopper replacement with a high-quality product from a trusted name like Watco.

Overflow pipe - the overflow drain sits up high just a few inches away from the top of the tub, usually directly above the tub drain, and sometimes with a lever sticking out to control a trip lever stopper. The overflow drain protects against overflowing if the water is accidentally left on or gets too full. Watco provides a patented snap-on Innovator® Overflow that will retrofit any one-, two-hole or even a trip lever overflow.

Other plumbing pipes under the tub include the trap, also called in S-bend, which traps water in that part of the pipe to prevent gasses from passing into your home while still allowing wastewater to flow out of the house.

To learn more about replacing the most common bathtub parts like a new tub stopper or an overflow plate, FixMyDrain.com offers quality tub repair and replacement parts from Watco that are easy to install.

FixMyDrain.com has everything you need to replace your tub stopper in minutes, even if your tub drain is corroded or missing crossbars. The SimpliQuick® Tub Fix is a quality push pull stopper that allows for easy, high flow draining with a reliable, watertight seal. Check out FixMyDrain.com for quality bathtub repair parts with easy to follow videos that show you exactly how they work and how to replace them.