Knowing the similarities and differences among the types is necessary when it comes time to fix your drain stopper or choose a new one. Some kinds of drain stoppers can make it rather tricky to routinely unclog the drain due to hair and debris. Below, we’ll break down the ins and outs of common styles of bathtub drain stoppers to help you identify yours. This type of stopper is installed by screwing a center setscrew into the threaded center of the drain crossbar. The setscrew is found beneath the top cap of the stopper. Removing a lift-and-turn stopper can be a little tricky if it was overtightened when first installed or if it hasn’t been removed in some time. But overall, this is a durable, inexpensive, and simple design that rarely needs attention, other than occasionally removing the plug to rid the drain of hair and debris. Like the lift-and-turn stopper, this also is an inexpensive and simple mechanical design that rarely requires much in the way of repair. Over time, it will wear out based on use. Like the preceding stopper types, this one is inexpensive and relatively trouble-free. However, the spring mechanism eventually will wear out based on use. This stopper is inexpensive and easily installed with no tools. To install, you simply push it into the drain. The drain just can’t have a built-in strainer in the way. The stopper is fairly low-maintenance, though eventually the O-rings will wear out and need replacing. This stopper operates using a plunger in the tub overflow pipe, which moves up and down to close and open the tub’s drain pipe. The plunger is connected to the trip lever via a rod inside the overflow tube. When the trip lever is down, the plunger is lifted and the drain is open; when the trip lever is up, the plunger is forced down and the drain is closed. A variation does not use a lever but rather a twist cover on the overflow plate that rotates to raise and lower the plunger. Like the trip-lever stopper, this type is fairly inexpensive, though installation and maintenance can be complicated. To clean, the stopper and rocker arm must be extracted through the drain opening, and the connecting rod linkage must be extracted up through the overflow pipe and out through the overflow plate. Moreover, the complexity of the mechanism makes this stopper type susceptible to collecting hair and debris. It’s possible to substitute one drain stopper type for another if you’re replacing an existing stopper, which can broaden your choices. For example, lift-and-turn and push-and-pull stoppers are simple to swap for one another, as their installation is similar. It’s even fairly easy to exchange a lever design for one sans lever. But it takes more substantial plumbing work to add a lever drain stopper due to the connection with the overflow pipe. You’ll also want to consider ease of use when choosing a drain stopper. For example, some people prefer a toe-touch stopper because they can open and close it without having to bend over. Finally, you’ll have to consider what your drain can accommodate. A flip-it stopper, for instance, cannot be plugged into drains with built-in strainers.
