We ordered the Designers Impressions Toe Tap Drain Overflow Trim Kit to replace the worn-out, old lever-style drains and overflows that were original to our house. You know the kind, the ones with the levers in the overflow that wear out over time and either don’t open or don’t close. These popup drains area much cleaner modern style, and they only rely on one moving part.
In the box
Each box comes with the popup drain, the overflow cover, and a pack of two screws for attaching the cover. Ours actually came with two packs of screws, which I’m pretty certain was an accident.
The materials are of a decent weight, and do not seem overly flimsy. They are definitely not a solid brass like you would expect from a high end brand. We ordered the satin nickel finish, but there are many other finish options available through other brands.
Installation
Installing a popup drain is about as straightforward as can be – as long as your old drain isn’t rusted in place. Luckily our 30-some year old plumbing is all pvc pipe, so removal of the old drains was easy.
Use a sink drain wrench such as the BrassCraft Tub Drain Remover (which we found to be a good quality drain wrench) with a flat head screwdriver through the holes in the wrench to unscrew the old drain. Then clean out any old plumbers putty and residue from around the drain hole opening.
To install the new popup drain you’ll need to unscrew the center post so the drain wrench can be use different to screw it back in. No plumbers putty is required since the drain includes a rubber gasket for between the drain and tub. Screw in the new drain until the rubber gasket is fully compressed, or as tight as you can get using the screwdriver with average force.
Once the drain is installed, you’ll need to screw the center post back in – this is what provides the actual popup drain function. If this came apart when you unscrewed it, make certain that the upper gasket is reinstalled correctly (as pictured below). This only needs to be finger tightened.
The last step is to remove and replace the old overflow cover. Remove the two screws holding it in place, then pull up and out to get the linkage and stopper weight out. Then simply put the new cover in place and tighten the included screws.
Replacing our old bath tub drains with new popup drains couldn’t have been any easier. We like the cleaner, more modern look and really love the fact we no longer have to fiddle with the lever to get the drain open or closed.
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