Leaking tub

[Seragilo]

Our tub seems to be leaking from the overflow. It leaks into our unfinished basement laundry room. We are in the middle of doing a simple reno to our bathroom - new sink, counter top and taps....is this going to turn into a major haul? Do we have to take the tub out to fix the leak? And if so....will the tile in the shower have to go too?

The more that say yes, the more chances I have of installing a surround and new tub...wink..wink...*snicker*

Thanks for the advice!
Seragilo

[Mike Swearingen]

If you want to re-do your tub/shower surround, "YES, YES, YES"...rip the whole nine yards out and start over. LOL
However, if you just want to repair the overflow leak, you can do that from the tub side.
Remove the bolt(s) from the overflow plate and remove it. If there is a drain assembly attached to it, lift it up and wiggle it out, out of the way. Clean and lube the assembly (WD-40) while you have it out.
There is a rubber gasket that goes between the back of the tub and the overflow pipe that the plate bolts to, and this gasket can dry rot over time. Replace that rubber gasket, and tighten the overflow plate back on.
Should seal it.
Good luck with the re-do. LOL
Mike

[Seragilo]

Thanks for the advice, just as an update we pretty much ripped out everything but the tub...sigh. The overflow has yet to be corrected but being you made it sound 'simple' we will be replacing the o-ring and seeing if that works.

Just waiting to see if my plumbing skills hold up to the pressure. I just replaced our old outdated double handled faucet with a single handled lever. So far so good, thanks to the help we receive here!!!

Thanks again,
Seragilo