Trip Lever Tub Drain Won't Stay Open? (We Have A Fix)

There’s something undeniably heavenly about soaking in a warm bath after a long day. But, a relaxing bath becomes anything but when the water won’t drain properly (or won’t stay in the tub).

Issues with your tub draining or holding on to water often result from a faulty trip lever. If the trip lever gets stuck or has damage, this could prevent it from opening all the way. When this happens, the water won’t drain properly from your tub.

In some cases, the trip lever can also get stuck the opposite way, keeping water from staying in the tub. This can be especially frustrating when you’re trying to soak in the bathtub. Either way, if your trip lever isn’t doing its job, it’s best to address the issue as soon as possible.

You likely know exactly what a trip lever does. It’s located behind your tub wall, usually under the faucet, and controls the drain stopper. A metal plate usually hides the trip lever, and you operate it via a switch connected to the lever.

Typically, a metal link system connects the lever to a rod that controls the drain stopper. Similar to the design you might notice in many bathroom sinks. When you pull the rod up behind the faucet, it causes the drain stopper to go down, and vice versa.

This visible toggle switch is what you’re likely very familiar with seeing. After all, you use it every time you take a bath. However, to see the trip lever itself, you would have to remove the plate that hides it.

Since you can’t see the trip lever, you need to rely on how water behaves in the tub. You might also notice an issue if the toggle switch feels loose or won’t go up or down all of the way.

Various things can cause a faulty trip lever or make your trip lever stick. In a lift-bucket system, sometimes the plunger can get caught in the overflow tube. When this happens, the plunger can’t move freely, so it won’t go up and down correctly.

Another possibility is an ill-adjusted vertical rod. If the vertical rod is in an improper position, the plunger may not be able to drop far down enough. Therefore, it won’t be able to seal the drain opening adequately.

With pop-up stoppers, the horizontal connecting rod sometimes shortens with use or can bend. When this happens, it can’t control the stopper properly.

You might notice the stopper can’t open enough to drain the tub. Instead, it stays closed most of the time.

If your tub won’t drain well (or at all), or conversely, won’t hold water properly, it’s time to investigate. You might also notice you can’t operate the switch well; it’s either too loose or stuck in place.

In either case, it’s time for some basic troubleshooting. Remove the cover plate and examine the metal link system. Ensure that everything is connected correctly.

If it’s difficult to see because of grime and dirt, try a cleaner. Use something like CLR to cut through lime and calcium buildup and rust. You might find, if the mechanism was overly dirty, cleaning fixes the issue.

However, if there is damage to the link system, it’s best to replace it. Or, you could alternatively switch out the trip lever for another type of drain stopper.

Reinsert the applicable items back through the overflow opening and connect as necessary. Then use the screwdriver to put the cover plate back into place. Turn on the water and test out the stopper a few times to ensure it’s working properly.

If this didn’t solve your issue, or there’s lots of rust or corrosion, it’s best to replace the entire assembly. You can call a professional to handle the job or attempt it yourself if you’re confident in your plumbing skills.

Now it’s time to remove the stopper and the stopper body. The stopper body is the metal ring that surrounds the tub drain.

You can remove the stopper relatively easily by either pulling or twisting it out of the opening. Then, put on the gloves and goggles before removing the stopper’s body. You’ll use the hacksaw to cut a small notch in the ring, then dislodge it with the hammer and chisel.

The gloves and goggles will protect you from any random shards that might pop up onto your face or hands. Toss out the old stopper and stopper body.

Related Questions

Is there a quick fix if my bathtub won’t retain water?

Is your tub not holding enough water, but you don’t want to deal with major DIY fixes or tools? You could get a silicone suction tub stopper for about $4 on Amazon or a home store. If your tub drains with no problem and you just need to keep it full, this works in a pinch. It’s at least a temporary solution until you get around to a more permanent DIY fix or calling a plumber. 

What are other types of bathtub drain stoppers?

In addition to trip-levers, there are also lift-and-turn, push-and-pull, pop-up, toe-touch, and flip-it stoppers. Most of these are relatively simple to operate and clean, with the exceptions of trip-levers and pop-ups. If you need to replace your trip-lever, you might want to consider swapping to an easier stopper option.