Usually. Going through the overflow drain gets you straight into the drain without having to make the sharp bend in the tub drain. There could be a trap that comes apart in the drain underneath if it is accessible.
One the end of the tub above the drain there is a plate. It may be where you close the drain off or it may just be a cover plate. It is open on the bottom edge and goes into the drain so that the tub cannot overflow.
This is called a direct drain and they are not easy to find compared to tub drains that drain via the overflow pipe. Watco and Dearborn Brass both make kits to do this, available in the US.
Typically right under the faucet in a bathtub is a round metal piece with holes. This is an overflow outlet. It connects to the bathtub drain. If water rises over that disk, it will go through the overflow...so your tub does not fill completely and overflow the edge of the tub. The overflow prevents accidental flooding of the bathroom.
Do you have the tub where you can measure it? If so, measure from the back of the tub to the center of the overflow, that will give you the measurement for the drain.
Drain cleaner or a snake. If you use a snake, take the overflow plate off on the side of the tub above the drain and go down from there. That saves making the sharp bend if you go through the drain itself. It may be hair wrapped around the drain shut off which will come out when you remove it from the overflow tube.
tub drains can leak from several locations .The tub drain it,s self,the trap,However most leaks on tubs come from the tub valve or from the walls needing caulk Call a plumber for a price .Then plan to get your hands a little dirty an keep looking you will find it
Can someone please assist. I am have the same issue. Toronto CA
You can access the tub drain by cutting through the ceiling below, or cutting through the side wall backing up to the tub.
NO -- you will have to open up wall behind tub to see where it is leaking from.
The bath filler waste is directly connected to the trap and overflow water is supposed to drain there -it is not a leak.
AnswerIt may not, but it should. The International Residential Code gave this clarification: "Yes. An overflow is required to remove displaced water when a bather enters the bathtub or to protect against accidental flooding resulting from an unattended filling operation."Most tub drains lead to the same outflow pipe as the bottom drain, so if the pipe has a blockage, it will do no good. Also, the rate of flow of water into the tub can exceed the ability of the over-flow drain to keep up.