morningside
New Member
Howdy,
Our house has an old tub with a cable-drive rotary-turn drain similar to the Kohler model pictured below (but at least 20-30 years old). The overflow plate functions as a knob, which you twist to open and close the drain stopper. This old rotary-turn drain is partly corroded and no longer works well, and I would like to replace it with a simple Moen push-n-lock drain like this.
Is it possible to replace the old rotary mechanism without also removing and replacing the PVC pipe connecting the overflow to the drain? It would be enormously difficult (and/or expensive, if we hire a plumber) to lift out the entire tub for the sole purpose of replacing the PVC pipe. But I can't figure out if the PVC piping that came with the original rotary-turn drain can accommodate another, simpler drain system, like the push-n-lock.
One apparent problem is that the drain itself does not appear to screw into the tub, but instead appears to be affixed directly to the PVC pipe. When I "unscrewed" the drain ring, I didn't see any threading; it just seemed to have been wedged into place. By contrast, push-n-lock and other drains appear to have either a 1-1/2" (coarse thread) or 1-3/8" (fine thread) screw-in system, which seems to be designed to screw into the tub itself.
If you can't replace one of these cable-drive rotary-turn drains without lifting up the tub and replacing the pipes, that seems like a big disadvantage! It turns a relatively simple DIY project (installing a new drain mechanism and overflow plate) into a major endeavor.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Our house has an old tub with a cable-drive rotary-turn drain similar to the Kohler model pictured below (but at least 20-30 years old). The overflow plate functions as a knob, which you twist to open and close the drain stopper. This old rotary-turn drain is partly corroded and no longer works well, and I would like to replace it with a simple Moen push-n-lock drain like this.
Is it possible to replace the old rotary mechanism without also removing and replacing the PVC pipe connecting the overflow to the drain? It would be enormously difficult (and/or expensive, if we hire a plumber) to lift out the entire tub for the sole purpose of replacing the PVC pipe. But I can't figure out if the PVC piping that came with the original rotary-turn drain can accommodate another, simpler drain system, like the push-n-lock.
One apparent problem is that the drain itself does not appear to screw into the tub, but instead appears to be affixed directly to the PVC pipe. When I "unscrewed" the drain ring, I didn't see any threading; it just seemed to have been wedged into place. By contrast, push-n-lock and other drains appear to have either a 1-1/2" (coarse thread) or 1-3/8" (fine thread) screw-in system, which seems to be designed to screw into the tub itself.
If you can't replace one of these cable-drive rotary-turn drains without lifting up the tub and replacing the pipes, that seems like a big disadvantage! It turns a relatively simple DIY project (installing a new drain mechanism and overflow plate) into a major endeavor.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
