Bathtub Trip Lever Not Working: Causes and Solutions

The trip lever working inside your bathtub may seem like a tiny little part. But the role it plays is huge. It makes sure the water inside your bathtub holds and drains properly. Perhaps that’s why discovering that the bathtub trip lever is not working all of a sudden feels awful.

The most common reason behind a bathtub trip lever not working is buildup inside the system. It can also happen from improper adjustment. To troubleshoot, you need to clean and adjust the parts.

This guide will help you figure out exactly how you can do that and fix the trip lever.

How Does a Bathtub Trip Lever Work?

Understanding the mechanism of a bathtub trip lever makes it easier for you to determine why it’s not working. First and foremost exactly, what is a trip lever for?

A trip lever is a controller you can find on the top of the tub spout, and it is for triggering the overflow plate and water release in a bathtub.

Generally, there are two styles of stoppers. Pop-up and trip lever stoppers. In a pop-up stopper, it goes down and up once you press it down. So it’s basically spring activated that seals the drain. 

Without the spring mechanism, a pop-up bath plug won’t stay down. This is unlike a trip lever stopper. It works with a strainer over the drain.

Compared to its comrade, trip levers are tricky in mechanism. It works based on a connection between a lever and the drain grate. There is a rod mechanism inside the wall that is behind the bathtub. This rod links the drain grate with the lever.

Now if you notice the image given above, you’ll see that there is a plunger inside the overflow pipe. This is the part that opens or closes the drain pipe by moving up and down. So that the grate can operate.

When the Trip Lever Is Up:

When the Trip lever is down:

One more part that exists in this mechanism is the overflow plate. It’s basically a part that rotates for raising or lowering the plunger. Now that you know how the different levers work, let’s determine the reason.

Why Is Your Bathtub Trip Lever Not Working?

I’ve put down some common bathtub trip lever problems that can make it malfunction.

Troubleshooting a Bathtub Trip Lever that’s Not Working

This troubleshooting will target the major causes that trigger problems in a bathtub trip lever. These are:

Cleaning Build Ups and Making Adjustments

You need to disassemble the assembly to access the parts that require cleaning and adjustment. Since the assembly can vary from different manufacturers, it’s a good idea to check the manual.

Now Exactly How Do You Clean and Adjust a Trip Lever on a Bathtub?

The Bathtub Trip Lever Is Not Working Because It’s Stuck

When dealing with a bathtub trip lever stuck closed, you have to consider the exact cause behind it. Perhaps some buildup has made the trip lever drain stopper stuck. Or it can also happen from the expansion of parts.

To check, you need to remove the plate and have a look at the links that are connected to the lever and stopping mechanisms. The trip lever could be stuck when the links have difficulty moving due to the gunk. You simply need to clean it using CLR or a similar agent.

The link mechanisms or other parts down there can also be broken, causing the situation. In such a complicated scenario, you need to remove the trip lever as well. 

However, quite obviously, the bathtub trip lever won’t come out that easily. So exactlyhow do you remove a stuck trip lever?

You remove a stuck trip lever by taking help from a loosening agent such as WD-40. After the trip lever is loose enough, you can try removing it with a pair of pliers.

Replacing the Bathtub Trip Lever

If the assembly seems to be broken or severely corroded, it’s a good idea to consider a bathtub trip lever replacement. In case you are still not sure whether changing the trip lever is necessary or not, consider these signs that indicate you should replace it:

If you are familiar with one or more of these signs, then probably it’s a good idea to change the bathtub trip lever. Also, the replacement is not a complicated process.

Wrapping Up

Now you know the most common causes of why your bathtub trip lever is not working. Try these solutions and I hope you will be able to fix the problem. Also, consider replacing the trip lever if it’s pretty old and shows severe signs of damage.

I will see you soon in my next guide, take care!