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Bathtub Replacement Step By Step
Warning: Replacing a heavy piece may result in harm for amateurs. Professional hiring is advised.
In order to remove a bathtub, you must consider a lot of the effort it takes. From wall removal to toilet and sink removal there is a lot of work to do. Additionally, since the new bathtub probably has a different size, you better measure before even starting the job.
A lot of material is going to trash in a replacement. Tiles, sinks, even some hoses might not endure the collateral damage of the project. Regardless if you want to do it by yourself or not, you’re needing professional plumbing after that
Remove The Old Tub
To successfully start your bathtub changing you must take off what is old. To do so, you must cut the water supply first. Then it is a matter of disconnecting all the pipes and pulling the bathtub as hard as you can. Remember to make some room in your bathroom before that.
On the other hand, if your bathtub is free-standing, here are the steps to follow.
- There may be an access panel on the backside of the plumbing wall of the bathtub. If not, this wall will most likely be finished with drywall, plaster, and lath, or paneling. Remove the access panel of the wall surface so the piping is exposed. Find the wallboard joint and work from this point.
- Again, turn off the water.
- Disconnect the tub drain using a large adjustable wrench or Channel-lock pliers. Then loosen the slip nut connecting the overflow pipe that runs from the bathtub drain pipe.
- Remove the wall covering (such as tile) from around the tub.
- With a pry bar and a piece of scrap wood to protect the wall, gently pry the tub away from the wall. Go completely around the tub. With a helper, try moving the tub out a tad more.
- Hopefully, you will be able to move the tub straight out from the wall. If so, put down some 1×4 skids or a piece of plywood so the tub won’t damage the floor. You will need a helper for this. Bathtubs weigh plenty. Don’t try to move the tub alone.
Installing The New Tub
It is heavy-duty to install a new bathtub. The procedure is similar to the removing process but backward. The tub size of the new bathtub should be approximately the same size as the old bathtub. Check all pipes and water connections to fit the new tub before installing.
Let’s go step by step:
- With skids in position and a helper to assist you, move the new tub into the tub space. Align the water supply and drain pipes accordingly. Watch for the level of the tub all the time.
- Connect the drain and water supply pipes. The slip connection is simply pulled up or down on the drain pipe and the slip nuts tightened.
- The drains in the tub are seated in the plumber’s putty before it is pressed into place and the strainer cap is tightened. The lift rod for the drain stopper may have a turnbuckle type arrangement. You turn the turnbuckle to adjust the linkage so the drain stopper seats properly into the drain opening in the bottom of the tub.
- The hot and cold water faucets are screwed onto the fittings on the supply pipes. Use joint compound on the male threads only to seal the threads as the fixtures are tightened. To complete the project, screw on the hot/cold faucet handles.
- Measure for the tub spout from the face of the drain nipple in the wall to the face of the wall. Then measure from the threaded coupling inside the spout to the edge of the spout, plus about 1/2 to 5/8 inch. If the spout is too long or deep to accept the threads, you will have to increase the length of the nipple.
- If you had to cut the pipes to remove the tub, replace the pipes, go back to the first connection you can find, and work toward the tub from this point. Reinstall any other fixtures you may have had to remove. Check for leaks opening water supplies.
- Finish the wall around the tub. If you have to replace the wall around the tub, we recommend that you use a cement backer board. Regular drywall may be used on the other side of the framing. Add new framing where the old was cut to make room for the tub removal. Apply the drywall, tape, and sand it, and then finish the wall.
The usual recommendation is always to hire professional people to get the work properly done. However, bathtub replacement is messy, expensive, and leaves your bathroom closed for weeks. Refinishing is better.