left bleach on tub drain...

Court

Ooops! So I accidently left some bleach sitting in/on top of the drain to my bathtub. I meant to only leave it there for a few minutes and then wash it down the drain... well; I got side tracked in my cleaning. Now I have black pits on the drain itself and the top piece that pushes in to hold water in the tub. We normally don’t use this tub for baths (only showers) and I don’t think it’s a big deal-- is it? I believe my drain to be chrome plated "lift and drain" and we just have one of those basic one piece acrylic tubs. As far as I can tell, the only damage is the black pits on the drain itself.

Thoughts? Should I replace the drain? Most of what I’ve found online leads me to believe that replacing the drain seems pretty easy...

Thanks!

kenmac

If you want the nice shinny finish again .. You'll have to replace

gma2rjc

I just bought a replacement for mine yesterday. The one I'm replacing is only a year and a half old. It's the kind you push down to close the drain and push down again to open the drain. I won't buy that kind again. I've talked to a couple other people who have had problems with theirs too.

When the last one was put in, I had to go buy a special tool to install it. It might be called a drain wrench (not sure of the name). When you're at the store, ask someone in the plumbing dept. if you need to get one to install your new drain. Or, better yet, maybe someone here will be able to tell you.

myworkshop

Bleach will eat away at any metal. It is a corrosive chemical that will break down metal and ruin the finish. You can use it for a quick clean up in the sink (diluted), toilet or any porcelain surface. It must be washed off with 10-15 min depending on your mixture. I would replace the drain & stopper.

JDC

The tool you'll need is commonly referred to as a "dumbell" due to its shape. Yes, it looks like one....

The function of the tub drain has probably not been affected, but those black pits are going to continue to cause deterioration of the finish. In time your entire drain will lose all its chrome and the metal itself will be pitted. Replacing the drain isnt the worst job in the world, but sometimes getting the threads lined up with the drain shoe can be frustrating. Patience is definitely a virtue at that point. If the drain shoe is pvc BE SURE not to get the drain crossthreaded as pvc female threads are completely unforgiving.