[miamicuse]

If you have ever tried to remove a bathtub drain strainer/basket from the drain shoe, especially one that has the cross bars broken off or rusted out, you know it's a very tedious and frustrating task of trying internal friction wrench, or slicing it open vertically, or cutting a slot and "drifting" it open with a chisel.


I am installing a new one and I am wondering if I should use an anti-seize product on the threads to make it easier if I want to remove it in the future, say 5 years down the road. Anyone else do it? Does it work or not?


In addition, what goes under the strainer flange? I have always used plumber's putty but more and more people are saying silicone. Preferences?

 

[dj3]

Use a tool called Expando tub drain remover (use an adjustable wrench to tighten it) and a lot of patience. You might need a hammer and chisel too.

 

[huesmann]

To me it depends how the strainer is installed. If you screw the flanged part downward, you need silicone, because putty will just break up from the friction. If you screw in a giant nut or something from the bottom side you can use putty, as the flange should be stationary enough to avoid disturbing the putty.

 

[miamicuse]

Use a tool called Expando tub drain remover (use an adjustable wrench to tighten it) and a lot of patience. You might need a hammer and chisel too.

I have an assortment of those tools.


I have the regular tub drain remover tool. Then I have one that you tap into the drain and use a hex bar or impact driver to crank it loose. Then I have an internal friction one where the teeth expands as you turn, I also have the Expando tool you are talking about. But all of these work 50% of the time. Then you end up having to cut a slot to drift it loose, if that doesn't work you will have to cut vertical slits around the inside to pry and peel, then praying when you make the cut you don't overcut to mess up the female threads of the drain shoe below.


That's why I am wondering if apply anti-seize on the drain threads will help with it's eventual removal later.

 

[miamicuse]

To me it depends how the strainer is installed. If you screw the flanged part downward, you need silicone, because putty will just break up from the friction. If you screw in a giant nut or something from the bottom side you can use putty, as the flange should be stationary enough to avoid disturbing the putty.

Lavatory drain assemblies are typically inserted into the sink hole, then a nut on the bottom side is used to secure and compress.


Tub drains are screwed into the drain shoe under the tub from above.


So silicone may work better for tub drains?

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Can you use anti-seize on a tub drain basket strainer?



Sure, apply a liberal amount to the threads for easier removal.

 

[huesmann]

Lavatory drain assemblies are typically inserted into the sink hole, then a nut on the bottom side is used to secure and compress.


Tub drains are screwed into the drain shoe under the tub from above.


So silicone may work better for tub drains?

That's exactly what I was thinking about. I recently tried to use putty on a bathtub drain and it was unsuccessful. However, on the sink drain I used it on, with the big nut on the bottom, it worked fine.