Toe touch drain stoppers keep your drain protected from undesired dirt. You can use its spring-type pushing mechanism to open and close the unit.
But if it doesn’t get closed, the bathwater will keep draining and waste a lot of water. So, why a toe touch drain stopper won’t stay closed?
This can happen for different reasons depending upon your water supply line and plumbing system. It is also related to how pipelines are connected.
Read this post to learn why this happens and how to solve it.
Reasons Why Toe Touch Drain Stopper Won’t Stay Closed
A toe touch drain stopper is supposed to work when it is a good condition smoothly. Below are the common reasons that might be the main culprit of this issue.
- Loose Pivot Nut
If the pivot nut of your toe touch drain stopper is loose, the accessory won’t get closed. The pivot nut may become loose over time due to high water pressure or some other reasons.
This can also happen if you have not tightened the nut adequately at the time of installation
How To Solve It?
Fixing the problem is simple. At first, find the connecting point between the stopper handle and the stopper. Locate your hands on the pivot nut and tighten it properly using bare hands.
You can use a small pair of pliers for proper tightening. But avoid overdoing it.
- Hair And Crud Accumulation
Sometimes, we neglect to clean the bathtub properly from time to time. This may lead to an accumulation of hair and curd around the lower area of the stopper.
It will ultimately cause clogging issues.
How To Solve It?
In order to clean the stopper, extracting it from its original place is necessary. In some cases, you may need to get under the sink and take out the retaining nut for easy access to the stopper.
Use a brush to clean hair and crud appropriately.
- Unadjusted Drain Rod
Have you correctly adjusted the drain rod or pivot rod connected with the drain stopper?
The primary job of a drain rod is loosening the debris and allowing everything to flow freely towards the drain. But if it is not correctly adjusted, you may fail to close the drain stopper.
How To Solve It?
To adjust the rod, you will need to lengthen the connecting rod. As a result, the plunger will go around the base area to ensure perfect sealing for the drain opening.
If you have good plumbing knowledge, precisely connecting the length will be easy-going.
- Short Connecting Rod
A special connecting rod is attached to the trip level needs to maintain a perfect length. But its length will shorten over time after years of use.
In such as case, you have to install a new connecting rod at the right length.
How To Solve It?
At first, you need to screw off the nuts of the cover plate and then remove the plate.
Follow this guide if the toe touch drain stopper won’t unscrew.
Then, extract the connecting rod using your bare hands and use the overflow opening to spring it up.
Finally, install the new connecting rod at the correct length in the right spot.
- Two Rods Are Not Connected
It is vital to ensure the two rods of the drain stopper are appropriately connected. If not, the spring of the drain stopper may not function correctly.
When the toe touch drain stopper is not moving much or not moving at all, addressing this factor is necessary.
How To Solve It?
Go to the joint point between the two rods and find the simple screw connecting them. If they are not correctly connected, join them.
To work like a hinge, maintaining perfect looseness is essential. This will ensure the joint move smoothly.
You can use a good-quality clip to ensure a secure joint between two rods. Your main goal should be letting the connection move freely.
- Corroded Drain Stopper
The drain stopper may get corroded because of a leaking overflow or drain gasket. This doesn’t generally happen within a week. It takes several months or even a year to rust the stopper.
Initially, you will notice the stopper doesn’t stay close sometimes. But its frequency will increase over time as the spring mechanism gradually gets damaged.
How To Solve It?
If the toe touch drain stopper gets fully corroded, you have no option but to replace it. However, if the issue is minor, you can use vinegar around the drain stopper, especially in the spring area where the system opens and closes.
Vinegar or lemon juice may remove a small amount of dust. When buying a new drain stopper, make sure it has a rust protective coating.
It is especially necessary when your water supply line has hard water since it can quickly cause corrosion to various components.
- Too Old Drain Stopper
Like other bathroom accessories, a drain stopper won’t last a lifetime. They will break off, have rust, or may not function smoothly. Hence, going for a replacement is necessary after a particular time.
How To Solve It?
If your drain stopper has become too old or not smoothly functioning like it used to do, its spring may also not work to open and close. In such as case, you have to get a new drain stopper.
Consider your water type and the water pressure for picking a particular drain stopper. You also want to give additional focus on its size, material, and style.
The drain stopper should be neither too small nor too large. Just as accurate as it is needed! Lastly, I want you to watch this troubleshooting video.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If your pop-up plug doesn’t stay down, consider tightening the nut appropriately. Rotate it in the clockwise direction. If you have highly tightened it, loosen it a little bit. It should be neither too tight nor too loose. You should feel the correct tightness level.
A toe-touch drain has a spring-loaded design. Closing a toe touch drain is simple. You just need to push it down with your toe, and the spring will feel pressure to shut down its draining.
If your bathtub stopper doesn’t stay up, it may happen due to sediment or calcium deposits inside the stopper, causing blockage issues.
At first, use a toothbrush to clean the plug and link connected with it. Inspect the link condition too. You may need to replace it if it is damaged.
Your bathtub drain may not properly close if it is not connected correctly with the plug or spring. So, it will cause disruption between the trip lever and drain stopper. You need to adjust the defective bathtub drain stopper.
Final Thoughts
A drain stopper should work smoothly to retain water inside the bathtub when you want and drain water after usage. But if it doesn’t stay closed, a lot of water will drain.
Apart from increasing monthly water bills, you will fail to have a peaceful shower.
Hopefully, you have already learned about why a toe touch drain stopper won’t stay closed and how to solve the issues accordingly. Ensure regular maintenance to keep the drain stopper in tip-top condition.