Installing a drain kit on an acrylic bathtub and have a couple questions: 1) I'm assuming that I don't need to use plumber's putty between the metal drain piece and the tub because there is a rubber washer/gasket supplied with the drain kit? 2) When installing the metal overflow piece, I placed the rubber gasket/washer on the back side of the tub and tightened the metal piece to the front side of the tub with the single philips screw. I am concerned about overtightening this screw because the metal piece has two small fingers on the bottom that rest against the tub and I don't want to crack the tub. How tight does the gasket, etc. need to be to ensure there are not leaks. I tightened quite a bit, but it seems like the gasket could be tighter. Am I doing something wrong here? Should I put a bead of silicone on the gasket before installing it to ensure a water tight connection?

 

I have never used a gasket between the metal drain part and the tub. The rubber gasket is usually for the bottom of the tub. I usually use plumbers putty, but sometime the manufacturer will recommend caulking instead. The upper gasket only needs to be so tight as to be sure you cannot see light exposed anyplace. This gasket is rarely if ever used unless the tub is used often by children.

 

I've never seen a rubber gasket used for the drain either. I'm used to using plumber's putty between the metal drain and tub. However, the instructions that came with the tub drain say to never use plumber's putty in contact with PVC, ABS, etc. Not sure if this applies to acrylic tubs. I plan on just using the rubber gasket that came with the kit, but would still like to know how tight to make that upper gasket without risking cracking the tub. Also, I've read online that the approx. 1/8" rubber gasket supplied with the drain (strainer) should be affixed to the underside of the tub, not the top side, but the packaging shows the gasket on the top side so that's what I did. Haven't tested it yet.

 

...come to think of it, the diagram doesn't show the tub, so maybe it does go underneath...crap!

 

Since there are so many waste and overflows it would be nice if you could tell us what one you have and we might be able to give a better answer.

 

I agree with above regarding the gasket. Put it underneath or don't use it. I have converted from plumber's putty to silicone for setting most drains. That just eliminates the staining problems caused by the oils in PP. Silicone is nasty to use, but denatured alcohol is somewhat of a solvent for it. If you wipe the excess silicone up before it sets, the denatured will leave a clean surface.

 

I contacted the manufacturer, and they indicated that the gasket goes above the tub, not underneath, so that's where I put it. No leaks so far. However, the gasket on the overflow drain isn't very snug and it does leak. I can't tighten the overflow plate any tighter or it will either crack the tub or strip the plastic threads in side the overflow pipe. Is it ok to use silicone between the rubber gasket and the tub for the overflow? I simply can't leave it as is.

 

Just an update...I located the old rubber overflow gasket and it is compressed to about half of its original thickness in some areas. This tells me that the old drain cover must have been on there pretty tight. However, it feels much softer than the new gasket. I'm wondering if there is another type of gasket I can use that will more easily compress to give me a good seal. Has anyone ever used silicone or plumbers putty on these gaskets?