The primary purpose of an overflow drain is to prevent water from spilling or overflowing onto your floor, so why would you not want one? This is most commonly hair and other debris, but will ultimately disrupt water flow and create obstructions in your piping. While drain covers have a small hole that still allows water to drain out, installing a chrome plate over your overflow drain will seal it off entirely. Chrome plates can be installed using a few screws, and while costing a bit more than drain covers, they will definitely not break the bank. If you are one of those, who seek to seal off your overflow drain, there are many ways to accomplish this task.

Bath Plugs | Bath Wastes | Screwfix

These drain covers are usually made of plastic and use suction cups to cover over your overflow drain. This is important if you don’t want to wait by your bathtub while it slowly fills with water for your bath. Leaks will result in lower water pressure and eventually water damage to your other pipes and housing material, so it is best to inspect your plumbing regularly. Many of these drain covers include a small hole at the top of your cover, allowing water to still drain while adding inches to your bathtub’s water level.

Flex Seal costs a little more than most waterproof sealants but is easy to use and dries more quickly, although it may not be a permanent solution. This method will cost you next to nothing and is very easy to do but lacks permanency because you will need to re-plug your overflow drain before each bath. We work closely with qualified experts and follow a thorough editing and fact-checking process before publishing content.

Bath Overflow Stopper CP | Toolstation

While replacing your bathtub is not a direct method to seal an overflow drain, it removes the overflow drain from the equation.But the worst-case scenario in using this tape is it will give out, and your overflow drain will start working again. Overflow drains prevent a tub from being filled to the top, and without one, you can get a more full-body bathing experience. While Flex Seal is considered a waterproof sealant, it works much differently than traditional sealants by creating a waterproof rubber barrier. Waterproof tape is relatively inexpensive and extremely easy to use but is not as durable or long-lasting as other solutions on this list. An overflow drain may seem complicated at first, but the actual mechanics are fairly straightforward.

Bathtub Overflow Drain - Loo Academy 7 Ways to Seal Off a Bathtub Overflow Drain - Loo Academy

As stated previously, an overflow drain helps to ensure that your bathtub does not overflow if you leave the faucet on. That being said, it is essentially a safety precaution and is recommended for all bathtubs just to prevent overflow and flooding if you ever decide to fill your bathtub and walk away. You can get by just fine without an overflow drain, and there are a few reasons that you would not want one.For example, you can use it to seal a plastic drain cover, a pre-existing overflow drain, or even the opening behind the overflow drain.

Bathtub Overflow Drain? 2023 Guide | Badeloft What is a Bathtub Overflow Drain? 2023 Guide | Badeloft

If you are due for a new bathtub and can afford it, this is a viable solution to get rid of an overflow drain. Clogs will result in lower water pressure over time and may lead to damages in the future if left unattended. This style is popular for those that don’t want to deal with exposed piping as the overflow channel is built in the tub’s inner wall. This style is perhaps the most common in older homes and requires some flexibility in cutting and installing the pipe system. This is obviously the most expensive and labor-intensive method on this list, but it comes with the benefit of not having to worry about an overflow drain ever again.

This method will likely put your bathtub out of commission for a day or two to give the sealant time to cure. Maintaining an overflow drain is fairly straightforward and proper maintenance of it will save you from a good deal of problems down the road. Whereas the traditional overflow is made with an exterior pipe and drain system, an integral overflow is similar to a sink overflow. When your bathwater reaches the height of the overflow drain, the water will exit through the overflow drain instead of spilling onto your floor. Although it can be a bit more complicated than installing a regular drain, we will look at all the benefits an overflow drain can bring and most importantly, how it works.