Waste water fittings for baths

Bath waste water fittings are fairly standard although there are a number of options to choose for the plug hole fitting - there's nothing really to choose between them, they are just different.

Space is often limited under baths which may influence the preferred choice of waste fitting. Where the floor under the bath is timber, lifting a couple of short sections of floorboard under where the trap will be positioned can make life easier. Sometimes there is only enough height under a bath for a shallow trap, note that these traps may contravene water regulations in some areas as the water seal is less than required. To overcome this, another (deeper) trap may need to be inserted further along the pipe run where space allows.

To save working in confined areas, it is usually a good idea to fit the waste fittings (excluding the trap) before the bath is fitted into position.

NOTE: On all the wastes shown, a washer is indicated under the bath outlet inside the bath, if the kit purchased is not supplied with one, spread some plumbers sealant (Plumbers Mate or similar) under the rim of the outlet before inserting BUT CHECK THAT THE SEALANT IS SUITABLE BEFORE USING ON A FIBREGLASS/PLASTIC BATH. Wipe any excess sealant away from around the outlet in the bath after the outlet has been tightened.

The bath waste overflow is normally straight forward, the overflow grille on the inside of the bath is screwed onto the overflow which is connected to a flexible downpipe to the bath waste trap. To tighten it may help to carefully push the jaws of a pair of long nosed pliers into the grille to get something to hold.

A washer is normally fitted between the grille and the bath surface to provide a water seal.

Probably the easiest fitting for the bath outlet is the adapter under the bath. This fitting is held in place by a screw through the centre of the grille into a captive nut in the centre of the adapter.

The screw needs to be tightened to compress the washers to give a watertight seal.

Washers are normally placed under the grille in the bath and between the adapter and the underside of the bath.

The adapter incorporates an inlet for the flexible pipe from the bath overflow.

An alternative fitting for the bath waste uses a deep plug hole fitting, with slots in opposite sides to accept the waste from the overflow, and a long threaded body.

The banjo from the overflow fits over the plug hole fitting and both are secured by a large nut fitted against the underside of the banjo.

Before fitting the large nut, apply Plumbers Mate to the screw thread on the outlet. Fit the nut so that it traps the Plumbers Mate in the thread and tighten.

The nut needs to be tightened using a spanner or stilsons to compress the washers to give a watertight seal.

Washers are normally placed under the plug hole in the bath and between the banjo and the underside of the bath.

Where there is very limited space under the bath, an alternative is to use a short bath outlet fitting which is secured to the bath by a nut underneath while the overflow waste pipe goes to an inlet in the actual waste trap.

The nut needs to be tightened using a spanner or stilsons to compress the washers to give a watertight seal.

Washers are normally placed under the fitting in the bath and between the nut and the underside of the bath.