Anyone know what that little circular thing in bathrooms is? I ask because we currently have a big divot with a long screw (or, perhaps, a bolt) sticking out of it in our bathroom, and it often collects water spilled out of the tub. I know that those little things are often covered by a circular metal “cap,” which would help us quite a bit, but I’ll be damned if I know what the thing is there for, much less what that cap is called so I can pick one up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I thought I knew bathrooms like the back of my hand but, I’ll be darned if I know what you are talking about. Any more information you could share? Location?
Based on your half-arsed description, I think you’re talking about the plunger mechanism outside the tub that opens and closes the drain. Drop the plunger and the drain stops, enabling you to fill the tub with water; raise the plunger and the water flows through the drain.
I believe he’s talking about a plate on the floor that covers the drain. It may be a blowout drain or a regular drain. If that’s what it is, the plate may be on there to prevent a backup of sewage.
You probably would want to replace that.
When I was younger and in Maintenance, these were kept covered all the time - they blew off in times of really bad floods, but stayed on and kept the sewage back on minor floods and overflows.
Is it a chrome plate about 6-8" in diameter with a long bolt in the middle. That’s what I’m talking about.
I don’t remember what they call it or if it even had a name.
It’s not IN the tub, it’s on the floor right next to it. I had one in my old bathroom, and I saw one in a friend’s bathroom the other night, so I know it’s not just a quirk of my bathroom or house. It’s concave, meaning it goes into the floor a bit, and is thus able to hold standing water. I think it might have to do with the water pipe between the sink and bathtub, but I’m not sure.
I think Gazoo is on the right track, though there’s no “drain,” as far as I can tell. 'Course, I’m no plumber (obviously), so maybe there is. Our problem is, we have the bolt, but not the chrome plate, and I was hoping the plate (or the spot on the floor) had an easily identifiable name where, if I went to Home Depot or some plumbing supply store, I could ask for it, they could get it, and I could get the hell out.
The only true way to figure out what you are looking at is to open it up. I really have no idea what you are talking about but if it is a cover, measure it and go to your local plumber and ask for a eustacian plate. When you re-install it use plumbers putty around the edges. Look for a plate that is not concave but convex and you shouldn’t have any problems with drainage.
But you’re saying this is in the floor? Is this a basement bathroom? Then it’s just a floor drain of some kind?
I personally have never seen a floor drain in a bathroom floor. The reason no one in this thread knows what “that little circular thing in bathrooms” is, is because they’ve never seen one, either. Where do you live? Is this a UK thing?
Nope, I’m smack dab in the U.S. of A., Chicago to be precise. I’ve now seen this in three different apartments in Chicago, so I know I’m not crazy. Maybe it’s a Chicago thing…or maybe an old building thing. I’m originally from Houston, and I can’t say I ever saw anything like it there.
Well, all I can think of is it must be some kind of backup overflow drain for apartment buildings, to keep an overfilled bathtub from pouring water down on the apartments below.
Does it look like any of these? Is it plastic or metal?
The closest of those to what I’m talking about is the last one, the 5" floor drain cover, but take out all of the holes except for the center one, i.e., make it solid except for the hole in the center for the bolt.
I live in Chicago, and have one of these also (on the floor of the bathroom, next to the tub). I think it’s mainly in older apt. buildings. Maybe it used to be a drain, and was covered with the advent of some new, sophisticated plumbing technology.
I don’t know what it’s called. It’s in older bathrooms. Had one in mine until it was remodeled a couple years ago. It’s access to the drain-pipe (for what reason I’m not sure, maybe it’s access to the trap from the tub drain). If it leaks you can get a nasty sewage smell in the bathroom. There are covers for it so it doesn’t sit down so low, just describe it at your local hardware store and they should know what you’re talking about.
My guess is that it’s a clean-out point located inside of the house due to space constraints or convoluted plumbing. When you remove the plate, you will probably be looking down one of the forks of a “Y” shaped intersection. This is where you would introduce a snake for particularly stubborn blockages.
According to my do-it-yourself book, it’s the cover for a “drum trap”. Usually found in older homes, it’s another access point for snaking a clogged drain.
My guess would be it’s the cover for a drum trap, they are very outdated, I assume it is an old building. It is a common trap for the sink and bathtub instead of the individual P-traps they now require.