PopUp Vanity plugs, stuck.

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tdgeek

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#215521 30-Jun-2017 18:08

Ive been told this is common for them. The bit that releases when its sprung to release, jams. Caused by hair etc, although no hair is used on these, I assume hard water deposits? 6yo house has 4 vanities, one has stuck, another is about to, and another has a big different version, so I guess that stuck too.

I cant find any tilt ones, so I thought I will get two popups, and find out how to maintain them. On a semi regular basis I thought I would unscrew the plug and:

1. Pour some detergent in, leave for ages, then flush with hot water.

2. Sprinkle baking soda on the fitting, spray white vinegar on so it fizzles, flush 30 minutes later

4. Pour CLR on the fitting, leave for 10 minutes or more if its safe, flush.

But CLR seems to have a large number of do not use on this. I assume it will attack the sealant, so I would need to use a small funnel to avoid touching the sealant.

Sound ok?

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#1809828 30-Jun-2017 19:20

I guess my post wasn't clear.

The vanity sink waste plugs are these days often a popup. Spring loaded. Push it in, and the copper fitting locks it in. Push again, it releases and it pops up. The fitting that moves to lock and unlock get stuck, Ive heard thats not uncommon.There are tilt ones but I cant find any, so just a post re suggestions to keep them clean and working. I think our water here is quite hard.

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#1809832 30-Jun-2017 19:25

djtOtago

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#1809833 30-Jun-2017 19:27

I have one, about 2 years old, that is getting reluctant to un plug / realease. Was also starting to wonder how to clean it, short of pulling everything apart.

I was thinking CLR. But maybe i'll have to rethink that.

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#1809842 30-Jun-2017 19:37

djtOtago:

I have one, about 2 years old, that is getting reluctant to un plug / realease. Was also starting to wonder how to clean it, short of pulling everything apart.

I was thinking CLR. But maybe i'll have to rethink that.

At our other place, one has been there for a few years, its fine. Here, I can see a lime buildup around the outside of the plug, on the vanity surface, so lime seems to be the culprit. CLR looks ideal, as long as its kept away from the sealant.

Also had a small leak in washing tub. Im told thats due to little use of the tub faucet, the ones that you can move, as in moving the swivel faucet. So, with no movement, lime builds up. Plumber said to move them from time to time if they arent moved in general use, to keep it from building up, and then causing a gap for water to seep. With the popups, if they arent often used to fill the vanity with water, then maybe same issue, buildup of lime from infrequent use

froob

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#1809880 30-Jun-2017 20:44

With mine, the whole unit screws out, leaving a recessed but otherwise standard plug hole. Can't offer any specific solution, but my first step would be to unscrew it and take it out for inspection/cleaning.

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#1809881 30-Jun-2017 20:50

Check the sealing washer around the plug part. When they harden it also causes popups to jam.

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tdgeek

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#1809882 30-Jun-2017 20:54

froob: With mine, the whole unit screws out, leaving a recessed but otherwise standard plug hole. Can't offer any specific solution, but my first step would be to unscrew it and take it out for inspection/cleaning.

Mine is 32mm long tail with overflow, its a bit more complex than a standard one, and a non plumber like me. Water = leaks. I'll replace these two, and yes I will watch them being removed and installed though. I'll see what the plumber says when he's back, but he was quite uncomplimentary about them. The wife would prefer the same than tilt as well. I was feeling that they should be able to be kept in good working order with maintenance, even from above.

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#1809884 30-Jun-2017 20:56

Aredwood: Check the sealing washer around the plug part. When they harden it also causes popups to jam.

Will do, thanks.

Fred99

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#1810424 2-Jul-2017 15:23

Was at hardware store today - bought one of these pop-up plug fittings for replacing a scratched and ugly looking standard fitting in a vanity.

From the look of them, then if they're jamming because of scale buildup, then it might not be easy to remove that with CLR or other acid descaler as most of it's just going to end up going down to the trap - not stay on the surface that's jammed. If you unscrewed the pop-up insert, perhaps removed the seal for good measure in case the CLR attacked the rubber, then soaked it in some CLR that may work. Replacement seals for assorted pop-up fittings were available off the shelf for a few dollars each. An entire new 32 or 40mm pop-up fitting doesn't cost much more than a bottle of CLR.

I saw the long-tail waste trap version, at least the 32mm version for vanities etc, it looked like the mechanism should unscrew just the same as the standard ones. Of course it was in a sealed blister pack - so I didn't try this out to confirm. Perhaps it's not unscrewing easily due to the thread being gunged up with the same stuff that's causing the pop-up mechanism to jam.

Not sure if lubricating the mechanism with silicone grease might help keep them free, they don't seem to come with any lube on them.

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#1810555 2-Jul-2017 18:16

Fred99:

Was at hardware store today - bought one of these pop-up plug fittings for replacing a scratched and ugly looking standard fitting in a vanity.

From the look of them, then if they're jamming because of scale buildup, then it might not be easy to remove that with CLR or other acid descaler as most of it's just going to end up going down to the trap - not stay on the surface that's jammed. If you unscrewed the pop-up insert, perhaps removed the seal for good measure in case the CLR attacked the rubber, then soaked it in some CLR that may work. Replacement seals for assorted pop-up fittings were available off the shelf for a few dollars each. An entire new 32 or 40mm pop-up fitting doesn't cost much more than a bottle of CLR.

I saw the long-tail waste trap version, at least the 32mm version for vanities etc, it looked like the mechanism should unscrew just the same as the standard ones. Of course it was in a sealed blister pack - so I didn't try this out to confirm. Perhaps it's not unscrewing easily due to the thread being gunged up with the same stuff that's causing the pop-up mechanism to jam.

Not sure if lubricating the mechanism with silicone grease might help keep them free, they don't seem to come with any lube on them.

Mine is a 32mm longtail with over flow. The plug unscrew but you cant unscrew the intervals to pull the out.

At our old place in Beckenham, never had this issue. All I had was the draining would slow, Id rejuvenated the S trap, it was full of sludge, clean in, and sorted.

At the new place, Aidanfield, 6yo, it seems that 1 of the 4 popups has already failed, as it has a different plug, still popup, a bigger one. The failed one, and another about to. I notice that around the fitting, where left over water would sit, there is lime buildup. So I feel the water is quite hard here. Our washing tub tap is leaking, plumber said thats due to never being moved. And to every now and then move it, to stop constant lime buildup. We hardly used it at the old place, and moved it to new place. makes sense. Maybe out popup issue is due to previous owners not often filling the vanity and emptying it, just running hot water, and therefore not moving the popup regularly.

Re CLR, yes, if I remove the plug, I can pour CLR in, but some will remain on the brass fittings. Maybe leave it there for a while, flush, rinse and repeat, to clear it over a few goes. If that maintains it, then its a sound cost. Vinegar and/or detergent, flushed with hot water can keep it clean, a capful of CLR every now and then might contain lime, should that be the key issue.

CJC

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#1810900 3-Jul-2017 13:45

Possibly not related, but was the tap running when the plug got stuck? Had this happen (to our only popup plug) a couple of times before we made the connection. Eventually the vacuum on the other side of the plug reduced enough for it to pop back up.

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#1810904 3-Jul-2017 13:49

You should have two plugs with these, one domed and one flat, unless the plumber didn't leave the spare. So just replace the old one, and clean off any residue in the plug hole. The actual whole plug unit with two plugs isn't that expensive to buy, about $20, but I guess the cost is installing it.

tdgeek

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#1810906 3-Jul-2017 13:56

CJC:

Possibly not related, but was the tap running when the plug got stuck? Had this happen (to our only popup plug) a couple of times before we made the connection. Eventually the vacuum on the other side of the plug reduced enough for it to pop back up.

No. Its stuck. Unscrew the popup off to see the mechanism, its stuck fast, won't budge when trying to press it without the lid. Has to be lime.

tdgeek

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#1810914 3-Jul-2017 14:01

mattwnz:

You should have two plugs with these, one domed and one flat, unless the plumber didn't leave the spare. So just replace the old one, and clean off any residue in the plug hole. The actual whole plug unit with two plugs isn't that expensive to buy, about $20, but I guess the cost is installing it.

Two plugs? Don't quite follow. I get you now. Sorry, the stuck plug is the result, but the plug itself isn't stuck or jammed, what springs it up and down is, leaving the plug stuck on the down position, it is spring loaded, and it won't now spring release.

MikeAqua

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#1810916 3-Jul-2017 14:08

Is it stuck open or closed?

If open Draino (powder/crystals not liquid) will deal to hair, fatty deposits and general goop. Read the label.

I don't see the benefits of these fittings. In my experience they cause more problems than they solve.

Mike

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