Antique Clawfoot Bathtub w/o Overflow
I have a beautiful antique tub in the upstairs rental unit in my 108 year old brownstone. However the tub has no proper drain on its overflow. There is simply a metal plate with a small (approx 1/4″) hole a few inches below the original faucet. Thus when the tub is filled unattended, water streams…
I have a beautiful antique tub in the upstairs rental unit in my 108 year old brownstone. However the tub has no proper drain on its overflow. There is simply a metal plate with a small (approx 1/4″) hole a few inches below the original faucet. Thus when the tub is filled unattended, water streams out onto the floor. During renovation a reputable plumber pointed it out to me and said there was nothing he could do, as the back of the tub is neither straight nor in great condition.
My tenants recently filled the tub up when I was out, and didn’t drain it as soon as they noticed the leak. A large amount of water soaked our bathroom and then drained into the basement.
Two questions: 1) is this really how the overflow was designed to work? I’ve asked some people who say it is how antique tubs did it. 2) What can I do to help ensure the tenants are more careful? I sincerely believe they didn’t understand what was happening, since a modern tub has a regular overflow.
Perhaps antique tubs aren’t appropriate for rentals.
You can get a little clear plastic thingy at Bed Bath and I-went-in-to-buy-one-little-thing-and-came-out-$100-lighter.
It is like a cup that has little suction cups on it that attach around the overflow drain. It has a hole in the top, so it does not really block the overflow drain, but just allows you to increase the water level by some inches. But, that is better than freezing your upper body.
… = total comment genius.
Claw foot tub full of water + 108 year old floor joists = …
How do you block that overflow? Genius! All this time I’ve been mildly disappointed (and slouched down) but it didn’t occur to me to DO anything about it!
We have an antique tub, which has an overflow that connects with the drain. We block it so that the tub fills almost to the rim (these old tubs tend to be a little shallower than we are used to). You can get plumbing fixtures including the overeflow and drain combination for antique tubs. Whether they can be fitted to your tub is another thing.
I presume you’re writing about a leak through the metal plate, rather than over the tub rim.
My house, also 108 years old has a similar tub and metal plate plugging what COULD be the overflow, but, obviously, isn’t. I had a flood like your’s once. After that I sealed the plate with epoxy putty and water reaching the level of the plate no longer leaks out. Of course the tub can still overflow, so you have to watch it (and, if you have tenants, hope that they have some sense).
The beautiful c. 1910 oval pedestal basin that I got at a house sale also lacks an overflow. You have to be careful with antique fixtures.