New Bathtub Drain Won't Screw In? How To Fix Threads [SOLVED]

Did you buy a new bathtub drain that won't screw In? This is due to your new drain having a different thread pitch and possibly different outside diameter of the drain threads. This is easily correctible with a few simple measurements to help you choose the correct adapter drain bushing to screw over your new bathtub drain threads. This new bathtub drain bushing will then adapt your new drain kit to screw in to the drain opening on the bottom of your bathtub.

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⏱ Table of Contents how to fix your New Bathtub Drain Won't Screw In
(Click on timestamps to jump to a chapter)
0:00 Introduction : New bathtub drain won't thread into drain shoe
1:11 Strategy to convert new tub drain threads to bathtub opening
1:35 4 simple measurements needed for new tub drain bushing adapter
2:57 Common Bathtub drain sizes explained
4:30 Quick intro to standard tub drain kits from Home Depot
6:54 Watco Bushings lookup Chart, choosing correct adapter
10:29 Ordering the correct Watco tub drain bushing online
10:52 Compare new bushing threads to current drain threads
13:05 Installing new tub drain with Watco adapter bushing
15:55 Appropriate bathtub drain wrench to use

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[AL_Lopez_]

Don't use a wrench. My daughter did that and broke it the drain. I bought the Husky Tub Drain Removal Tool to get it out. Listen to Jeff and you will be ok.

[keytothegate]

All this to replace a drain plug? The whole bathroom business is bobby trapped. I don't know what is worse to deal with - replacing a toilet, or something like this. Touch anything and it turns in a a can of worms. Kudos to Jeff for doing this in apartment buildings where he needs to get it right the first time and in one day and not cause the leaks in the building. I wanted to replace a toilet seat in my house then said might as well replace the whole toilet. Bought the elongated one by mistake, took it back to replace it with smaller one. Then realized my flange needed to be replaced. Had to chisel around the pipe to remove it but dealt with that, then realized my floor is bad and ended up replacing the sub-floor bellow the toilet and relocating hvac pipe from the lower bathroom that was in the way ... Then wanted to replace the bath fan and realized it wasn't even hooked up to the roof vent it was just venting in the attic and that is how the builders left it 30 years ago. ....Replaced the vanity and realized the new one was 1/2 in bigger so had to build up new floor height to adjust it, used difficult to cut cement boards-needed a special blade to complete the job. I suspected replacing drain on the tub would end up exactly like what Jeff;s ordeal here that is why I would never touch mine w/o real emergency never for cosmetics. I think replacing the whole tub is easier but you MUST gut down the whole bathroom to the studs. Doing this piece by piece is worse. I mean none of this is really difficult but you have to forget about everything else and devote infinite amounts of time and purchase the most annoying to find parts and special tools to get everything right. The alternative- to call professionals is out of the question for me because they charge you obscene amounts of money and you just don't know if they did it right or not.

[bethanybroekema]

After hours of researching I found your video and was so thankful I did. Thank you so much for making it and explaining at the level you did. Bought the blue bushing and it worked perfectly.

[chriscarlson]

THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU DO.
I was totally stumped and questioning my decision to DIY the tub hardware until I found your video.
Your bedside manner is outstanding and the State Dept would be crazy to overlook you for the American Medal of Appreciation for Positive Vibes in Plumbing.

[alir.]

Wow! I learned not only how to change the bathtub drain, but also ideas on how to make an outstanding video, and finally the admiration you get from your viewers if you do.

[IanGibson-cw]

"Bloody Marvelous!" as we'd say in England. Thank you SO much for explaining this so thoroughly. I was able to fix a very tricky drain thread mismatch thanks to you!

[kencho]

OK I didn't want to like this video because of the dad jokes but it really set me on the right path to replacing the bathtub drain in our 1955 home that still had original drain. None of the off the shelf replacement kits would fit and it drove me crazy why. I have to give Jeff credit on making this video very easy to understand and next steps. Just like this video I bought the red and blue sleeves from Watco and everything dropped right into place. Thanks Jeff, you saved this man's sanity.

[brandonkitchens]

Thank you for explaining the different sizes! From your video I found out that my tub drain is the older style. Don't even want to tell you the fight it gave me to remove the drain flange! Thanks again!

[sarahprovidente]

This is literally the exact problem I was having. No drain replacement would thread into my tub (because the original one had course threads) Now I know where to find the bushing. I went everywhere!!

[dcreno]

Thank you so much for emphasizing threads per inch! Now I know why my box-store replacement was leaking. They didn't state anywhere the TPI but I measured and the new one was 16 TPI while my old one was 14 TPI. Close enough that I could thread it in but different enough that it would leak.

[thesecretflamingo]

Jeff you’re awesome!!! And have a great voice.. great for teaching! Thank you for all you do. Thank you for covering tops story’s as well. Warmest regards 👍🏼

[parshley]

Thank you!!! Finally have found the solution since I thought I was going insane with it not fitting

[tomz]

Incredibly Detailed & Well Explained Breakdown. Bravo

[lisaa.powell]

Great video, just spent 6 hrs pulling my drain. The tub is 80 years old cast iron, but in good shape. My plug is fine thread w/inside Dia 1.5". I going to research the Watco website for the drain. Thanks Jeff

[Claiger]

I wanted to drop a comment to thank you for making this video and going through the detail. Some days ago I had used the tool you suggested to unscrew my old tub basket. unfortunately it's 1 7/8" across where the threads are and is a 14 thread. So it's what the blue bushing converts to. However, the drain I bought was already 1 7/8" without a bushing. Now I ordered a smaller drain plug and have to wait 2-3 weeks for the bushing to arrive and hope that this all works. Apparently no one makes a 14 thread 1 7/8" bathtub pop up drain plug. At all. No one. So the frustrating part of my project is not the work itself or the labor but rather having some ancient plumbing that no one works with any more and I got quoted $700 to replace the whole system and decided to try it myself to just swap out the drain plug. What a nuisance. The industry are a-holes for making everything so obnoxious just to scrape together a buck at the customer's expense.

Anyway, thank you again for the video, the information about the bushings, and your tips. Hopefully everything works out in a few weeks' time and I'll still have spent under $100, just dealt with the headache of not being able to find a damn pop up 1 7/8" 14 thread drain plug on the planet.

[bingbongcentralhq]

Thanks so much for this. Wild how much a 1/8 inch will make! Hoping the 1 6/8 converter is correct for what I need!

[YHWH]

Love the info on what happens when one uses the wrong tools!

[mr_tom__]

You can check the threads' TPI match by meshing them side by side (one right-side up, one upside down). If they match they'll mesh cleanly.

[audiophileman]

What an incredibly good video! 👍👍👍 There are tons of videos on how to replace a tub drain that go smoothly with standard parts. They don't cover the problems you just covered. Thank you!

[goombabear]

I love your DIY videos along with another Canadian DIY show. Your instructions are clear and you are not arrogant or talk down to your viewers, unlike a builder channel from Texas does. We are going to be moving onto a brand new house my F-I-L is building for us. But our landlord is crazy, therefore we are fixing inexpensive damage to the house that was caused by her lack of maintenance and her cutting costs on the remodel that was completely her own fault, but she blames us for everything, including forty-year old leaking windows a broken forty-year storm door that never closed, no exhaust system in the bathrooms or kitchen, not sealing Pergo in wet areas, and the whole septic tank system needs to be replaced, even though she never maintains it, and many other issues like corroded pipes that have damaged the bathtub faucet and handles, etc. It is just easier to fix things on our own than to have a headache we we move put on November or her trying to sue us for $10, 000 for a new septic system when it never worked properly from day one. The house was never remodeled properly. Caveat Emptor, don't rent a place that looks brand new because there can be so many problems that our hidden and don't rent from a crazy foreigner who only accepts cash for rent and only speaks English when it's convenient to her.