How to Install a BathTub

Below is a brief explanation on how to install
a standard bathtub

Okay, first of all, we will assume that you have to remove your old bath tub in order for you to install your new one.  You may be installing a new bathtub in room which never had an existing tub, but this article addresses both removing and installing a bath tub.

First of all, be sure to turn off the water supply before you drain the system.

Removing an Old Bath Tub

Have a shallow bowl ready to catch any trapped water, then use a hacksaw to cut through the old pipes.  The over-flow pipe from an old bath will almost certainly exit through the wall, so saw through the overflow at the same time.

If the bath has adjustable feed, lower them and then push down on the bath to break the mastic seal between the bathroom walls and the rim.  Pull the bath away from the walls.

If a cast-iron bath is beyond restoration and therefore worthless, it is easier to break it up in the bathroom and carry it out in pieces.  Drape a dust sheet over the bath; the,, wearing gloves, goggles and ear protectors, smash it with a heavy hammer.

Hack the old overflow from the wall with a cold chisel, then fill the hole with mortar and repair the plasterwork.


Installing a New Bath Tub

Either run new 22mm (3/4inch )supply pipes or attach spurs to the existing ones, ready for connection to the flexible pipes already fitted on the bath taps.

Slide your new bath into position and adjust the flexible tap pipes and join them to the supply pipes.  Connect a 40mm (1 1/2in) waste pipe to the trap and run it to the external hopper or soil stack, as for a washbasin.  Before fixing the bath panels, restore the water supply and check for leaks.