How to take this metal plate out?

[Tong]

Need to take a broken bathtub plunger out of the pipe.

But I was stuck at the point of this metal plate. Have no idea how to move it out of the wall.

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Reach4]

I was looking for indication that some screws or a latch had been painted over, but I see no hint of that. From your photo, I think I would first try prying at the lower left. My pry tool might be a big flat screwdriver or a wood chisel.

Are you sure it is metal, and not wood?

Did you remove the molding, or was that done already?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tong]

Yeah. I removed the molding this morning. It is a metal plate.
You can see the scratch at the lower panel.
I thought that it has a screw or something before I removed the molding.

I tried to pry it out but it does not work. Really weird.

My bathtub plunger has a broken chain and thus caused a very very slow draining of water.
Tried to hook it out but it did not work.

 

[Jeff H Young]

sheet metal use a putty knife and or razor to cut through paint around it then pry at bottom gently or around it

 

[Michael Young]

Need to take a broken bathtub plunger out of the pipe.

But I was stuck at the point of this metal plate. Have no idea how to move it out of the wall.

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

View attachment 93433

Just break the freakin’ panel and replace it with an actual real access panel that you can...ACCESS.

 

[Tong]

Thanks for the suggestion. Finally be able to pry it out. The painting is too thick to prevent the access.

 

[Tong]

Now the real task.

Long story short. Bathtub drains very slow. Found out that the flow stopper (plunger) is broken. Tried to hook it out. Didn’t work it out yet. Tried to dissemble the bathtub drain overflow pipe set. Not able to do it because it is too sticky. Also found there is leak at the bottom of bathtub drain.

Draining works but very slow. May need to dissemble the overflow set in order to take the stopper out. Or may need to replace the draining over flow set if necessary.

Is it easy to replace or take the flow stopper out?

 

[John Gayewski]

My opinion is that those are outdated. I would remove the drain and use a toe tap or lift and turn. I don't understand why moving parts would be in a drainage system as the only thing that can happen if they fail over time. Then someone says "everything fails over time" then I say everything has a life expectancy, moving parts have a shorter life expectancy.

Removing a tub drain can be very tough, but my humble (or not so humble) opinion is change it now so it's easier later.

 

[Tong]

I tried several times to hook the plunger out. Did not work.
Decided to use an inspection camera to see what was going on.

Here is the photo. It seems like a solid cap instead of a shallow cap plunger.
How do I get this plunger out? Thanks.

 

[Tong]

Well. Hurricane Hillary is in LA now. Will try to cut the pipe first and to see if I can drill a hole of this plunger.
If not, I will replace the whole over flow drain set.

 

[Tong]

Finally got some time. Cut the pipe.
The connection is incredibly tight. I have tried two piler wrenchs and have no success to remove the cut pipe.
The funny thing is that I still can not take the water stopper (plunger) out.

The bathtub drain is also a difficult job. I have tried drain tube extractor. It does not work. It is likely that I have to replace the whole drain set.

 

[Reach4]

What are you trying to remove?

The right shielded coupling might do what you need.

 

[Tong]

What are you trying to remove?

The right shielded coupling might do what you need.

This one.

The chain is broken and the water stopper is stuck in the pipe.

 

[Reach4]

Is the lower wire still there, or has that come loose? What is there to grab?

I don't think it could be a solid cap, because it needs to pass overflow water, even while blocking the drain.

Putting some CLR down the tub drain could help.

But you have given it a lot of effort. Getting a real plumber in is probably a good idea.