How do I retrieve a detached plunger from a bathtub drain?

grill_gus

I have an old bathtub drain assembly that is similar to this: As far as I can tell, the linkage broke off completely due to old age. If I unscrew the trip lever and cover, it's not attached to anything and I can't feel anything if I try to reach inside. I'm reasonably certain that the plunger is down since water doesn't drain from the tub. Is there an easy way to retrieve the plunger? I've tried using a pickup tool from harbor freight: This was...

Originally asked by Mike B on Stack Exchange (diy) (CC BY-SA 3.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Unfortunately, I think you're fixin' to go for a crawl with the crawlies. (At least you have that option -- the same task in my house would require a jackhammer.) There SHOULD be a P-trap below the drain. If you can get the tailpiece off of the bottom of the tub (unscrew the metal drain, then the tailpiece should pop out), you should be able to spear the plug.

Full answer by Karl Katzke: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/8789 (CC BY-SA 3.0).

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