The drain in our tub is slow and I'd like to snake it. I was planning on going through the overflow / drain stopper toggle plate:
But I can't remove the stopper and link from the overflow pipe. It seems stuck—there's maybe 1/2" of vertical travel and I can't pull it up any more. I've tried a moderate amount of force, but I don't want to break anything and be in a worse spot.
Is there some trick to this? Should I just pull hard? Or does it require disassembly from behind the wall?
EDIT: Sorry for not being more specific about the fixture: the tub does not have a pop-up stopper in the tub floor. The drain fixture is just a grate (can't get a snake through). I assume that the stopper is suspended in the overflow pipe, like Tester101's second image.
EDIT 2: After fiddling with the lever more I was still unable to get the stopper out. I'm also unable to close the drain plug.
However, somehow in my jiggling I must've loosened the clog, since the tub is now draining well. Oh well, problem solved, I guess! I don't take baths so am not concerned about not being able to close it.
Best Answer
First, make sure that the clog is accessible via the overflow. Try this test... While the tub is draining slowly, pour water down the overflow through a funnel. If that drains fast, then the clog is in the horizontal arm and no clearing through the overflow will help you.
What works for me is to use a wet cloth to seal off the overflow (replace it first to make as small an opening as possible). With the tub 1/2 full of water and holding the wet cloth over the overflow vent, a plunger should then be able to clear the clog because it will force water down the drain (horizontal or vertical) rather than pushing water up the overflow pipe (or pulling air down it). Should that fail, use draino or physically pry off the grate for an auger.
The plunger should pull some amount of gunk back up into the tub while you're using it, even through the grate. If that doesn't happen and the drainage does not improve, then you may have a clogged vent. You need air behind water for it to drain quickly otherwise it's like water draining from an upside-down bottle. Cleaning the vent means going up on the roof and clearing the clog from there -- a hose at full blast will usually do this.
As for fully removing the overflow and parts... I don't know.