Our new apartment doesn't have the plunge style drain cover in our bathroom sink. Instead, it has a cover that hinges in the center, rotating around that point. So it physically has to be pushed in order to close.
However, I think the seal is too large and it can't easily be closed.
I'd like to either figure out a way to easily open and close the cover without touching it, or figure out a way to remove it and replace it with a fine mesh grating like this or this.
Our drains have to stay closed when we're not using them because the climate that I live in (the desert) means that when it gets warm the water traps dry up which allows bugs to crawl up from the sewers and out through your drains.
Any advice?
Best Answer
Look underneath for a large plastic hex bolt holding the drain in place.
Disconnect the P/U trap and unscrew that bolt. You will need to apply a bit of force to break the caulking.
Putting in a new one will require also putting in some caulking. The new plug will come with instruction to that effect.
There are drains with a plug that is operated with a lever behind the tap. This may be what you are looking for as a solution.