Pop Down Bath Wastes Buying Guide
A pop down waste is a push-button plug and waste that sits flush with the bath when it is open. Press it to close the waste and fill the bath, press again to open it, and the whole mechanism lifts out as a cartridge for cleaning. The Blue Space uses the term for this flush design, and keeps pop up for wastes that sit proud of the surface when open. This page holds pop down plug and wastes for baths and spas, with and without an overflow. It also holds a bath bend with a flexible connector for baths where the waste and the floor drain do not line up, and an overflow kit that adds an overflow to a built-in bath. For every bath waste type, start at bath wastes.
What a pop down waste is
The pop down is a quick-close waste that sits flush with the basin or bath when open. A removable cartridge with polymer fins opens and closes it smoothly, and a vortex design in the cartridge is meant to keep flow rates high. A slot near the top is intended to catch rings and earrings before they fall down the drain. The action is push to close, push to open, with no levers to adjust and a solid brass stopper that stays flush with the surface when open. Cleaning means lifting the stopper out, wiping it and putting it back.
Why a bath suits a pop down waste
The ART Australia bath wastes have good reasons behind them. The waste is a quick-close waste approved for baths. It sits flush in the most commonly used open position, which gives a superior look. It is safe for little fingers and toes, and it allows full access to the bath waste, and to the trap, for service and maintenance. It suits bath and spa applications, and you will never sit on the waste, because nothing stands proud of the surface. It is a good alternative to pop up wastes, because it sits flush in the bath when closed.
Pop up or pop down
The two mechanisms look alike on a product page, and the labels are not used the same way everywhere. On this site a pop up waste sits proud of the surface when open, often with a slightly domed cap, and a pop down waste sits flush. Read the description and the open position rather than the label. Pop up bath wastes are collected at pop up bath wastes, and the basin version of the pop down mechanism is at pop down basin wastes.
Sizes and overflow
Bath pop down wastes on this page are 40mm. They have a 40mm outlet, a surface diameter of 66.5mm on the overflow version and 70mm on the plain version, and a 1 1/2 inch BSP thread. The number describes the pipe, not the waste: 40mm is the internal diameter of the pipe the waste connects to. AS/NZS 3500.2 requires a bath to connect through a waste of at least DN40, either as an untrapped waste to a floor waste gully or through a trap. A 40mm waste matches that size.
The overflow decides which version a bath needs. An overflow is a hole in the bath wall that connects to the waste and stops the bath overfilling, and the plug and waste must be compatible with it. A bath with an overflow is the stronger choice if the home has no floor waste. The ART Australia range lists a version for baths without an overflow and a Pop Down plug and waste with overflow in white. Baths need a separate pop-down waste, with non-overflow and overflow versions. Wastes with an overflow connection are collected at bath wastes with overflows.
For a built-in bath or spa with no overflow, the Decina Bath Pop Down overflow and waste kit adds one. The kit includes an overflow, a hose and a 40mm pop-down plug and waste, and the outlet is fitted and positioned near the top inside edge of the bath to take excess water back to the waste. It suits built-in baths and spa baths, and it is made from brass with a quick-remove cartridge.
Baths where the waste and the drain do not line up
The first check is whether the bath's waste outlet lines up directly with the floor waste. If it does not, a flexible connector may be needed, and connectors can bridge an offset of up to 650mm, as long as the pipe has enough fall across the offset to drain properly. The ART Australia Bath Bend Pop Down and connector is made for this case. It combines the plug and waste, a flexible connector of up to 600mm and an elbow, and it is made for limited bath spaces. The length adjusts to a maximum of 600mm, the bath thickness adjusts to a maximum of 12mm, the body is low at 77mm, and variable screws are available for different bath thicknesses. The maximum offset is 650mm, the outlet is 40mm and it suits overflow and non-overflow baths.
For freestanding, back-to-wall and back-to-corner baths, there is a second check. Compare the technical drawing of the bath with the gap between the base of the bath and the floor, and compare that gap with the tail length of the waste, including the connector. A low body helps here. If no combination fits, the options are a different bath or a moved floor waste, and a plumber can advise. Bath pages to start from are bathtubs, and the connector choice can be made before the bath is chosen.
Dry-fit before any pipe is cut
The installation sequence for a freestanding bath applies to any bath. Set the bath in place, mark the waste position and check the trap line against the rough-in before any pipe is cut. The position of the waste has to fit the existing rough-in and leave a practical route to the trap and the connector. The base should sit slightly clear of the floor, so the shell does not sit in standing water and can drain, and the foot hardware is tightened only after the height and level are correct.
The waste connector should meet the trap without stress, kinks or upward bends. A flexible waste connector can suit tight access, but it still needs a clear route and inspection access. Forcing the waste out of line leads to poor drainage, and forcing fittings together to make the bath fit often causes joint leaks or slow drainage later. Once the bath is level and seated, apply silicone to a clean, dry, stable base and leave it to cure fully before use. Finish with a leak test: fill the bath, hold the water, and check every joint below the floor before treating the job as complete.
Fitting rules
Access matters too. AS/NZS 3500.2 allows a bath to discharge untrapped to a floor waste gully where the bath trap is not accessible, and a non-accessible trap under the bath is not compliant. Accessible means reachable for inspection, maintenance, repair or replacement, which may involve removing a cover or access panel first. A mechanism that lifts out as a cartridge, and a waste that gives full access to the trap, fits that requirement in practice. Depending on the bath style and location, the National Construction Code may require fully removable baskets that allow full access to the trap, and a plumber may refuse a non-compliant installation, so check with a plumber before buying.
Fitting is plumbing work. In Western Australia fitting or replacing a waste is licensed plumbing work, while a homeowner can swap a loose plug in an existing waste, and plumbers fit wastes to AS/NZS 3500.2 and the Plumbing Code of Australia. A licensed plumber is also required in other places, such as Queensland. Check the rule for your state. The ART Australia wastes are Watermark certified, which is what a plumber looks for.
Keeping a pop down waste clean
Hair and toothpaste build-up can jam the mechanism, so clean it regularly and use soft cloths and warm water on the outer finish. Mineral scale and soap scum can stop a pop-up sealing, so wipe the waste dry after use, use a mild or citrus cleaner, and avoid abrasives and harsh chemicals. Hot water with an enzyme cleaner suits the drain below, and vinegar and abrasive cleaners can damage PVD coatings, so check the finish before using anything acidic.
After cleaning, press the stopper closed, run a few centimetres of water into the bath and check it holds, then press it open and watch it drain freely. If the water leaks past the stopper, the seal is the first thing to check.
Materials and finishes
The ART Australia pop down wastes are brass. The finishes are chrome plated or electroplated, and some are raw polished brass that is not coated and is designed to patina over time. Finishes in the range include chrome, satin chrome, brushed nickel, brushed gold, gold, polished brass, gun metal grey, matte black and white. The Decina kit is polished chrome. PVD is a vacuum process that bonds colour to the metal at a molecular level, and it is much harder than traditional plating, while chrome is electroplated, hard and easy to clean. Check the finish process on the product you choose.
A bath waste does not have to match the tapware exactly. A deliberate mix of metals can look chosen, and a waste in the finish of the tapware reads as deliberate even when it is mostly hidden. Matching tapware finishes are at brushed nickel tapware and gunmetal tapware.
Before you order
Confirm the bath has a 40mm outlet and whether it has an overflow, then pick the matching version. Check the offset between the waste and the floor drain, and the clearance under the bath against the tail length of the waste and any connector. Then choose the finish, and read the finish line for the process.
Brands
ART Australia, previously known as Bounty Brassware, makes the Pop Down range, and its wastes are collected at Bounty Brassware.
