Removing an old bath

Undoing the pipes and bath waste

Switch off the hot and cold water supplies to the bath taps.

Open the taps to drain the water.

If the bath has a decorative side panel, remove this to provide access to the plumbing.

Although it is usually possible to undo the supply and waste connections, it is a lot easier to simply cut through the pipes at a convenient point with a small hacksaw. Have a bucket and sponge or rags to hand, as there will be some spillage when these cuts are made.

Taking out the bath

Undo any wall fixings. These may be burried under tiling, in which case you can anticipate some breakages. Carefully remove any supports under the bath, or wind down the legs so that it can be lowered to prevent to prevent unnecessary damage to a tiled surround. If there is a mastic seal around the bath, you may find it helpful to run a craft knife through this before removal. Take care with cast iron baths as they are extremely heavy.

Cast iron baths

Remove the bath. If a cast iron bath is beyond repair, it will be easier to break it up for removal. If it’s in reasonable condition, but just not to your liking, consider selling it as they are quite desirable.

To break up a cast iron bath, put on protective goggles, gloves and ear defenders. Lay some old sheeting or a blanket over the bath and break it up using a heavy duty hammer. Take care, as the fragments may be extremely sharp.

• Fitting a bath
• Choosing a bath