Stoppers that don't close can keep the drain or tub from filling properly and waste water. Stoppers that don't open readily or don't open all the way make water drain sluggishly. These kinds of stopper problems are mechanical and can be solved with simple adjustments.
It's easy to remove a tub stopper to check it for mechanical problems or blockage. Simply pull it out along with the rocker arm.
Check the rubber seal, if there is one, for damage, and replace it if you need to. Clear the stopper of hair and debris. Slip on a new rubber seal if needed. Then make sure the flange is tightly seated and in good shape. (Older tubs may have corroded flanges.)
If a sink stopper doesn't seat properly, remove it and take a look at it. Some sink stoppers lift out easily. You'll need to twist others free because a slot on the body hooks them to the lift rod. If adjusting the clevis screw doesn't help, reset the pivot rod by squeezing the spring clip and freeing the pivot rod. Move the clip up to the next clevis hole insert the rod. You may need to keep tweaking this a little to find the right hole on the clevis.
Water may leak or refuse to drain around a sink pop-up for a number of reasons. The pop-up may not sit tightly in the drain. If that's the case, loosen the clevis screw with a wrench, push the stopper down, and retighten the clevis screw. When the drain is closed, the pivot rod should slope slightly uphill from the clevis to the tailpiece.
If water drips from around the pivot ball, tighten the retaining nut that holds the ball in place. You may also need to replace the gasket or washer (or both) inside the pivot ball-and-rod assembly.
Keeping drains clear of hair, soap and shampoo residue, and other debris is one of the best ways to help keep stoppers and pop-ups in good working order.
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