Bath panels and bath traps: getting at the waste under a UK bath

Everything that drains a bath is hidden behind the bath panel, in a tight space under the tub. Most of the time it needs no attention. When there is a drip on the ceiling below, a smell, or a bath that empties slowly, it helps to know what is there and what you can check before calling someone. For sinks and basins, see our separate blocked sink guide; bath traps are built differently because there is so little room under a bath.

Getting the panel off

Plastic or acrylic panels are the most common. They are usually held to a timber frame or plinth by screws along the top or bottom edge, sometimes hidden under caps, or by clips or magnets. Some sit in a groove under the bath rim.

• Look along the bottom and ends for screws or caps first.
• Ease the panel away gently. Acrylic panels crack if bent sharply, especially in a cold room.
• If one end of the bath is open to the room, there is usually a separate end panel too.

Wooden or MDF panels are usually screwed to a frame.

Tiled-in baths have no removable panel unless the fitter left an access hatch. If there is no hatch and you need to reach the trap, that is a job for a plumber or tiler, who can cut an access panel without damaging more than necessary.

If you are planning a refit, ask for a removable panel or access hatch. See bathroom refit order.

What is under there

A typical UK bath has:

• The waste. The outlet in the bottom of the bath. It may be a plug and chain, a click (push to open and close) waste or a pop-up waste operated by a handle.
• The overflow. An outlet near the top of the bath, at the tap end, connected by a flexible tube to the waste below. Many bath wastes come as a combined waste and overflow. Some include a bath filler that fills the bath through the overflow.
• The trap. Under the waste. Because there is little height under a bath, bath traps are usually low level or shallow designs, smaller than a basin trap. They hold a water seal to keep drain smells out. Many have an access point for cleaning.
• The waste pipe from the trap to the drain, usually running along the wall.

What you can check

A leak. Dry everything with a towel, put dry tissue under each joint, then:

1. Run water into the empty bath with the plug out. A drip now points to the waste joint, the trap or the pipe.
2. Put the plug in and fill the bath to just above the overflow, then let it run into the overflow for a moment. A drip now, but not before, points to the overflow seal or its tube.
3. Check the taps and the supply pipes while they are running. A drip from above the waste is often the taps, not the drain.

Hand-tight plastic trap nuts can sometimes be nipped up a little by hand. Do not force them. A leak where the waste or overflow passes through the bath itself, or a cracked trap, needs parts and usually a plumber.

Slow draining. Hair collects in the plug hole and around click and pop-up mechanisms. Many click wastes unscrew from the top so the hair can be removed. Clean that first. If the trap has an access point, clearing it with a bucket underneath is often next. If several outlets drain slowly, the problem may be further down; see outside drains.

Smells. A bath that is rarely used can lose the water in its trap. Run some water into it. If the smell returns quickly after another appliance drains, the trap seal may be being pulled out, which is a question for a plumber.

Gaps at the tiles. If water gets behind the bath when you shower, the silicone at the wall may have failed. See sealant and silicone.

When to call a plumber

• Water is reaching a ceiling below, especially near a light fitting. Turn off the bath, keep clear of the wet light, and get the lighting checked.
• The leak is where the waste or overflow passes through the bath.
• The trap or pipe is cracked, or the joints keep leaking after a gentle tighten.
• The bath is tiled in with no access.
• The bath moves or creaks when you stand in it. Its frame or feet may need adjusting, and that is also why seals keep failing.

Bath traps and wastes at Wickes

We haven't tested this. Figures are as the maker states them (checked 13 November 2026).

Why is there water under my bath only when I shower?

That usually points to the silicone between the bath and the wall, the shower screen seal, or grout, rather than the waste. Water runs down the wall and behind the bath. Check and reseal the joint, and check the screen.

Is a bath overflow the same as a toilet overflow pipe?

No. A bath overflow is a drain near the top of the bath that stops it spilling over. A toilet or cistern overflow pipe is a warning pipe that shows a valve is letting by. See overflow pipes for those.

Can I replace a bath trap myself?

A like-for-like plastic trap is a fairly simple swap if you can reach it, have a bucket ready and match the size and type. If the waste itself, the overflow or the pipe run needs changing, or access is difficult, call a plumber.