• 12 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Bathtub

A bathtub from the front, and its drain end cut through.

Parts of a Bathtub

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Rim
  2. Handle
  3. Tub spout
  4. Diverter
  5. Overflow plate
  6. Trip lever
  7. Overflow elbow
  8. Linkage
  9. Stopper
  10. Drain flange
  11. Drain shoe
  12. P-trap

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a shower

All 12 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 6 main parts 6

  1. Rim The top edge of the tub. You sit on it or rest things on it.
  2. Handle Turns the valve to set the water's flow and temperature.
  3. Tub spout Where the water pours into the tub.
  4. Overflow plate Covers the overflow opening that stops the tub overfilling.
  5. Stopper Closes the drain to hold water in the tub.
  6. P-trap A U-bend that holds water. The water blocks sewer gas from coming up the drain.

The tub and faucet 1

  1. Diverter Pulled up, it sends water to the showerhead instead of the spout.

The drain, cut through 5

  1. Trip lever Flipped up or down to open or close the stopper.
  2. Overflow elbow The bend behind the overflow opening. It carries overflow water down to the drain.
  3. Linkage The rod that connects the trip lever to the stopper.
  4. Drain flange The metal rim of the drain opening in the tub floor. It screws into the drain shoe.
  5. Drain shoe The L-shaped fitting under the tub. It carries water from the drain to the waste line.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Horow, Bathtub parts guide, https://horow.com/blogs/guide/bathtub-parts-guide-what-are-different-parts-of-a-bathtub-and-how-they-work : rim, apron, tub spout, diverter, handle, overflow plate and opening, overflow tube and elbow, trip lever, stopper, drain flange, drain shoe, waste arm, trap. (2) PlumbingSupply, Bathtub drains, https://www.plumbingsupply.com/drains.html : trip lever waste and overflow assemblies, overflow plates and covers, overflow elbow, stoppers (push-pull, foot-actuated, pop-up), linkage, drain shoe, drain flange, rim. (3) RBROHANT, What are the components of the faucet, https://www.rbrohant.com/blogs/news/what-are-the-components-of-the-faucet : handle, diverter, tub spout. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

These are the parts of a bathtub you can see, then the ones hidden behind the end wall: the waste and overflow that drains it. Start with the 6 main parts.

Read the full guide

Tub and faucet

The handle on the wall sets the flow and temperature. Water pours from the tub spout; pull up its diverter and it goes to the showerhead instead. The rim is the top edge of the tub.

The drain

The overflow plate covers a hole that stops the tub overfilling. Its trip lever works the stopper through a linkage down the overflow elbow. Water leaves through the drain flange and drain shoe, then the P-trap.

  • Trip-lever drains clog more often than others, because the linkage inside the overflow tube collects hair and soap.

Questions and answers

What is the overflow plate on a bathtub?

The round cover high on the tub's end wall. It covers the overflow opening, which lets water drain away before the tub can spill, and on many tubs it carries the trip lever.

What does the diverter on a tub spout do?

It sends the water to the showerhead instead of the spout. On many tubs it is a pull-up pin on top of the spout; on others it is built into the valve behind the handle.

What is a drain shoe?

The L-shaped fitting under the tub. The drain flange screws into it, and it carries the water sideways to meet the overflow pipe and the waste line.

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