You can fix this
Likely cause: a loose or disconnected pivot rod
The rod that moves the stopper has slipped off the strap, or its nut has worked loose. Reconnect it and snug the nut.
Why this happens
The lift rod only moves the stopper through the pivot rod. Moen's setup joins the pivot rod to the lift rod strap with a spring clip, and Delta says to make sure the nut holding the horizontal rod in the drain is secure. Lowe's adds that this nut should be just tight enough that the stopper rod does not slide down on its own. A master plumber quoted by Family Handyman suggests a simple fix for a drip at the ball joint: tightening that nut with pliers.
How to fix it
- If the pivot rod is hanging free, reconnect it. This Old House describes passing the rod through one side of the spring clip, then through a hole in the strap, then through the other side of the clip.
- Check that the lift rod is still clamped in the strap. Moen says the lift rod should sit in the strap and be secured with the strap screw.
- Snug the nut where the pivot rod enters the drain. Lowe's says to tighten it just enough that the stopper rod does not slide down, and warns that if it is too tight the pivot rod will not move.
- Work the lift rod. The strap, the pivot rod and the stopper should all move together, as Lowe's describes.
- Pull the lift rod up and fill the sink. Check that the water level holds and that the nut stays dry.
- If the nut still drips, you will need to open the drain. If a chemical drain cleaner has gone down this sink, stop here and call a plumber instead: Family Handyman says leftover caustic chemicals are a danger to anyone who takes the trap apart. Otherwise push the lift rod down and let the sink empty. Then close both stops under the sink so the faucet cannot be run, set a bucket under the drain pipes, and unscrew the nut to look behind it. If a stop will not turn, do not force it. Leave the faucet off instead. Pfister says the washer should sit firmly on the ball, and Danco notes there may be washers inside the nut that you need to save and reuse. Put everything back, snug the nut, open the stops, then fill the sink again and check that the nut stays dry.
When to stop. If the nut is cracked, the threads on the drain are corroded, or the drip continues with the nut snug, stop tightening and call a plumber.
If this does not fix it, tell the plumber
- Whether the pivot rod was off the strap, or the nut was loose.
- Whether the nut drips with the sink full, and whether tightening changed it.
- Whether the stopper now moves when you work the lift rod.
Build the full list: what to tell the plumber.
Start this troubleshooter over
- Moen: Pop-up drain assembly not closing or opening properly
- Delta: Why doesn't my pop-up sink stopper stop the water from draining?
- Lowe's: How to remove a sink drain stopper
- Family Handyman: How to remove a stopper from the bathroom sink
- This Old House: How to fix a bath sink stopper
- Pfister: My pop up drain is not draining water (includes does not hold water and leaking under sink)
- Danco: Instructions for universal pop-up stoppers
- Family Handyman: How to clear clogged drains
FourHome is our sister brand. Browse all FourHome replacement faucet and shower parts on the FourHome Amazon store. We earn from purchases made through this link.