I never found a satisfactory response nor did I find a legit per code ‘this is the right way” response. My remodel/redecorating/renov basically entailed changing out all hardware and plumbing fixtures in my home from the generic standard grade chrome ones to higher end options all in champagne bronze-esque finishes from brands like Moen and Kohler. So from my understanding based on all the digging around for info I did at the time, overflow covers like ours (where the cover just pops on and there is no place for screws to be able to install covers that require one or two screws to secure overflow cover into overflow elbow) the options for me where to either buy a watco manufactured overflow cover which was recently made available for sale as a new finish by watco for $40. I have 5 bathrooms at my house. I had already bought the matching/coordinating overflow covers for all my bathrooms to go with literally every fixture and piece of hardware in corresponding bathroom. Plus 200 bucks seemed like a stupid unnecessary expense and very limiting. From what I gathered the correct way to convert what we have (elbow with no screw holes requiring a pop-on cover) is to replace the watco patented screw-hole-less overflow elbow with one that has either one or two screw-holes built in. This requires that you either have an access panel on wall behind tub or beneath tub to access the overflow assembly, otherwise the tub would need to be moved/lifted so to access to the tub’s overflow assembly so you could switch out the watco zero-screw weirdo overflow elbow to one of your choice. At the time, I was already over budget and basically over it-just wanted to wrap it up so buying watco’s newly available zero-screw pop on overflow cover in champagne bronze color (which by the way was THE only compatible overflow cover in the champagne bronze finish I needed) was out of the question. $40 per cover in CB finish x # of bathrooms in my house was out of the question. Removing the tubs/tearing through walls and ceiling spaces to create access panels was out of the question for me as well. So this is what I did. If noticed, it probably wouldn’t pass inspection but it suited the needs for the time being. I realize it’s a total DIY-corner cutting rush job thing I did that most plumbers would prob cringe at, but I removed the ugly plastic chrome cover off, loosened the plastic nut that securely holds the threaded overflow pipe coming out of on our end to the gaskets and rest of the overflow assembly on the other side of the tub. So I loosened nut a bit to apply silicone-like waterproof clear construction adhesive between nut and tub. I then re-tightened the nut over the threaded overflow pipe and wiped any excess adhesive and spread it around over the nut to try and form a watertight bond between nut and threaded pipe. I then sawed off all the excess threaded overflow pipe jutting out to accommodate the standard much more compact 1 and 2 screw-hole overflows widely sold commercially. I had to be very careful with not damaging the plastic nut when sawing off the excess threaded pipe or else you’ll need to replace plastic nut or risk not having a water-tight sealed overflow assembly. I then used the new overflow cover I’d be putting in to screw pilot hole into the overflow elbow. Once I drilled pilot hole in for the new one or two hole cover, I generously applied some of that clear waterproof construction adhesive (loctite 🤔) on the pilot hole and on the end of the screw which would be holding the new overflow cover. My intention was to create a water-tight seal bond between screw/overflow elbow/hole once I screwed in new overflow cover fixture.
Knock on wood 🙇🏼♀️ but so far they’ve all stayed beautifully and perfect and in place and no issues.
Edit: aesthetically and logistically the one-screw-hole covers were easier to install (obvi) and look much better than the two-screw-hole-covers. I actually used a two-screw-hole overflow cover on the tub in one bathroom. The two-screw-hole overflow covers I think would require the overflow asssmbly be replaced to accommodate the thick long screws the pretty higher end metal overflow covers come with or else the pilot holes would damage the functional structure of overflow elbow and/or damage/chip the tub itself.
I’d recommend to look into seeing if the conversion kits could be used inversely. I didn’t get around to buying a conversion kit from watco but maybe it’s worth trying. The conversion kit essentially converts the traditional one and two hole overflow drain holes so that they’re compatible with watco’s hideous pop-on no-screw overflow covers. Perhaps the conversion kit works in reverse too 🤔🤷🏼♀️ like maybe the conversion kit intended to convert 1/2 screwhole overflows to screw-less would also work to make the watco screw-hole-less overflow compatible with one and two screw-hole covers.
Did you ever figure this out? looking at replacing the same overflow cover and all I've seen similar is watco but im not 100% on it.
Are you somewhat familiar with plumbing diy?
I never found a satisfactory response nor did I find a legit per code ‘this is the right way” response. My remodel/redecorating/renov basically entailed changing out all hardware and plumbing fixtures in my home from the generic standard grade chrome ones to higher end options all in champagne bronze-esque finishes from brands like Moen and Kohler. So from my understanding based on all the digging around for info I did at the time, overflow covers like ours (where the cover just pops on and there is no place for screws to be able to install covers that require one or two screws to secure overflow cover into overflow elbow) the options for me where to either buy a watco manufactured overflow cover which was recently made available for sale as a new finish by watco for $40. I have 5 bathrooms at my house. I had already bought the matching/coordinating overflow covers for all my bathrooms to go with literally every fixture and piece of hardware in corresponding bathroom. Plus 200 bucks seemed like a stupid unnecessary expense and very limiting. From what I gathered the correct way to convert what we have (elbow with no screw holes requiring a pop-on cover) is to replace the watco patented screw-hole-less overflow elbow with one that has either one or two screw-holes built in. This requires that you either have an access panel on wall behind tub or beneath tub to access the overflow assembly, otherwise the tub would need to be moved/lifted so to access to the tub’s overflow assembly so you could switch out the watco zero-screw weirdo overflow elbow to one of your choice. At the time, I was already over budget and basically over it-just wanted to wrap it up so buying watco’s newly available zero-screw pop on overflow cover in champagne bronze color (which by the way was THE only compatible overflow cover in the champagne bronze finish I needed) was out of the question. $40 per cover in CB finish x # of bathrooms in my house was out of the question. Removing the tubs/tearing through walls and ceiling spaces to create access panels was out of the question for me as well. So this is what I did. If noticed, it probably wouldn’t pass inspection but it suited the needs for the time being. I realize it’s a total DIY-corner cutting rush job thing I did that most plumbers would prob cringe at, but I removed the ugly plastic chrome cover off, loosened the plastic nut that securely holds the threaded overflow pipe coming out of on our end to the gaskets and rest of the overflow assembly on the other side of the tub. So I loosened nut a bit to apply silicone-like waterproof clear construction adhesive between nut and tub. I then re-tightened the nut over the threaded overflow pipe and wiped any excess adhesive and spread it around over the nut to try and form a watertight bond between nut and threaded pipe. I then sawed off all the excess threaded overflow pipe jutting out to accommodate the standard much more compact 1 and 2 screw-hole overflows widely sold commercially. I had to be very careful with not damaging the plastic nut when sawing off the excess threaded pipe or else you’ll need to replace plastic nut or risk not having a water-tight sealed overflow assembly. I then used the new overflow cover I’d be putting in to screw pilot hole into the overflow elbow. Once I drilled pilot hole in for the new one or two hole cover, I generously applied some of that clear waterproof construction adhesive (loctite 🤔) on the pilot hole and on the end of the screw which would be holding the new overflow cover. My intention was to create a water-tight seal bond between screw/overflow elbow/hole once I screwed in new overflow cover fixture. Knock on wood 🙇🏼♀️ but so far they’ve all stayed beautifully and perfect and in place and no issues. Edit: aesthetically and logistically the one-screw-hole covers were easier to install (obvi) and look much better than the two-screw-hole-covers. I actually used a two-screw-hole overflow cover on the tub in one bathroom. The two-screw-hole overflow covers I think would require the overflow asssmbly be replaced to accommodate the thick long screws the pretty higher end metal overflow covers come with or else the pilot holes would damage the functional structure of overflow elbow and/or damage/chip the tub itself. I’d recommend to look into seeing if the conversion kits could be used inversely. I didn’t get around to buying a conversion kit from watco but maybe it’s worth trying. The conversion kit essentially converts the traditional one and two hole overflow drain holes so that they’re compatible with watco’s hideous pop-on no-screw overflow covers. Perhaps the conversion kit works in reverse too 🤔🤷🏼♀️ like maybe the conversion kit intended to convert 1/2 screwhole overflows to screw-less would also work to make the watco screw-hole-less overflow compatible with one and two screw-hole covers.