Removing basin trap

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It should work now. Haven't used Google Drive to share before. However, in the meantime, I've been able to remove the trap by using a screwdriver as a lever in the release opening to turn the trap and break the seal.

Have you got a photo of the top side - from inside of the basin.

Also a photo taken from the bottom but showing what may be up the hole

Is that a screw thread at point where the fitting enters the basin?

My guess is that it must screw in from the top. Maybe a central screw or the whole grill turns. If the latter use some pointed nose pliers to insert into the grill to turn. Maybe use a screw driver across the handles of the pliers to give more leverage. If re-using the fitting wrap the jaws of the pliers in tape to protect the chrome. I guess that the fitting may have been installed with plumbers mate or similar and you make have to try and break that bond before something turns.

In that photo, the trap has already been removed. Is that "job done" - or do you still want to remove what is left from the basin?

That is the basin waste fitting (the trap is the bit that screw onto that).

These typically fit in one of three ways

Yours would appears to be of type 1 or 2 from that list.

Check if there is screw in the centre of the plughole. If so remove that and the bits should separate (although note they may have been bedded in silicone sealant and need a bit of prising to get free). Sometimes the "screw" is a wide one with a hole right through so you need a wide slotted driver to engage with the notches in its perimeter. (yours appears to be a popup waste, so if a screw type, that is what I would expect here if it is not type 2.

If there is no screw, then jam rotation of the plug hole (couple of "crossed" screw drivers in the plug hole "grille" or the tips of some waterpump pliers etc), and unscrew the bottom bit by hand.

As I said in my second posting, I succeeded in removing the drain. Photo at

Well done...

I was obviously reading your second post a bit to literally since it only made reference to removing the trap - something that was already apparent from the first photo.

Yup the can be a right PITA to remove - especially if there is a pedestal in the way restricting access.

The ones with a backnut can be very difficult to get at - a spanner big enough to go round it is also difficult to get into the space. The tubular box spanners[1] are often the easiest since they work "inline" and allow you to apply the torque a bit further away from obstructions close to the underside of the basin.

Don't know what I was thinking when I typed trap. I knew what I meant and the photo, as you observed, showed that I wasn't referring to the trap.

When I looked I couldn't find that! Instead I got

As it happens I had just played that game. One basin had a "click/clack" type pop up waste, that decided to pop off completely rather than just up, and in a very final looking way!

So I got a new one, and then way too little fun getting the old one out since I could not find the small pair of water pump pliers that were just small enough to get in the gap, while also opening up to 50mm to get round the nut. Managed to get it out with the crossed screwdrivers trick in the end. Getting the new one in and tight enough was also not fun, so I added a box spanner to to a recent order.

(something else to add more weight to my plumbing tool box!)

I looked at that, and noted the text:

"Ergonomically Designed Hangle" (on the forth image from the left).

Surely all Hangles should be ergonomically designed?