How can I remove drain grate?

[infgeoax]

Hi

I tried to lift the drain grate today but couldn't. It has too much rust but doesn't seem to have any bolts to hold it down. The grate is cast iron and pretty heavy.

Thanks.

  

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @infgeoax. We're pleased to have you join us.

Can you please tell us if you've tried anything yet to remove the grate? For example, can you pry a screwdriver between the brickwork and the drain and lever it up at all? Like you, I don't believe there would be anything holding it in place except its weight. 

Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts will be happy to share their thoughts, and let me tag some other clever members like @Dave-1 and @Nailbag to see if they had any ideas. 

Jason

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @infgeoax 

I was just scrolling through looking at different drain cover types in google land....

I cant see any screws in your photo and like @Jason Id be tempted to lever it up with a large flat screwdriver.

I did have a thought while scrolling and wondering why it wont come up easily. Maybe its like a bayonette light bulb where you have to slide it left or right first to "free" the pins underneath the tray? 

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @infgeoax my experience has been that most of these drain grate types are simply a press-fit. Over a time a combination of several factors such as the following will impact how difficult they are to lift them:

• Concrete/mortar leeching in at the time of installation.
• Swelling of concrete/mortar.
• Deforming during installation.
• Dirt and debris over time.

In front of my garage I have steel grates in composite trays in the hope they wouldn't deform in install with an exposed-agg driveway. Despite this, I need to use a very long handled flat screwdriver to pry the grates out and with each time a little more of the agg breaks away, which I fill with a matching sealant. It takes a lot of muscle but be rest assured nothing will break. It will be simply a matter of prying within the slots along one side un til something gives. If you have a pressure washer, you could give it a blast along the edges to help shift the built up debris.

Good luck.

Nailbag

[MitchellMc]

It's great to see our helpful members have provided some ideas @infgeoax. I'd agree and recommend you try using something similar to this prybar or, as suggested, a flathead screwdriver. Let us know if there is still no movement.

Mitchell

[Noyade]

Nearly midday Friday - did you mange to get the grate up @infgeoax ?

Hart make a nice pry-bar which looks perfect for the job - available from Bunnings.

And plenty of other uses later. 😁