Installing a bathtub isn’t the easiest DIY task. It helps, though, if you understand the various parts of a bathtub. That’s the point of this custom diagram illustrating the anatomy of a bathtub, both the front end so-to-speak and backend (pipes, etc. behind the wall).
Below are brief descriptions of the various parts.
Water supply pipes: Supplies cold and hot water. Most bathtubs these days have one dial that controls water temperature by controlling amount of hot/cold water.
Diverter pipe: Diverts water from the lower spout to the shower head.
Shutoff valves: Provides the option to turn off water flowing to the bathtub. You definitely want to turn the water off when removing/fixing/installing a bathtub.
Planar cross: A four-way pipe connector used for controlling water flow.
Rim: The upper edge of the tub.
Cold and hot water supply: There’s a dedicated pipe for both cold and hot water.
Drain: The part in the tub where water drains and enters the drain pipe that removes water.
Overflow control: Most tubs have an overflow control so that water, if left running, does not flood over the rim. Sadly, our tub doesn’t have one which has resulted in flooding one time.
Access panel: Not all tubs offer this, which can make it difficult accessing the piping. Alcove tubs are such an example lacking an access panel.