How to fix a leaking pipe under the sink?

We've been in our current house for over a decade now, and just lived with the leak under the sink with a trusted old vessel to catch the water.

vessel solution

When investigating the leak, I noticed someone prior to us, had left a clue/hint as to what the issue was. Why was it not fixed?. Well, maybe like us, like was busy enough and was to be done another day.

diagnosis of leak

Today is that other day for us.

The pipe shows hints of the leak over time, which is only happening when the (cold) tap is on.

follow the trail of the leak

heritage taps

We had a plumber around to fix the issue, but we were met with "Oh, you need to replace the whole lot".
The problem is, the taps are heritage style and aren't the easiest things to find NOT in Chrome (which was what we was going to replace it with).

So then my wife stumbled across this forum/workshop. Hoping someone can give some tips/suggestions on how to fix this leak WITHOUT replacing the whole tap-set

Looking forward to your response(s).

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Repairing

Plumbing

Accepted answers

All comments

Akanksha

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @alexi. We're delighted to have you join our wonderful community of D.I.Y. enthusiasts who are sharing creative projects and helping each other everyday.

My apologies for the delay in responding to your question. It's been a busy time on the site and I'm sure our resident D.I.Y. Bunnings expert @EricL will be happy to provide some advice on fixing your leaking pipe as soon as he can. Let me also tag our experienced members @Jewelleryrescue, @JDE, @Noyade and @DIYGnome in case they have any suggestions.

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Akanksha

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @alexi

Well they are old school taps but that is a good thing, The older taps as far as Iam aware are designed to be serviceable even though exact parts might be scarce. good photos 🙂

It look s like the leak point is fixable as it is a plumbing fitting adapter all it needs is a new rubber washer and some fresh plumbing tape.

A bit of TLC to unscrew adapter and re assemble.

I am also sorry the plumber put it into his too hard basket.

Plan B turn your house water off or your under sink tap preferably off.

And silicon the tap all round underneath in that grove the water coming out of. shutting water off first and let it dry 1 hour. It dosnt mater how the tap sealed as its hidden.

Plan C

Look for a handyman in your area that might be able to help or another plumber send them your photos so they can quote after seeing your taps and leak area.

Maybe an old school plumber in your area,

alexi

thanks so much for the response and bringing to the attention of others @Akanksha

alexi

Thanks so much @Jewelleryrescue for your prompt response.

There was a little bit of back flow from the top of both of the taps, which is maybe why he looked to fix both things.

The main issue is not being able to store items under the sink due to the leak. we've cleared space for the repair and lived with it for a decade so a few more days won't hurt.

I've taken a bit of plan C for a 2nd opinion of a local plumber to see what they make of it, but I might also send the pics as you suggested.

DIYGnome

Hello @alexi I would agree with @Jewelleryrescue regarding the serviceability of the brass hardware fittings, however due to the corrosion the effort required (and difficulty) will be more than would usually be the case, Plumbers charge by the hour and perhaps this is why Plumber #1 preferred the complete replacement solution.

Another oddity I note is the angle on which the copper pipe enters into the bottom of the fixture, it does not appear to be dead true but could simply be because the piping has been maneuvered in such a position, it would be prudent for Plumber #2 to replace all tap washers & seals whilst on site addressing the primary leak issue.

alexi

Thanks @DIYGnome , I too noticed that the head of the pipe doesn’t sit true on the thread.

I also wonder if this has damaged the thread if put on (and tightened) wrong (along with potentially causing the drip in the first place

DIYGnome

Hello @alexi the threaded section looks fairly even, the copper pipe will be flared (under that compression fitting) and if anything a lop sided flared joint will be more prone to leak.

EricL

Hello @alexi

My apologies for the late reply. It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Jewelleryrescue and @DIYGnome. This is such a beautiful heritage set and I commend you for sticking to your guns about not replacing it. These sets are worth their weight in gold as they were made with a large amount of pure brass.

But this is also its Achilles heel, having such a high brass content has made it very malleable and thus the locking threads are soft. The traditional plumber would have used hemp thread sealers instead of plumber's tape which you can see by the attempt of the former plumber.

In this particular situation, I propose posting the repair job online, I suggest posting a photo on Hipages or Airtasker so that the plumber knows what they are dealing with. Make sure to emphasize that you want it repaired and not replaced.

If I'm not mistaken, you also have the original brass waste that is in combination with your taps. Have you ever tried to polish it? I propose using a clean rag and a touch of ketchup and see if you can bring up a clean spot just to see how bright the brass is.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Child Item