Hi all,
The photo shows what's happening, any ideas on what to do to fix this leak as it's beginning to damage the cabinet.
HI @tigerzen
Those plumbing fitttings are designed to be mainly hand tigtened see the raised lugs on the sides.
So try tighen those fittings a little more i would tighten the top connector and side y connector to as a shot gun approarch, try and nail the problem in one go.
Turn them 1 turn if they feel loose. 1/2 turn if they feel easy to move. 1,3 turn if they feel firm . 1/5 turn if feel tight. If they feel super tight and un movable open the connection up and check the washer seal is not damaged it maybe crushed.
If your hand needs a little help titghten the connevtions with a pair of adjusteble multigrips , plumber wrench, or a chain wrench be mindfull these fittings can be over tightened to a point of being damaged.
You can also us Toilet paper sheets folded dab it from the top connection or above down wards after letting the sink run for a bit to stimulate the water leak. When the TP is wet you are zeroing in on the leak to guide you to further actions .
Use PVA wood glue on the laminate strip peeling of using temporay tape to hold in in place wiping any glue mess with a white rag.
Hope this helps,
Thanks Jewelleryrescue for that detailed reply. I have passed your suggestions onto my sister whose bathroom the post refers to. She has told me that the fittings are on very tight which leads me to believe that maybe they are damaged, I am planning to go out there to see what I can do.
Hello @tigerzen
Thanks for sharing your question about your leaking laundry drainpipe.
It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Jewelleryrescue. Looking at the photo you posted it appears that the black O ring has twisted out and might be the cause of the leak. Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend loosening the fitting and setting the O ring level.
Once the O ring is in the correct position slowly turn the fitting to make it tight. It's important the O ring does not peek out. The connection should come together squarely and firmly. Make sure to observe to make sure that the leak is fixed.
However, if after several attempts and the leak does not want to stop, I suggest engaging the services of a registered plumber to fix the plumbing connection.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Thanks Eric for your input, yes I had noticed that the o-ring looks distorted. What is this pipe called, is it called a trap? If we cannot get it to sit properly can you buy a new part to replace it or must the whole pipe be replaced? If we have to get a plumber what do you think the extent of the repair might be?
Hi @tigerzen
If you look closely, you'll see the part that is attached is grey in colour not white. That part is a PVC extension piece and is usually used to bridge the gap between the "trap" and the tee piece.
The plumber could use plumber's tape to do a quick repair or remove the PVC piece and extend the waste pipe at the bottom. I suppose it all depends on what they will decide to do.
There are other parts you can use, but it will require a plumber to complete this type of work.
Thanks Eric, if the PVC extension piece is damaged in any way is that part available at Bunnings ie is it readily available?
Hi @tigerzen,
I suspect that extension piece is a Holman 50mm PVC DWV Female Iron Connector or Holman 40mm Female PVC DWV Threaded Iron Adaptor. There is no rubber Oring used in this style connector. The lower end is glued onto your pipework and the threaded top using thread tape to seal. It appears that someone has tried using an Oring to seal this fitting, which is likely the cause of the leak.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchell, looking at the linked photos you could well be right, assuming it is a connector/adaptor issue what would be the fix here?
If you can see water leaking out from the threaded portion of that adaptor where the rubber seal is @tigerzen, then a plumber would be undo the connection, remove the rubber seal, apply thread tape and then do the connection back up again.
I doubt the adaptor itself has a crack or issue, but if it does, they'd need to install a new fitting by cutting the pipe underneath.
Thanks Mitchell, I'll give it a try.
While on this theme I thought I'd ask another question if I may. Some time ago we had a leak under the kitchen cabinet, the cabinet had a dual basin and there were at least 4 connections including the P trap. We thought the problem was one of the middle joins and tightened it accordingly, this did not solve the problem because the actual leak was higher up, the water had been running down creating the illusion that it was coming from one of the middle joins. The question I have is how do you tell which join is actually leaking? Is there equipment, tips etc that would help? Water flows so quickly from one join to another that it's hard to pinpoint where the leak is.
That's a great question @tigerzen. Typically, I would fill the bowls with water with the plug inserted. Dry off the pipework and have someone sit there watching it while someone else pulls the plugs. You can place your hands around certain fittings to feel the water run down them. If you feel the water run down over your hand, you'll be able to tell the leak is above that point. Keep working your way up the fittings until you find the culprit.
It might take several attempts of drying the pipe work off and looking closely before you find the target area. If it's still difficult to find the leak, try adding a squirt of blue or red food colouring into the water. The colouring will enhance the leaks detectability.
And that's a great answer Mitchell! Thanks for that solution and I'm sure others are going to find that a very useful suggestion. As I recall the actual leak was where the sink basin and the connector underneath intersected. If that is the actual problem in the current situation is there a specific sequence of steps to follow and will silicon be enough to bridge the gap?
The plug and waste comes with at least one rubber washer @tigerzen. The rubber washer gets inserted onto the threaded section of the waste, and the waste is inserted into the basin. A nut is done up underneath the basin to compress this rubber washer in the basin. Quite often, this rubber washer is placed underneath the basin, which is in the incorrect position and causes the water to leak out of the basin.
So, for a leak directly under the basin, I'd be checking to see where the rubber washer has been placed and remove the waste, if necessary, to reposition the washer inside the basin.
Thanks to all that helped we were successful in the end. The basin was indeed leaking and we loosened then re-positioned as per Mitch's advice. The tissue idea that JewelleryRescue mentioned was great in that it helped to confirm that we had fixed the leak. Eric's advice about repositioning the nut/washer was also helpful. So, a real team effort, I couldn't have done it without you guys, thanks so much!
That's sensational to hear @tigerzen. Well done!
Something of a postscript but in the opening post is a photo which shows what looks like a crushed o-ring. It was in fact some sort of black rubber tape resembling teflon but thicker, anyone know what it is and why it was used instead of normal teflon tape?
It's likely self-fusing silicone tape, @tigerzen. It's used as a catch-all for leaks but is not the appropriate product, whereas Teflon tape is. Possibly, a home D.I.Y. attempt to seal the joint.
Thanks for clarifying Mitch, looks very DIYish.
