# How do I fix this bloody leak? (Laundry sink)



## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Did you put a top hat washer under the strainer before installing flanged pipe?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

There should be a flat rubber washer under the stainer baskets on the inside of the sink that does the sealing. There should be no pipe tape needed on any of the fittings I can see in the picture.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

joecaption said:


> There should be a flat rubber washer under the stainer baskets on the inside of the sink that does the sealing. There should be no pipe tape needed on any of the fittings I can see in the picture.


Too late at night,my eyes/brain not working! :laughing:
Anyway Im thinking the bottem of those strainers are flat,while the tail piece has a beveled end which will not seal correctly against it.
Would it not work better to have a flanged pipe coming off of each strainer with a top hat washer in each to seal against each then tie into your waste lines/trap from there like plumbing a kitchen sink?


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

I have top hat washers on top of the pvc pipe where the nut is. Are you guys saying I need another top hat washer inside the sink, and then put the crusty strainer on top of that? 

Yes, the strainer is flat bottom. I'll post a picture if space allwos. The pvc pipe is flat, not beveled.


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

This is the best pic I have on my phone.


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Ooooh... I found a picture of the leak before I did anything. Lol. Maybe this will help???


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Nope,you just need one washer under the basket/strainer where pipe attaches to it.
If the waste arm you installed has a flat flange on it and you have a top hat installed id say try running a bunch of hot water down the drain to get things good and warmed up ,then try snugging the nut up and let it cool back down and check for leaks again:thumbsup:


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Here's an ugly finger sketch showing where i have the top hat washer. Both left and right sinks are the same, but only the left lesks.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

As long as the pipe under the top hat has a flat flange to go between it and nut it should be correct :thumbsup:


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Can you remove the tail piece from under sink and post a picture of it?


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Ok, so was wrong a bit. The pipe coming out of the sink IS flanged, not straight cut like in my hand drawing. 

Here's the best pic I can get at the moment. I don't have it in me to take it all apart at the moment. You can see the nut, flange, top hat washer (just the edge), the threads of the sink. Hope this helps.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Ok thats what i needed to see! :thumbsup:
have you tried using the nut off the old pipe to see if it fits the strainer threads better?


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

I can't get the current nut off. It's locked in place by the flange and by the elbow. 

I did try to use another nut to see if it was just a stripped thread, but another nut fit like butter. :-(


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If your trying to reuse the old straner toss it and replace it.
Your missing the washer that goes under the flange inside the sink on the straner baskit.
There also is no nut to hold the baskit tight to the sink. All thiis plus a a thin flat washer would come with a new strainer. The thin one acts as a slip ring between the nut and the bottom of the sink.

One other thing I see is the tail piece is not flat where the two mating surfaces are. I like to fit everything in place and tighten the nuts where they attach to the sink strainer first since the to flat surfaces have to mate perfectly flat to seal, All the outher slip fitting can be off some and still seal.


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Hmmmm.. Ok. I'm off to the store in an hour anyway, so I'll look for a new strainer cup and washer.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks to me like the strainer is built into the sink,what washer is he missing?
I see a top hat washer there in his picture


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Here's the strainer cup thst goes in the sink (inside). There's no washer for this that I saw when removing it.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Is the flange not sitting level with bottem of sink,or is that just the way youre holding it?
good catch Joe!


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

There should have been a washer under that flange. If not then at least some plumbers putty.
The bottom of that style sink is never perfect and there's no way a metal to a rough distorted slightly surface will ever seal without the washer or putty.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

There is a top hat washer already stuck in top of the waste arm,kind of hard to see. 
Im thinking flange is not lining up from that picture


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

I guess it's not sitting flush. The other side of the sink (right half) has the tee going right up to the sink, so i can't adjust that side. All i can do is adjust this left side (with the small gap). 

Can I add another washer to make them flush??


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Might be easier to just buy a kitchen sink install kit at hardware store ,they come with 2 short pieces of flanged pipe so you can level things out a little and trim things as you go.:thumbsup:
I wish you would have posted that last picture first,wouldve saved lots of typing! :laughing:


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

No, there will not be enough threads left.


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

Hmmm... I did buy them as a kit. The kit came with tee, 16" arm with elbow, and a 6" extension arm. These are all I'm using plus the p trap. All washers included are used. 

Sry for not posting these pics earlier... But I just took them and, apparently, dont know what im doing. Lol! Typing all this in my phone stinks, too!


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

plummen said:


> Too late at night,my eyes/brain not working! :laughing:
> Anyway Im thinking the bottem of those strainers are flat,while the tail piece has a beveled end which will not seal correctly against it.
> Would it not work better to have a flanged pipe coming off of each strainer with a top hat washer in each to seal against each then tie into your waste lines/trap from there like plumbing a kitchen sink?


both the strainers and tail pipe are flat!


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Hardway said:


> both the strainers and tail pipe are flat!


I didnt have all the info at the time,and yes they do make waste arms that are beveled instead of flat on the mating surface


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

plummen said:


> I didnt have all the info at the time,and yes they do make waste arms that are beveled instead of flat on the mating surface


 
Yes they do make beveled waste arms, but in no way were designed to be installed as a tail. The waste arm connected to the strainer, will have flats.


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

Eusibius2 said:


> Ok, so was wrong a bit. The pipe coming out of the sink IS flanged, not straight cut like in my hand drawing.
> 
> Here's the best pic I can get at the moment. I don't have it in me to take it all apart at the moment. You can see the nut, flange, top hat washer (just the edge), the threads of the sink. Hope this helps.
> 
> ...


 
Use some plumbers putty, roll it into a small rope shape. Put a small amount under the washer and about a ¼” size on top of the washer. Hand tighten the jam nut and the plumbers putty will be pushed out, the putty left should seal it.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

I know that,i wasnt sure which waste arm he bought thats why i had him take a picture with it unhooked from sink to be sure what he was using


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Hardway said:


> Use some plumbers putty, roll it into a small rope shape. Put a small amount under the washer and about a ¼” size on top of the washer. Hand tighten the jam nut and the plumbers putty will be pushed out, the putty left should seal it.


Uh wouldnt it be better/easier just to get the right parts and install them?


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

plummen said:


> Uh wouldnt it be better/easier just to get the right parts and install them?


Sure would, but from the pix it looks like he has the right tail piece and the right washer. The strainer looks flat, before replacing the sink worth a try.


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Why replace the sink,just get the right parts and lower it a couple inches on each side :thumbsup:


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

plummen said:


> Why replace the sink,just get the right parts and lower it a couple inches on each side :thumbsup:


I don't have access to the sink, so I don’t know what the problem is. Just given some ideas that may work. :thumbup:


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

plummen said:


> Why replace the sink,just get the right parts and lower it a couple inches on each side :thumbsup:


Lower the sink???????????????? why?


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## TheEplumber (Jul 20, 2010)

Hardway said:


> I don't have access to the sink, so I don’t know what the problem is. Just given some ideas that may work. :thumbup:


Look at post #12 The flange is not square to the strainer. Maybe the rigid 90 is the issue. Perhaps adding a short tailpiece before the 90...


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

TheEplumber said:


> Look at post #12 The flange is not square to the strainer. Maybe the rigid 90 is the issue. Perhaps adding a short tailpiece before the 90...


Yes I saw that the flange is not square, how ever not seeing the whole trap. If the rest of the trap is not tight and connected, that shows nothing!

Your move.
:laughing:


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## plummen (Jan 10, 2010)

Hardway said:


> Lower the sink???????????????? why?


Lower the plumbing,not the sink :laughing:


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## Eusibius2 (Oct 5, 2009)

The follow up:

I added some putty to the inside of the strainer where it wasn't flush with the pipe / nut. Pic attached. Seems to have worked, but now my clogged drain is back. Which started the whole damn thing. Ugh. 

So, today I'm going to snake it again, and then finally call a plumber to fix it if this doesn't work. 

Thanks for all the help yesterday. I really appreciate it!


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## Richard60463 (Feb 28, 2012)

It looks to me like the pipe under the strainer is not `square' but is cocked a little. Try disconnecting all of the piping attached to the pvc directly under the sink then tighten the nut with the `hat' washer. That should give you a clue as to whether or not the piping is `square'.
I would try pipe dope on the threads of the nut and maybe even some on top of the hat washer but squaring up the piping would help more than anything.
I've had the same leaking trouble several jobs and it is frustrating.


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