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Sink tailpiece leak?

62K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  kcrossley2  
#1 ·
I'm having a problem with my laundry room sink leaking. The leak is occurring where the flanged plastic tailpiece attaches to the drain. I used the plastic gasket that was supplied with the drain and goes inside the top of the flanged tailpiece. However, and as you can see, I did not use teflon tape around the threads on the drain. I seem to be having more a problem with the right drain than the left.

Is that my problem? What's the correct procedure for connecting the tailpiece to the drain?

Thanks,
Kelly

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#3 ·
Did you use a tail piece washer?--If you did--check for this problem--

It is not unheard of to have 'casting flash' on a mating surface--That is a little burr or ridge left during manufacture--Feel the edge of the fitting,if it has a burr--scrape it smooth with the edge of your knife.

--Mike--

Another thought---some strainer baskets come with poorly made metal nuts that will not screw up far enough to get a tight seal--try a different nut.
 
#6 ·
My 2 cents--
Replace washers with new ones. Apply a little teflon pipe dope to the flange surface and basket threads. This is not to seal the threads but to add a little lubricant so you get a little more turn while tightening. Then run hot water to test your work. Snug the nuts down again after the are warmed by the hot water. Also check to make sure the tailpieces are in good alignment with the strainers.
Try to avoid silicone. It shouldn't be needed.
 
#10 ·
Okay, I think it's fixed. Per the various suggestions given by everyone here, and the guy at Lowe's, I replaced both tailpieces and inserted new washers.

I also replaced both slip joints nuts, which was a bad move as this caused a major leak. As it turns out, the Keeney "Brass Work Horse" Sink Strainers I purchased use a proprietary slip joint nut that's much thicker than Keeney's own replacement slip joint nuts, also sold at Lowe's, which doesn't make any sense to me.

Anyway, after I reused the original slip joint nuts, new tailpipes (which I sanded on the flare end to remove any burrs), new washers, and some plumber's putty as directed, there doesn't appear to be any leaks. Woo hoo! Thanks much to everyone that offered suggestions. :)

So, what's the best way to truly test this puppy?