How to Repair a Leaking Sink Drain Trap

By +Don Vandervort, HomeTips

If the leak is occurring at one of the joints between pipes, try tightening the slip nuts. On a metal trap, tighten them hand tight plus about a half turn, using slip-joint pliers to grip the nut. On a plastic trap, just hand tighten, and, if needed, give the nut about a quarter of a turn with slip-joint pliers. If that doesn’t work, loosen and remove the entire trap.

First, check the large rubber slip washers or cone-shaped plastic washers that provide the watertight seal at each joint between the trap’s pipes. Rubber washers may leak as the rubber hardens over time. If they’re hard or deteriorated, replace them.

Plastic-pipe traps are more likely to leak when the pipes or washers become misaligned, so check for alignment.


Check the pipes for rust or corrosion. If s pipe is corroded or cracked, take it with you to the hardware store to buy an appropriate replacement. Replace the entire trap (PVC traps are inexpensive, durable, easy to work with, and don’t corrode the way chromed brass drainpipes do).
Copyright © 1997-2012, Don Vandervort, HomeTips, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.




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