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Put A Stop To Leaky Sink Pipes
It’s a great pain to find out that you have a broken or leaky pipe under your sink’s drain. You’ll know you have a problem on your hands when this happens, and the next thing you’ll start to think of is how you can stop the pipe under your sink from leaking.
Firstly, identify the cause of the leaky pipe before you find a way to fix it. It's always good to recognise these faults immediately before it becomes critical and is beyond repair. So, before we go through how to fix leaky sinks, here are some of the causes of a leaky pipe.
Common Causes Of Leaky Pipes Under Sinks
Here are some of the predominant causes of leaky pipes, and when you'll need to call a professional plumber:
Rapid Temperature Change
Rapid temperature changes can cause drain pipes to contract and expand. This can cause the wall of the pipes to become thinner, thereby leading to cracks within the pipes. This is a condition that will typically occur as the pipes become older, but rapid changes in water temperature can make it happen faster.
Clogged Drains
Clogged drains can be annoying, but they are easy to fix. However, it can lead to broken pipes and cause your pipes to leak. In addition, when your drains are blocked, it causes a build-up of the water pressure in the pipe, and this can cause leaks. Therefore, it's crucial to always unclog your drain whenever you notice that water isn't flowing as it should. Call a professional plumber if the problem becomes more serious.
Broken Pipe Joints
Joints connect pipes together, and they are very vulnerable. The pipe joints can wear over time, and this can cause a leaking sink. When checking to identify the cause of your leaky pipes, it’s advisable to also check the pipe joints.
Broken Water Seals
Another thing that could cause drain leaking is broken water seals. Appliances are connected to plumbing systems through seals placed around water connectors. So, if you observe that the pipes under your sink start to leak, you might need to check the seals and ensure they are not broken.
Evaluating The Leaking Sink Pipes Problem
The first sign of leakage is mostly a water-soaked cabinet or floor or even a pool of standing water. If the leaks are due to high pressure from a water hose, you'll notice it quickly because the spray will be very obvious.
But when the leak is from a drainage line, it may not be readily noticeable. For leaks that are due to defective water seals, you may need to fill the sink and allow the water to stand for a while before you can notice the leaks.
Four Methods To Fix Leaky Sink Drain Pipes
Method One: Temporarily Patch Leaks
Here’s how you can patch leaks temporarily:
With self-securing silicone tape
If the leak is a minor one, silicone tape is the best thing to use, and you only need to wrap it around the leaky joints. Wrap the tape around the pipe until it forms a tight seal. One thing to note is that silicone tape doesn't directly stick to pipes but will stick to itself. Therefore, you can easily remove the tape later.
A two-part epoxy putty
This is a mixture of a hardener and a base that solidifies around pipes after being mixed. Simply knead the putty and press onto the leaky surface before running water through the drain.
With a pipe clamp
Clamps are designed with a metal fastener to attach to the pipe, and a gasket, which is a rubber piece. You can use this to temporarily patch the leaks, but you need to ensure that the clamp fits your pipe correctly. It's imperative to note that you can't use clamps on corners and joints because they won't fit your pipe correctly.
Method Two: Repair Leaky Pipe Connections
Here’s how you can fix leaky pipe connections:
With Teflon tape or plumber's tape
Teflon tape or plumber's tape is an easy way to create a tight seal around leaky pipes. You only need to unscrew the nuts holding them together and wrap the tape around the threading for metallic drain pipes. When wrapping, it's essential to ensure that you do it in a clockwise direction. Also, it's not advisable to use plumber tape on plastic or PVC pipes.
With a rubber gasket
Another option is to place a rubber gasket at the pipe connections, especially if it's cracked or old. Rubber gaskets are small rubber pieces that form a tight seal around PVC or metal pipes. Like with plumber's tape, you only need to unscrew the nuts along the drain pipe and replace the rubber gaskets if you notice any damage.
Tighten the slip nuts
The pipes under your sink may be leaking because the slip nut isn’t tight enough. Check the slip nut underneath your sink and ensure it is properly tightened. Also, ensure that every other nut on your pipe is tight. When tightening these nuts, you need to be careful because you wouldn’t want to strip or damage them.
Method Three: Replace the P-trap
Replacing the P-trap is another way to stop a drain from leaking. If you are wondering how to replace the P-trap, these steps will guide you:
Place a container under the pipe
There’s always residual water in the P-trap, even when the tap isn’t running. The P-trap is a J-shaped component that’s below the sink.
Unscrew the slip nuts
These are the connectors between the pipes. First, unscrew the nut that connects to the pipe directly under the sink before you unscrew the nut leading to the part of the pipe that leads to the wall. Do not use the sink drain after you unscrew the P-trap so that you don’t mess the floor with water.
Buy a P-trap
If you haven’t already gotten one, you’ll need to do so at this point. To ensure that you get the right P-trap, it’s best to take the unscrewed pieces to the hardware store. New P-traps usually come with slip nuts, gaskets, and pipes, making them easy for you to install. Another thing to ensure is that you buy the correct size.
Screw the pipe
First, screw the vertical pipe to the lower part of the drain before you attach the washer and trap arm. It's worth noting that the trap arm is a shorter piece with a right angle, and it protrudes out from the wall. After you've fixed the vertical pipe, trap arm, and washer, ensure that the slip nut is tightened correctly and in one place.
Test for leaks
With your new P-trap in place, the next thing is to check if there’s still a leak under your sink by turning on the water supply. Carefully watch the connections to ensure that water isn’t dripping out of anywhere.
Method Four: Replace the Sink Strainer
The last thing you might want to check is the sink strainer, and it’s best to replace it immediately if it’s the cause of the leaky sink. Here’s how you can replace the sink strainer:
Detach the drain pipes from the sink strainer
Sink strainers keep food and other particles from getting into the pipe. It’s easy to detach, and you can do this by turning the slip nut in a counterclockwise direction.
Remove the strainer's locknut from your sink
This hexagonal plastic or metal fastener keeps the sink strainer in place. Unscrew the locknut to detach the strainer from the sink.
Buy a sink strainer
There are different types of sink strainers, and when buying one, you need to ensure that the new sink strainer matches the old one. You can take the old one along to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Use a towel to clean the drain hole
This is to remove build-up particles or leftovers around the rim of the drain hole. With a paper towel, you can easily wipe this off. Apply plumber's putty around the drain hole after wiping it before you press the new strainer into the hole. You may be concerned about the putty that squeezes out of your sink, but it's nothing to worry about.
Tighten the locknut to the lower part of the sink strainer
For this, you’ll need a needle nose pliers to help you keep the strainer from moving. With this, you can use your hand to tighten the locknut before you screw the drain pipes to the lower part of the strainer.
Turn on the water supply
The last thing is to turn on the water supply to check for leaks.
When In Doubt, Reach Out To Experts
These methods are the easiest ways to stop the pipes under your sink from leaking. You can be sure that at least one of these methods will fix the problem. However, if you've tried all four methods and don't get the desired results, you may need to call an expert plumber to check the situation. Professional plumbers are trained and equipped to handle any type of leak, regardless of its complexity.
