How to Replace a Bathroom Sink Pipe
When you replace a leaky bathroom sink pipe, it is a good idea to replace the entire drain system. The bathroom sink drain system contains three pipes. Two pieces of straight pipe connecting to the sink trap. Often when one pipe has corrosion or leaks, the others are developing the same defects. You can purchase a complete kit and have the project complete in an afternoon. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bathroom sink drain kit
- Plumber's tape
- Bucket
- Channel lock pliers
- Hacksaw
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Instructions
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Open the bathroom sink cabinet and remove the contents from the cabinet. Place a bucket under the sink trap. The sink trap is the portion of your drain system that curves. The curve in the trap helps prevent odors from coming up the drain as well as provides a catch for foreign objects.
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Loosen the securing nut that holds the sink trap to the straight pipe going to the wall drain with a pair of channel lock pliers. Once the nut is loose, turn the nut by hand to disconnect the sink trap from the straight pipe. Water will leak from this area so have the bucket under the connection. It is only residual water that is sitting in the line.
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Loosen the nut that secures the sink trap to the pipe going to the sink basket. Pull the sink trap out of the way. Remove the nut securing the sink drain pipe to the sink basket with the channel lock pliers. Remove the pipe from the cabinet.
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Disconnect the sink drain straight pipe going into the wall drain. Loosen the securing nut with the channel lock pliers and pull the pipe out of the area.
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Place rubber washers into each of the slip nuts in the drain kit. Place a slip nut on each end of the straight pipe the will fit into the wall drain. Position the slip nuts so that the threads of each is pointing away from the straight pipe. Insert one end of the straight pipe into the wall drain.
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Wrap plumber's tape around the threads of the wall drain, both ends of the new sink trap and the threads on the sink basket. Set horizontal end of the sink trap over the end of the straight pipe. Slide the slip nut from the straight pipe over the sink trap threads and turn the nut clockwise to hand tighten the two pieces together.
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Position the other end of the sink trap under the sink basket. Thread the other slip nut on the straight pipe to the wall drain and hand tighten the nut to secure the pipes together.
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Place the sink basket drain pipe under the basket and next to the open end of the sink trap. The pipe needs to fit 2 inches inside the sink trap. Mark the pipe with a pencil where it needs to be cut if necessary. Cut the pipe with a hacksaw.
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Place a slip nut on each end of the sink basket drain pipe with the threads pointing away from the pipe. Insert one end of the pipe into the sink trap and set the other end under the sink drain basket. Thread the slip nuts over both connections and hand tighten.
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Tighten all the slip nut connections another ¾-turn with the channel lock pliers.
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Tips & Warnings
PVC sink drain kits are simpler to work with than steel.
References
- Photo Credit modern sink image by Natalia Bratslavsky from Fotolia.com
