FAST plumbing suggestion, please?!! (1 Viewer)

[92LC_good2go]

Trying to replace a leaking drain beneath my kitchen sink this evening.

Like it wasn't bad enough that I came home to a mess, and had to clean up the water from the damn kitchen floor, first! And then put away at least the perishable groceries, next. Before I could investigate the plumbing... *sigh*

It's the drain that's leaking. Simple to fix, right? Just use a wrench, take out the old, and replace with a new. NOT!!!

Can't get the fxxxer to budge!

I simply haven't got the hand strength (not a weakling, but this is STUCK) to wrench it off. Two of the neighbors (fully grown, in-their-prime strong men) also can't budge it.

What to do??!!!

Any suggestions?


I called every damn plumber in Essex county, I think. Can't get a plumber 'till Friday, at the earliest, and that's not for dead certain!




I HATE BEING A 'SINGLE' HOMEOWNER!!!
I'M TIRED OF HAVING TO DO IT ALL WITHOUT MY HUSBAND!!!!!
I HATE HOME-OWNERSHIP!!!!!!!!!
Arrrrrrrrghh

 

[lavarunner]

hmmer and a chissle shoot some pentrating oil on it too..

 

[92LC_good2go]

I'm afraid to use too much force (hammer & chisle); the pipes are original to this house, which was built in 1941!

I shot a little penetrating pil around it, though... and let it sit. No luck.

Any other advice??? *sigh*




It sucks to be me, tonight.

 

[fsusteve]

penetrating oil or gas torch if it's that bad, maybe a breaker bar on a wrench. Mine was so bad last year I had to just replace the sink

 

[92LC_good2go]

Oh CRAP!! DON'T say that (sink replacement), fsusteve!!!


Of course I tried a torch, already! Not that stupid.
Didn't think to try a breaker bar on the wrench, though...




*praying*
Please don't let this crack the damn pipe, Lord, I am not up to dealing with that tonight...



Should I or shouldn't I try the breaker bar? ... *sigh*
- wondering -
Yes or no??
Good idea or bad??

 

[Cookiemonster]

Built 1941 so it's either cast iron or more likely galvanized pipe. Oil isn't going to do jack, as you've probably already found out.

You'll need to pick up a new pee-trap with gaskets or rubber coupling with hose clamps. I'm assuming your leak is at the bottom of the pee trap due to it rusting out.

In addition p/up a set of "Channel Locks" (large adjustable pliers) a 12" & 16" pair. With these you should be able to break the nuts free. It might take some tapping with the hammer.

Have a small bucket ready to catch the crap water when yo pop the seal and drop the trap.

Plumbing sucks doesn't it. Sorry.

Post up when your in the ball park of getting that done....

 

[Cookiemonster]

Other option is to shut the water valves off under the sink, and use a bathroom sink until Friday too.

Thus eliminating your leak prob, till Friday

 

[fsusteve]

What is the sink material? If it's stainless/cast iron use the PB Blaster spray (wait) then try again. Ceramic/porcelin (?) will prolly crack, but try the PB first. Use a piece of pipe as yer breaker, short though keeps the leverage down.

edit: Cookie's plan is better, pics would help.

 

[92LC_good2go]

Yeah, I did. It's galvanized.

I'm assuming that it's the bottom of the trap that's rusted. Our water's so hard that even my trusty old Amway water filter works too hard to yield decent drinking water.


I have what I need, parts and tools. Hubby has always done all of the plumbing here, since he bought the house in 1976. He & his dad taught me plumbing. I know what to do... it's just that I can't budge the bastard.

Well, I'm gonna have to go back down there and try again.


*sigh* LIfe sucks when you're a military wife. It sucks even worse when your husband is called back at the age of 60 (last year), and you have to do without him again, at advanced age, unexpectedly. This s*** wasn't supposed to happen to me NOW!! I've already done this, dammit!




Well, I'm unlucky, it's rotten, and I'm fxxxed (thanks to the Air Force and my house's plumbing).


Going back to the kitchen...
Thanks, anyway.

 

[92LC_good2go]

No, Cookiemonster, I can't use the bathroom sink. The water's not drinkable without the filter on the kitchen sink. Besides, how am I going to cook & clean without a sink in my kitchen?!


The sink's all stainless, and the pipes are all galvanized, fsusteve.

 

[fsusteve]

If it's leaking at the trap, then you'll have similiar metals, sink to pipe will be a bitch. Try the breaker bar....carefully.

 

[DieselROCKS]

Besides, how am I going to cook & clean without a sink in my kitchen?!

Hey, we did that for half a year while we were waiting for the kitchen cupboards to arrive. Its easy to live like a hick.

Scary part is after a while you get used to it and don't want to put the cupboards in for another couple weeks.

 

[honk]

Recip saw.

A new trap and connecting pieces are cheap.

Hack it.

 

[Cookiemonster]

Instead of Channel locks get a pipe wrench with the breaker bar. It will take the breaker bar & stay in place easier

Try to tighten then loosen, until you feel it budge.


As far as the bath sink, could you do bottled water from the store (2.5 gallon jugs) for drinking and cooking for a couple of days if you have to.

Hang in there.

 

[fsusteve]

Recip saw.

A new trap and connecting pieces are cheap.

Hack it.

prolly the best idear yet...

 

[Cookiemonster]

Recip saw.

A new trap and connecting pieces are cheap.

Hack it.

Living in the stone age. Get a porta-band.
Available for rent at any large rental buisness.

 

[Ullr]

The only pipe you really need to worry about is the one going into the wall (or floor) behind (or under) the sink, thats what you need to attach the new p-trap to. Everything else, including the drain in the sink, can be replaced without tearing open the wall.

If a breaker bar doesn't work you can sawzall out the existing p-trap, just leave as much downtube from the sink drain as possible. This is what you will need to connect the new p-trap too using a compression fitting. Its a nylon gasket with a "nut" that attaches to the p-trap itself, so you just need a straight pipe. The wall fitting should be threaded and needs to be intact, however you can cut this too if you leave enough pipe sticking out for a similar compression fitting. Ideally you dont want to though as this is a common area for leaks.

Buy an 1 1/2" diameter (I forget if it OD or ID but it will say on the package) p-trap as a replacement. You can fit 1 1/2" p-traps to 1 1/4" pipes using a compression fitting and a special nylon gasket, which usually comes with the p-trap kit. 1 1/4" p-traps wil not work with 1 1/2" pipes, for obvious reason. HTH.

 

[92LC_good2go]

All right. I'm back.


Hubby finally called me back. (the bastard, he's out having fun this evening in St Louis)

He told me to use the breaker bar from his yellow (or was it his orange??) toolbox, but to use it with one of the pipe wrenches, not with a channel lock wrench. I'd already gotten his pipe wrenches out rom his gray tool box.

I got a different torch (smaller and hotter, sez he) from his bench in the cellar, and lit it up... Wow! Now I know why he didn't really want me to use that one in his absence! Burnt a bit of my hair, coz I forgot to tie it back again. *sigh* (one of these days I'll have finally learned that, and remember to do it before burning hair)

Fxxxer's off, now! YaY! He said to keep banging (carefully as possible) on the breaker with my grandfather's hammer 'till the bastard either budged or broke. (preferably the former) It's off, and it didn't break the rest of the pipe. Thank God.

The yuckky s*** is draining. Going back down shortly to see if that's done,. eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww


Gonna read the rest of what you guys posted, hoping for further advice/help/ tips, and then gonna look again for his red tool box, coz I can't find that, and I'll need it; that's where the chain and extra ball set-ups are, for the master bathroom toilet.
(Yeah, the damn toilet broke when I went to use it. Fxxx me.)

Thanks, so far, guys.

Wonder if I can get away with using the back yard like the dogs do... only kidding

 

[brian]

Living in the stone age. Get a porta-band.
Available for rent at any large rental buisness.

what's wrong with the angry beaver?


about all i use them for is demo'ing out pipe.

 

[92LC_good2go]

Oh, I see some of you guys think like hubby does... *sheepish grin*


Ian, I have the p-trap, I have what I need, and I have some plumbing knowledge. Just couldn't budge the thing.

NOTHING in this house is Standard. NOTHING can be bought at your local regular NHome Depot kind of joint. Everything is non-standard size (built in 1941), and almos tnone of it can be bought at regular stores. That's why I keep/hoarde a supply of parts for our old piping & fixtures. *sigh*

Most plumbers, when stumped, come calling here to see if they can buy a this or a that widget from us. I collect this kind of s*** when I find it, and when I see large amounts of trash collection at curbs. I trash-pick for old plumbing & electrical & hardware stuff... I also buy at oddity stores and places where there are still old-fahsioned hardware stores with ancient stock.