Permaseal P traps

[PBB]

Hi,

I recently installed a sink in the powder room I am redoing and am going plumb crazy with a leaky P trap. ABS is used in our area and the big box stores love to sell non-professionals these traps with a ball type connection. It certainly makes installation easier as such traps can be used even if the pipes are slightly misaligned. I did two in the kitchen without a glitch,but this last one has me spitting screws.

I have disassembled it many times, tried with and without teflon tape, redid the portion of pipe coming down from the sink and installed the lower portion of a brand new identical P-trap. Everything seems fine, but the next day after installation there is always a trace of water inside the cabinet below the trap. I can see that the water comes from around the threaded ring.

I have tried tightening and retightening and I have also tried a more gentle approach when reassembling of hand tightening plus a quarter turn.

The leak is always there.

Some have suggested a teflon compound in tube form. I will pick some up Monday morning.

Any suggestions? Are there any good reasons to keep away from these Permaseal P traps?

Thanks!

 

[Jadnashua]

Slip joints rely on a tapered washer to make the seal, so no tape or pipe dope should be required. If the tapered washers are installed backwards or were damaged or defective, then they can leak. Some are quite hard, and require a fair amount of tightening to make them seal. It may take more than finger tight and a 1/4-turn to make it seal. A point that may leak is from the fine threads around where the drain attaches to the sink. There, some pipe dope on the fine threads can help with the water that might leak around the nut. The rest of the thing is normally sealed by the big rubber plug when you tighten the drain in the sink, but it can leak around the threads.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jimbo]

Well, you have covered the bases that we would suggest right off. It's not that pipe dope isn't sometimes called for, but it sounds like you have an issue that might be different. I would suggest checking for misalignment, and check for a hairline crack in one of the pieces'

 

[Terry]

With p-traps, I loosen the to end nuts, and tighten the swivel nut first.
Then I tighten the other two.
I don't use tape or dope.

I do use pipe dope on the threads of the drain assembly where it leaves the bowl.
Sometimes water will follow the threads down.

 

[PBB]

Hi,

Well I torqued it and it stopped leaking, hallelujah!

Thanks to all.

PBB