Leaky Lavatory

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Erniek

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Noticed a leak under the elderly neighbors lavatory where the tailpiece enters the trap adapter. Tailpiece was jammed in at an angle (rough is about 1 inch off, outside of trap reach). Short of chiseling the fitting off (hub is tight to drywall) can I possibly heat a plastic tailpiece enough to flex that far?
Or should I do the right thing and just cut it out?
 

Jimbo

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Often the solution is to replace the trap, especially using a longer trap arm. That may get the swivel within reach. And if that doesn't do it, sometimes you have to put an 1/8 bend or a 1/16 bend at the wall, to "aim" the trap arm towards the tailpiece.

Anytime we have seen pictures here of a plastic pipe that someone tried to heat and bend....well, it is never pretty, and never works!
 

hj

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trap

I assume you mean the "wall bend" and not the tailpiece, but regardless of which piece you mean the only proper repair is to remove it pipe it so it lines up properly. IF you have the necessary height, you could use a tubular offset and cut it apart so the two ends make the necessary offset in the vertical drop to the trap.
 

Erniek

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Often the solution is to replace the trap, especially using a longer trap arm. That may get the swivel within reach. And if that doesn't do it, sometimes you have to put an 1/8 bend or a 1/16 bend at the wall, to "aim" the trap arm towards the tailpiece.

Anytime we have seen pictures here of a plastic pipe that someone tried to heat and bend....well, it is never pretty, and never works!

Yes sir, you are right...just thin enough to melt but not puncture. I planned on scoring the hub and hope I can chip it off. It is tight to the wall. It is the wall bend that is off...missed it by that much! I dislike using a lot of offsets so I will just go ahead and glue a 1/16 bend in the right direction.

Thanks for the advice..if it was copper or black iron I would be at home...plastic not so good.
 

Erniek

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I assume you mean the "wall bend" and not the tailpiece, but regardless of which piece you mean the only proper repair is to remove it pipe it so it lines up properly. IF you have the necessary height, you could use a tubular offset and cut it apart so the two ends make the necessary offset in the vertical drop to the trap.

Yes sir it is the wall bend and it is about 1 1/2 inches outside the trap reach. So I guess I get to get to chisel away at the hub and hope for the best. Too bad it is so tight and so new...not sure how it didn't leak from the get go.

Thanks again.
 
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