Incessant Drain Leaking! Please Help!

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jt643

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I am a novice - at best...but I am trying to DIY. My daughters' vanity drains were not draining. Tried Drano to no avail. So...

I removed the pop-up drain necks and cleaned them out myself. Only problem is that I cracked two of them. So...

On to Home Depot. I grabbed their plastic pop-up kit. Installed it, and everything looked great! Next morning? Puddle of water below the p-trap. This has happened to me with three different assembly kits. I am starting to think it is installer error!

Here is the process I've used for install:

1. Plumber's Putty - rolled into a snake and made sure it covered all the plastic around the outside of the drain inset. Set the inset in the vanity hole.
2. Drain Neck - tightened the neck into the inset (tightened until the drain lever opening pointed to the back of the cabinet...not very tight, but not very loose)
3. Drain Lever - inserted ball into lever opening and secured the nut that seals the lever into the neck
4. Drain Neck Nut - tightened the nut by hand until tight...then tightened with both hands until it would not budge
5. Completed Install - connected and tightened p-trap

The drain beads water at the rubber washer above the Drain Neck Nut and also at the nut that seals the lever into the neck.

This is happening at both of the lavs I've used the Home Depot assemblies. The other 2 lavs that I just used the old parts are working great! Uggh! Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.
 

ffmurray

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Its a little hard to tell you wish the problem might be without knowing exactly what drain you are installing and how it looks. The only thing I noticed that might me missing in your steps is the tightening of the but that is below the big rubber washer. Generally on the plastic lav drains after you thread the drain frombthe bottom to the top there is a but that needs to be tightened from below to compress the large rubber washer against the bottom of the sink. Otherwise I'm assuming you have PVC drain connected with slip nuts. Check them out and make sure that none of the slip washers are cracked or eaten away
 

Terry

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We rub some putty into the threads where the large rubber washer rests. The water finds it's way past the threads there.

This has never been on any instructions, but it's what plumbers do. You can't always count on the guys that are writing the manuals.
 

jt643

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THAT is what I was looking for, Terry. I figured there was some trick of the trade that I was missing. I have tried three different assemblies, and they each have the same issue. I will try rubbing the putty in the threads and then reinstalling.

ffmurray, that is where the leak is - the but below the rubber washer that is supposed to seal up under the lav. I am hopeful the putty solution will solve it.

I'll post the results.

THANKS!
 
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