Kitchen sink drain leaks when emptying full sink

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Queen50

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We have a double sink. One sink works fine, but the other drain leaks if the sink is full of water when the stopper is pulled. I can see it dripping from the bottom of the P-trap, but can't pinpoint where the water is coming from. It works fine with simply running water, or if it contains a smaller volume.

I should add the plumbing has worked fine for 20+ years; this is a recent development. Any ideas of what I should look for?
 

Reach4

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Tie a cloth or cotton rope around the tailpiece (the top vertical pipe). If that gets wet, the problem is at the top of the tailpiece. If not, the problem joint is below that.
 

hj

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There are several places it could leak, but we would have to be there to tell you which one is your problem. It is illogical to assume that a single trap will only leak when one of the sinks drains, but not the other.
 

Dj2

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Can't pin point the leak? worked fine for 20 years?

I'd replace or re-do the drain set, from the bottom of the sink to the trap.
 

Queen50

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There are several places it could leak, but we would have to be there to tell you which one is your problem. It is illogical to assume that a single trap will only leak when one of the sinks drains, but not the other.

Each sink has its own P-trap. I meant to say that the identical setup is working fine.
 

Queen50

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Tie a cloth or cotton rope around the tailpiece (the top vertical pipe). If that gets wet, the problem is at the top of the tailpiece. If not, the problem joint is below that.

I put a cloth around the tailpiece just above the connection to the P-trap; it got soaked. That means the drain assembly needs to be replaced?
 

Ankhseeker

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Maybe you could add some food coloring to the water to help locate the source of the leak. Might show up better on a rag wrapped around the pipe.
 

Terry

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I put a cloth around the tailpiece just above the connection to the P-trap; it got soaked. That means the drain assembly needs to be replaced?

An easy fix it to replace the basket.
That way you get a new tailpiece washer with it. I like to replace baskets every so often anyway. They tend to lose the chrome finish after a few years.
 
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