Sink Retrofit

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Mr Fixit eh

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I'm replacing the old bathroom lavatory with a pedestal sink. I'm trying to reuse the old horizontal piece of the P-trap that extends from the wall, because it is soldered (copper waste lines) - and I didn't want the hassle. My problem is that the drain of the new sink does not line up with the old one - I'm further out from the wall by about 1 inch:( - nothing is ever easy! Is there any way to resolve this other than to replace the horizontal arm of the trap?

If replacing the arm is required, what would you recommend as the best method? I am fairly experienced at soldering copper supply lines, but is there a better way? The stub out from the waste line is flush with the drywall.

I've attached a couple pictures....
 

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Jadnashua

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You sure that piece in the wall is soldered in? It looks kind of corroded. Time to replace it, I think.
 

hj

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drain

One suggestion. Eventually that piece is going to have to be removed. It will be infinitely easier now before the sink is in place than later when you have to deal with the sink.
 

Terry

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The picture doesn't really show the connection.
There is a chrome cover that the p-trap is inserted into.
Normally, behind th chrome cover, you will find a slip joint nut.

If there isn't one there now, it should be added. Now.
 

Mr Fixit eh

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Nope, no slip nut. How would you recommend installing a slipnut connection into a copper line?

Steve
 

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Mr Fixit eh

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So.... down to the hardware store at lunch... I picked up a transition fitting that goes from 1 1/4 copper to 1 1/4 ABS. I also picked up a 1 1/4" ABS slipnut fitting.

Is there an easier or better way?

Steve
 

hj

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piece

It will have to be replaced eventually because it is already worn out. The best way is to get back to a spot where it is threaded, unless you have an all copper system which the pictures do not show, and then work back to the sink with a nipple, a female trap adapter, (or possibly just a male trap adapter if I see the one picture correctly), and a trap.
 
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Gardner

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I had the same situation in my 1963 home which was 100% copper before I started messing with it.

The trap arm for my lav had been ground down to brass and soldered into the 1-3/8 drain with a shim of some sort to match (approximately) the difference between the O/D of the trap arm and the I/D of the drain.

When I moved the lav I had to replace the trap arm. I heated up and pulled the old trap arm and the shim. After discovering how bad a fit the shim had been I chucked it out. I bought a new chromed brass trap arm, cut it to length, ground off the chrome from the part to be soldered. I made up a new shim from thicker copper material that filled the gap better and sweated everything back together.

It was hellish.

You can tell from my other posts that I'm a masochist for this sort of thing.

If I had it to do over again, I would probably have simply sawed off the trap arm to leave a good clean length of 1-1/4 pipe, then used slip-joint parts to connect a new trap arm.
 

Mr Fixit eh

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Gardner, that is exactly my setup.
If I had it to do over again, I would probably have simply sawed off the trap arm to leave a good clean length of 1-1/4 pipe, then used slip-joint parts to connect a new trap arm.
I thought of doing that, but earlier advise was to replace the trap arm because the chrome is badly corroded. Also, with the corroded chrome surface, I'm not sure a slip nut will make a leak-proof joint.

More dilemas.... the best solution would be this copper-to-ABS transition fitting, followed with the trap adapter, into which the trap arm would slide - giving some lateral adjustability. Two problems with this - (1) I can't find a big enough escutcheon plate; and (2) I only have 4 inches from the drain stubout to the trap, so there isn't even enough room for this assembly.

I'm thinking that the only option I have is to solder in a new trap arm, after measuring VERY carefully.

Steve
 

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Gardner

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You should be able to find a short chrome trap arm with a FEMALE slip joint on the horizontal. This will fit over the exiting 1-1/4 stub (after sawing off the bend). Your existing escutcheon will stay.

Don't worry about the missing chrome on the stub. The brass is bound to be fine, and if it's not you likely have bigger problems elsewhere in your copper drains. Just steel-wool it clean where the slip joint fitting will wind up and make sure you clean all the burrs from the cut end.

If you go the soldering route you will need a good deal of patience and a hot torch. The measuring part should be no big deal. Once the old arm is out, you can stuff in the new one, hook up the trap, waggle things around so the trap arm enters the drain stub straight, and then just mark the arm where it enters the drain stub. Leave an extra couple of inches for soldering onto and that's your measurements done. You will see exactly what part of the arm needs to be ground down to brass.
 

MACPLUMB

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Lav. Sink Drain

Get A 1 1/12" Or 1 1/4" Copper Male Adp. Unsolder Old Piece And Solder Male Adp. On Use The Right Size Tupelur Trap
 
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