This faucet drain leak is driving me crazy, pls help!!

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xtahoex

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So I installed two identical pedestal sinks (Kohler Memoires) with two identical faucets (Price Fister - Marielle Series) in my master bath room about a month ago. I noticed a leak in the one sink immeadiatley. The leak is on the drain piece where the gasket meets the actual sink. I have taken the damn thing apart twice now.

I just replaced the rubber gasket because I thought that it was bad (the inner part of thegasket appeared to be chewed up). The new gasket is a generic piece that appears to fit well. Upon fitting everything back together the leak was there again.

I checked to make sure that there where no flaws in the porcelain where the gasket meets, because I thought that maybe there was a void allowing the water to leak through. The porcelain checked out ok.

I have used plumbers putty and the supplied rubber gasket on the underside of the drain (on the wetside of the sink).

I also used teflon tape on all of the threads where the tail piece, drain nut, and rubber gasket all meet.

The other thing that might make a difference is that the two faucets appear to have different pieces. Its hard to describe but it appears that the two faucets were made at different times or in different factories. I thought that may have been my problem at first because, I thought that the rubber gasket mave have set on the shelf for a while and had gotten dry or cracked. But with the gasket replaced it seems that it is not my problem.

Anyone that can help me,please let me know what is going on. This seems so simple, but yet I am having no luck. Two sinks set up the same way, with two different results.:mad:
 

Verdeboy

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Leak

Plumber's putty should be used on the underside of the flanged top piece to seal from above. Teflon pipe dope and the rubber gasket should seal from below.

pipe-dope-on-lav-drain-01.jpg
 
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paul housedok

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Often times the tail piece is threaded into the cast piece that has the large nut for tightening to the sink. It may not look like it is threaded but check it anyway. Teflon tape this thread and the thread for the inside sink part. Plumbers putty under the inside the sink part sholld also be done---which it seems you have already done. I also had a similar problem with two sinks----The parts were manufactured at different times and one was a single piece assy and the other had the tail piece as a threaded part which looked identical and only by really looking closely at it did I realize it was threaded.
 

Cass

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I am in agreement, remove and discard the rubber gasget use only plumbers putty. You shouldn't need anything on the threads. If it still leaks get a new one you may have mismatched parts.

The problem is the sink won't hold water, is this correct?

It's not leaking on the floor?
 

Peanut9199

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Why don't you switch the drain from the sink that is not leaking to the sink that is.
If it still leaks then it's the sink.
 

xtahoex

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Thanks for the replys

After reading the responses and reading some other threads it seems like I need to take the sink apart again and remove the teflon tape on drain and use plumber putty or pipe dope on the threads instead from what I can tell the leak is coming from in between the rubber gasket (large gasket on the underside o the sink) and the and the drain. I have also read that people recommend to remove the rubber gaskets. Does this mean I sould remove the large rubber gasket from the underside of the sink and use plumber putty there only? It seems as if I did that the drain could not be sufficiently tightened. So my plan is to remove the upper gasket and use only plumbers putty. I plan to re-use the gasket on the underside of the sink and use plumbers putty on the threads of the drain. So can someone tell me if I am going about this the right way? I really appreciate all of the advice that I have received, thanks to all of you.

By the way the sink is holding water. Its the bottom of the drain thats not.

Ryan
 

Verdeboy

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Gasket

No gasket is needed on the top part--just plumber's putty under the flange.

Keep using the large rubber gasket under the sink. I put a liberal amount of teflon pipe dope on the threads before pushing up the rubber gasket, and then for good measure, I add some more pipe dope on the threads just below the gasket before tightening the retaining nut.
 

Jimbo

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I do not put any putty on the underside of the sink. The thick rubber mack gasket is intended to fill any minor voids in the porcelain. I do rub putty into the threads in the area where the mack gasket will end up....not a big wad, just rub across the threads to fill in the valleys, because the rubber is not soft enough to sink down into the valleys, and drops of water can travel down. Pipe dope or teflon probably accompishes the same thing, I just always used putty.
 

Jimbo

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I do not put any putty on the underside of the sink. The thick rubber mack gasket is intended to fill any minor voids in the porcelain. I do rub putty into the threads in the area where the mack gasket will end up....not a big wad, just rub across the threads to fill in the valleys, because the rubber is not soft enough to sink down into the valleys, and drops of water can travel down. Pipe dope or teflon probably accompishes the same thing, I just always used putty.
 

Markts30

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Ensure you used the fiber washer between the tailpiece nut and the large rubber gasket/washer...
It keeps the nut and lav from galling the surfaces of the rubber....
 

xtahoex

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Just wanted to say thanks for the helpful info. The sink is now leak free. I used a liberal amount of putty on every crevice to prevent any voids in anything. I know its not ideal, but I will continue to monitor the situation. Thanks again for the help.
 

JeffH

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Large gasket under sink...

if you tighten it to much it will sometimes deform and squeeze out from the sides. This is esp true if you use plumbers grease or liquid teflon. Obviously this will negate it's effectiveness and will cause leaking.
 

elgato

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I think I have the same issue. New porcelain sink with overflow and new tailpiece.

The drain and flange seal fine. Standing water in the sink does not leak. However, it appears that running water that backs up into the sink will seep into the overflow area whiich allows it to leak around the threads and bottom rubber washer. The rubber washer does not compress on the threads enough to seal at the threads. Seems like it should be a very common problem.

I suspect that the teflon pipe dope on the underside threads will probably solve it. Any better ideas?

Thanks
 
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elgato

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I installed it one more time. This time I used a mack washer that fit onto the threads as tight as possible and put teflon paste on the threads from the sink to behind the washer.
No longer a leak at the threads but a small drip from between the mack and the nylon washer. Additional tightening (more than I prefer) appears to have solved this. This was a basic American Standard porcelin drop in sink and the mating surfaces are not exactly precision. I have not had any problems with the drain flange seal, just with water that gets into the overflow area. Putting in a tailpiece without the overflow hole would have avoided this issue completely. Possible code issue?
Thanks again.
 
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