What kind of fitting do I need for faucet P trap tailpiece to waste pipe connection?

[sl1eseal]

Hello everyone,

I need some advice on finding the type of fitting I need to connect my 1-1/4 P-trap tailpiece from my bathroom sink into a galvanized waste pipe in the wall. My home was built in 1960, but this was the first time I messed with this plumbing part. I had a crack in a pedestal sink and therefore tried to replace everything at once (i.e., sink, faucet, supply lines, P-trap) due to the unknown age of the parts. When pulling off the P trap tailpiece wall escutcheon, I saw the tailpiece was not screwed into a fitting. It was just stuck into a hole in the galvanized waste pipe in the wall with some kind of white gum substance (plumber's putty?). The 1-1/4 tailpiece (chrome) fit very snugly into the hole. (See the first image of the hole in the waste pipe). It looks like there is a circle of brass on the waste pipe hole rim....maybe built into the design? I checked the similar plumbing in a neighboring bathroom and saw that its tailpipe was attached to a similar waste pipe setup with a threaded brass fitting between the waste pipe and P trap tailpiece and a zinc nut on the tailpiece side. I really don't want to have to take apart this other setup to identify the part because of the age of the plumbing. I may be stuck fixing two faucets! Any idea what the missing fitting I need is? Thanks for your advice in advance.

 

[Terry]

Normally a slip joint nut onto an adapter with threads.
Or if it's a galvanized nipple from the wall, a nut onto those threads with a slip joint washer.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[sl1eseal]

Normally a slip joint nut onto an adapter with threads.
Or if it's a galvanized nipple from the wall, a nut onto those threads with a slip joint washer.

Hi Terry, thank you so much for helping me out here! I will try this suggested adapter. The tail piece is 1-1/4 and fits quite snugly by itself in that hole. So as to the side of the adapter I need to get, should it be 1-1/2 OD or 1-1/4 OD because it will be threading into that hole? I am assuming that the slip joint side holding the tailpiece would be 1-1/4?

Also, is a waste pipe hole like that designed to "grip" somehow when threading a brass fitting into it? I am wondering if I need to use any technique (like boring new threads) on that waste pipe hole.

Thanks again!

 

[Terry]

I think that if you open up the wall around the pipe, you will see that there are already threads there.

 

[wwhitney]

I think that if you open up the wall around the pipe, you will see that there are already threads there.

Which makes me confused as to why no threads seem to be visible in the first photo. I wonder if there's already a trap adapter, but the nut is buried in the wall. That would explain the current tight fit.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Terry]

Which makes me confused as to why no threads seem to be visible in the first photo. I wonder if there's already a trap adapter, but the nut is buried in the wall. That would explain the current tight fit.

Cheers, Wayne

Exactly, I think looking closely, there "is" a slip joint washer behind the nut buried in the wall.

 

[sl1eseal]

I cleaned out the area around the opening and discovered that it was not an old tailpiece fitting, at least not like I have seen. The brass ring is there in the center, and the pipe itself is either cast iron or rusted galvanized steel. However, the metal surrounding that inner brass ring is shiny and able to be scratched with my fingernail. Lead I can only assume. Perhaps soldering. So I am fresh out of solutions.

 

[wwhitney]

New photo?

Wayne

 

[Terry]

OK, we're talking lead now? Where is Sylvan when you need him.
I have seen a few lavs in old Seattle homes connected to lead. That is way before my time though.

 

[sl1eseal]

OK, we're talking lead now? Where is Sylvan when you need him.
I have seen a few lavs in old Seattle homes connected to lead. That is way before my time though.

Here is a picture. I have scraped the edges to try and show the bright freshly scraped lead. There is still this inner brass ring behind he lead.

 

[Terry]

Looks like a cast iron fitting with a lead poured joint. If that is the case, you should see some oakum behind the lead, sort of a rope like material. If that is the case, the lead could be pried out, and a donut fitted into the hub, that receives a standard size pipe. Not tubular, but pipe.
Let's see if Sylvan sees this and get his comment. He works with way more lead that I ever have. I could be wrong.

What a rubber donut looks like installed.

 

[sl1eseal]

Looks like a cast iron fitting with a lead poured joint. If that is the case, you should see some oakum behind the lead, sort of a rope like material. If that is the case, the lead could be pried out, and a donut fitted into the hub, that receives a standard size pipe. Not tubular, but pipe.
Let's see if Sylvan sees this and get his comment. He works with way more lead that I ever have. I could be wrong.

What a rubber donut looks like installed.

 

[sl1eseal]

Thanks Terry. When I took off the original chromed brass tailpiece, it was "packed" on the outside with what looked like putty. There was no fiber or black pitch inside the joint that I recall. I am thinking some past owner may have had an oakum packing that leaked, and maybe they rigged up a temporary solution. Just speculation on my part.

 

[MACPLUMB]

That is a wiped Lead joint, I think you need to around and a old time plumber that knows how to work with a lead joint and them do both lav. sinks, and the kitchen also,

 

[sl1eseal]

" That is a wiped Lead joint, I think you need to around and a old time plumber that knows how to work with a lead joint and them do both lav. sinks, and the kitchen also,

Thank you. After you mentioned wiped lead joints, I looked them up and saw the "old school" technique. Fortunately, this is just one waste pipe in the old section of my ranch home (the circa 1960 rectangle). The other two bathrooms and kitchen are in the remodeled portion of the home (circa 1985). The other bathrooms have chrome traps with compression fittings, and the kitchen has white PVC plumbing. I can certainly get a plumber for this one fitting, but I need suggestions on what to do from this point. My primary concern is the inlet water contamination potential, and not so much the waste lines (that go into a septic system). Do I need to consider devoting the money to replacing all of the original galvanized plumbing? If so, copper, PEX, PVC? Should I lead test the water from different points? Only drink from the kitchen faucet? Lots of concerns here for safety.