Why won't my p-trap tighten?

[tracy smith]

Installing new bathroom sink faucet. Plumbing is done but the p-trap does not want to tighten over the taillpiece. Its somewhat snug but I can easily turn it and move it up and down. The tailpiece is 1 1/4" OD, the p-trap is 1 1/2" OD, and the washer is 1 1/4" ID. Why won't this "fat" reducing washer enable the p-trap to tighten properly? Do I need a smaller 1 1/4" female end (with thinner washer) to the p-trap?? Thx.

 

[Reach4]

Did the white reducing washer come with the nut? I don't know that those reducing washers are universal.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Brian94]

Silly question but do you have the beveled edge toward the joint and flat on nut side?

 

[Sylvan]

Get some ball Wick and use three turns under the nut above the waster and use joint compound OR use teflon tape wrapped 5 turns over the slip joint washer

 

[Reach4]

Silly question but do you have the beveled edge toward the joint and flat on nut side?

I am not sure, but I think the bevel goes down toward the p-trap. I am not a plumber.

Is your reducing washer hard, or soft?

Sylvan has good point in telling you how to get more pressure driving that washer downward, which should also compress the washer around the tailpiece better..

 

[tracy smith]

Ok, not that it changes anything but I switched to 1 1/2 ABS pipe....
But I'm still having trouble getting a tight connection with male tailpiece to the female p-trap. I got the proper 1 1/4" reducing coupling which is the size of the tailpiece. The coupling doesn't come with a separate washer but instead the washer is part of the nut. It does get a bit snug on the tailpiece but still moves with little effort when twisting or going up or down.

 

[tracy smith]

Get some ball Wick and use three turns under the nut above the waster and use joint compound OR use teflon tape wrapped 5 turns over the slip joint washer

Not sure I understand the terminology here....

teflon over the slip joint washer? Do you mean over the threads of the p trap?

 

[Reach4]

This new set of pictures seems to show a glue-type trap. I don't think you want that. It kinda confuses me. The first set seemed to show black slip (non-glue) connections. So did you go buy a new trap?

Is your reason for selecting that trap is that you like the black color?

 

[tracy smith]

This new set of pictures seems to show a glue-type trap. I don't think you want that. It kinda confuses me. The first set seemed to show black slip (non-glue) connections. So did you go buy a new trap?

Is your reason for selecting that trap is that you like the black color?

Both sets of p traps were black...they don't sell white ones here. The guy said that you can't combine the PVC stuff with the ABS stuff which was what I was trying to do to reduce down to the p trap. He said I should use 1 1/2" ABS just like for the kitchen. I was actually having trouble with the first PVC connecting also into the 2" inlet into the wall. Switching to ABS all around worked best....I just can't figure out how to connect tightly to the new 1 1/4" faucet tailpiece.

The new p trap is 1 1/2" and one end uses a nut to move it around into place, but the other end toward the tailpiece is where I will add a very short piece of ABS and glue into both the p trap and the reducer which I'm TRYINg to tighten to the tailpiece.

hope that clarifies.

 

[Reach4]

The guy said that you can't combine the PVC stuff with the ABS stuff which was what I was trying to do to reduce down to the p trap.

For slip (non-glue) you can mix and match. In slip, the white stuff is usually not pvc but polypropylene. Anyway, take a look at this in black:

https://osb.ca/products/tubular/tubular-traps/614.php#tab-features-benefits
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/os-b-plastic-1-1-2-p-trap-with-1-1-4-reducing-washer/1000120436

That may not work if your trap adapter at the wall is too high for it. In that case, we can find another.

That first one you have still might work with Sylvan's cures.

 

[tracy smith]

I read this as a common code with regards to P traps:

"No trap outlet can be larger than the fixture drain to which it is connected. The sizes of the trap outlet matter. Don't be flexible with this. For instance, you can’t put a 1 1/2 inch p-trap on a fixture with an 1 1/4 inch drain."

Is this what I am doing? I have a 1 1/4" tailpiece reduced up to a 1 1/2" p trap. No good ???

 

[Reach4]

I never ran across "No trap outlet can be larger than the fixture drain to which it is connected" before... Seems odd to me, but I did find that phrase in multiple places when I searched. I am eager to hear comments on that.

That would mean that you would need a 1-1/4 trap and have the reducing washer at the trap adapter at the wall.

Incidentally, you can use brass too, if you find what you want in brass.

 

[tracy smith]

Is 1 1/4" more typical for bathroom sinks? Is my 1 1/2" overkill?

 

[Mliu]

I don't understand why you're trying to mix-and-match your drain pipe sizes. If your fixture's tailpiece is 1-1/4" then use a 1-1/4" P-trap and a 1-1/4" waste arm. If the drain in the wall is 1-1/2", then use an appropriately-sized 1-1/4" SJ Trap x 1-1/2" DWV Hub adapter.

 

[Reach4]

GOT IT... Fixture drain is the part after the trap itself, and it is not the tailpiece from the lavatory.

Is 1 1/4" more typical for bathroom sinks? Is my 1 1/2" overkill?

It can be done both ways.

 

[Mliu]

I read this as a common code with regards to P traps:

"No trap outlet can be larger than the fixture drain to which it is connected. The sizes of the trap outlet matter. Don't be flexible with this. For instance, you can’t put a 1 1/2 inch p-trap on a fixture with an 1 1/4 inch drain."

Is this what I am doing? I have a 1 1/4" tailpiece reduced up to a 1 1/2" p trap. No good ???

Besides the loose connection problem you've discovered, there are two code violations here:

IPC 704.2 Reduction of pipe size in direction of flow.
The size of the drainage piping shall not be reduced in the direction of flow.​

IPC 1002.5 Size of fixture traps.
Fixture trap size shall be sufficient to drain the fixture rapidly and not less than the size indicated in Table 709.1. A trap shall not be larger than the drainage pipe into which the trap discharges.
​

You are permitted to have a 1-1/2" trap downstream of a fixture with a 1-1/4" waste outlet. However, once you size up to a 1-1/2" trap, all pipe downstream of the trap must be 1-1/2" (or larger), NEVER smaller.

 

[tracy smith]

Thats what I thought and makes sense. The verse "fixture drain" confused me...I thought it was the drain to the sink, which is technically a fixture.

 

[Reach4]

You are permitted to have a 1-1/2" trap downstream of a fixture with a 1-1/4" waste outlet. However, once you size up to a 1-1/2" trap, all pipe downstream of the trap must be 1-1/2" (or larger), NEVER smaller.

Tracy is OK that. Event though they call the washer a "reducing washer" it is really increasing as used with the 1.5 inch trap, and as proposed to be used to be used with a 1.25 inch trap. Either way, the pathway starts as 1.25, it increases to 1.5.

 

[Mliu]

Tracy is OK that. Event though they call the washer a "reducing washer" it is really increasing as used with the 1.5 inch trap, and as proposed to be used to be used with a 1.25 inch trap. Either way, the pathway starts as 1.25, it increases to 1.5.

I mis-read his initial post. I thought he was connecting the sink's 1-1/4" tailpiece to a 1-1/2" trap and then downsizing to a 1-1/4" waste arm. If the waste arm is 1-1/2" then there's no code violation and nothing wrong with what he's trying to do.

 

[tracy smith]

To recap a bit: I originally used this piece below to connect to the 1 1/4 faucet tailpiece. But the reducing washer didn't work. It wouldn't tighten properly...i could move it easily.

OS&B Plastic 1-1/2" P-Trap With 1-1/4" Reducing Washer

So I switched to ABS 1 1/2" because the HD guy said it would be easier and it had a dump out thing. I used a reducer from the 2" ABS at the wall to the P trap and a reducer from the P trap to the 1 1/4 tailpiece. This connection to the tailpiece still doesn't tighten properly. HD doesn't have 1 1/4" p traps that are abs...only brass/chrome.