canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Cloaks bathroom vanity. Water all over floor and inside cabinet. Managed to isolate tap now and it's stopped. It seems to be coming from here and we noticed the white ring was loose, as in you could tighten it as it was loose. This is the same leak we had a while ago and the plumber fixed it then and I believe the trap was loose. It may be a coincidence but last night when I used this tap the pressure was very low, almost to a dribble which I thought nothing of as it did a bit of a splutter and then normal flow resumed. Our plumber is off for two weeks and said 'do what you need to do to sort it' so having isolated everything I'm now looking at more reliable plumbers. I'm not sure what the pressure issue would be though and if this is linked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Trap doesn’t look to be straight ..!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, PeterW said: Trap doesn’t look to be straight ..!! Yep that's one thing we commented on when we took the drawer out. Not sure that explains the pressure issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 8 minutes ago, PeterW said: Trap doesn’t look to be straight ..!! +1, only a small rubber o ring holds the water so has to be straight. Is this where the water is leaking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Just now, joe90 said: +1, only a small rubber o ring holds the water so has to be straight. Is this where the water is leaking? Yes it was. It was dripping from there into the bowl before we managed to get the drawer out and isolate the tap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 I am not understanding this. Is it dripping from the pipe to one of the taps i.e.that silver braided hose? Or is it dripping from the plastic waste fitting? My confusion is you say it stopped when you turned one of the isolators off, but if it was the waste leaking you would not have needed to do that, just turn the basin taps off and the trap will stop dripping shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 (edited) 7 minutes ago, ProDave said: My confusion is you say it stopped when you turned one of the isolators off, but if it was the waste leaking you would not have needed to do that, just turn the basin taps off and the trap will stop dripping shortly. +1 7 minutes ago, ProDave said: Or is it dripping from the plastic waste fitting? 16 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said: It was dripping from there into the bowl but as @ProDave says taps don’t need isolating if the waste is leaking (but may stop you putting more water into the basin) undo the white nut, make sure the rubber o ring is on properly, lift the trap onto the sink waste fitting and do the white nut up firmly (hand tight). Make sure the waste pipe going through the wall is not stopping the trap from fitting the sink properly. Edited August 23, 2021 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Okay, so with the bowl in place, run a tap continuously and look for exactly which of the several joints in the wast fitting is actually leaking, you only need to fix the one that is leaking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Looks like it was installed at an angle to allow the drawer to close. It might be possible to swap out the waste trap for one that isn't so tall. Thus allowing it to be straight. My guess is this will also stop the leak if it's coming from the white waste pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Ok so when we observed dripping it was coming from the waste pipe, the white one. The bathroom sink hasn't been used since last night and when we got up this morning there was water all over the floor and on the base of the cabinet inside which was dripping from the white waste pipe bit. Since we turned each of these silver things off the water isn't dripping as much but we still have water going into the bowl. It may have been leaking a while as we had 6 toilet rolls on the cabinet which have obviously been absorbing the water. You can see the water here. I'm not sure why the water has marks on the wall below the cabinet unless water has been trickling down the cabinet inside but our ensuite sink is the other side of that wall. Not sure you can see from the photos. Plumber coming out 3pm - not the same one who did the work who is on holiday! The drawer has a gap in it for the pipe so in theory shouldn't need to be fitted wonky unless he didn't fit the cabinet straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 That trap is defo on the piss and leaking, just undo the white nut, straighten the trap, make sure the “o” ring is in place and re tighten, save paying a plumber ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Just now, joe90 said: That trap is defo on the piss and leaking, just undo the white nut, straighten the trap, make sure the “o” ring is in place and re tighten, save paying a plumber ? My worry is that's exactly what the plumber did last time to 'fix' it. A local guy has kindly offered to pop in to take a look FOC on his way home, someone who actually sorted out the 70s shower and toilet when we moved in to get it working whose details I lost and did a temporary fix for us who I wish we would have used for the whole house instead of going with this guy instead! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 I reckon the pipe coming out the wall is slightly out of line with the trap so it’s pulling it over a bit, I have come across this before and used a hot air gun to slightly bend the pipe by softening it a bit. yes get this new bloke to have a look and if he is any good keep his mobile number ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 58 minutes ago, joe90 said: I reckon the pipe coming out the wall is slightly out of line with the trap so it’s pulling it over a bit, I have come across this before and used a hot air gun to slightly bend the pipe by softening it a bit. yes get this new bloke to have a look and if he is any good keep his mobile number ?. I wondered if the pipe is (also?) a tad too high, i.e the hole through the wall should have been drilled a bit lower? (Just like the one in my kitchen that slopes uphill a tad...don't know who did that... ?). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 That’s why I like the adjustable traps to make up for slight innaccuracies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 (edited) So far new plumber has established there wasn't a black seal on the trap just ptf tape which not ideal as it had all come unwrapped and was all inside trap but then found new seal on his van, still hasn't solved issue and ran taps and still a drip from trap so he has gone to get a new trap. Also running from black seal. Edited August 23, 2021 by canalsiderenovation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 That looks like an issue perhaps where the trap seats inside the basin, top side. The rubber washers that come with the traps are basically generic and don't always fit the porcelain profile properly. I put them to one side and run "silicone" around the bit you push down from the top. Tighten everything up without turning the assembly, that's important as you want to compress the jollop rather than smear it too thin/out. Wipe the excess off with a baby wipe and leave to set. Done that on the kitchen sink, bath and basin. Only doing what @Nickfromwales told me! ? I've not yet settled on a "silicone" of choice for this. For the bath I think I used Sika EBT, for the kitchen No Nonsense white. When I redo I'll likely use BT1 or Forever White. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Ok so plot thickens, it seems that old plumber has cut the chrome plug thread, no idea why but this lip was also causing issues with seal as it was stepped when it was cut so would never provide a good seal. New plug fitted, new trap fitted and sealed will return tomorrow to check it's all ok. Old plumber can't say it was the equipment as it was a brand new Bristan tap and plug that came together from Amazon! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 He cut that thread because the pipe coming out the wall was too high, he was a right bodger, don’t ever let him back on site . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, joe90 said: He cut that thread because the pipe coming out the wall was too high, he was a right bodger, don’t ever let him back on site . Nope he's never coming back, new plumber seems decent. When he comes back tomorrow will ask him how much we owe him and I'm billing the old plumber. Took photos of everything, videod it and still have messages from last time we had a leak in the same sink and it wasn't fixed. If he won't pay it I'll take him to the smalls claims on principle and bill him for redecorating costs too where we now have water marks down the wall and get someone independent to inspect the whole bathroom plumbing. Edited August 23, 2021 by canalsiderenovation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 That explains why the trap was on the piss, the flange was not cut square. Hopefully the new plumber can cut / file it flat and square, or find anther one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 14 minutes ago, ProDave said: That explains why the trap was on the piss, the flange was not cut square. Hopefully the new plumber can cut / file it flat and square, or find anther one. He's fitted another one today and siliconed it all, told us to leave it for now and he'll pop back tomorrow and check it's all fine. Got the part he took off so if old plumber starts kicking off and saying there was nothing up with it then I'll save it as 'evidence'. If he wants a fight he's picked the wrong person! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Never use PTFE to seal the trap to the waste! The only worse ones I have been asked to fix are plumbers mate used to fit traps to shower trays!!! I have had to cut down the thread several times but always file the easy brass level and silicone. It's never about being perfect (just as well as I'm not), but being able to overcome the challenges properly. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Marvin said: I have had to cut down the thread several times but always file the easy brass level and silicone. It hadn't been filed. Whilst he had put silicone above that black plastic bolt bit I think there was a number of issues which I'll be outlining to him. 1. No black rubber seal used on the white trap connector just oodles of PTFE tape (which had become unwrapped and dangling inside the trap). 2. The trap itself wasn't fitted straight and was loose. 3. The thread on the flange I think it is that @ProDave called it not being cut square. We will see if everything works OK tomorrow when plumber no 2 returns but hopefully I can then outline to old plumber what he did wrong and no doubt he will just blame his apprentice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 There is an art to filing those threads square. I'm a dab hand at it! ? Brass splinters are 'orrible btw. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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