Hello,

It seems the P trap under our kitchen sink is leaking. When I try to tighten the joint, it just spins and will not tighten. I can also move the p trap up and down on the pipe coming down from the sink, it is very loose. We have the black plastic piping(PVC?), no metal. Do I need to place the whole thing or is there some type of clue I can use to hold it in place? My husband is pretty handy and I think he can get it figured out, we are just not sure what steps to take. I can take some pics if it would help. Thanks!


Sorry, I can't see how to edit my previous post, that should say, Do I need to REplace the whole thing or is there some type of GLUE I can use to hold it in place.

Did this just happen or is this a new installation? It sounds like the plastic washers are not in place for it to slide so easily. Any chance of a picture. Do not glue.

Donna: The black pipe is called Tubular ABS. Basically, it is thin wall ABS material. Fortunatelly for you, it is very easy to work with and also it is inexpensive to buy...

The P-Trap is sliding up and down because the nut is loose. The nut is spinning because it is either cracked or the plastic thread is stripped.

Go to Home Depot, and purchase new 1 1/2" nut and washer. Slip the nut on the vertical pipe, then the washer and then attach the nut to the trap. No tools needed: all is hand tighten. That's all to it...

Let us know how you did... Milo

The house is going on 7 years old. It has leaked before, but we were always able to fix it by just tightening the nut. I think what happened is it slipped off the washer, somehow. I was able to push it back on & tighten it by hand.

Should we try to tighten it more and what type of wrench do we need to do so? It seems pretty firm now, but I'm worried about it slipping again. I have emptied 2 sink fulls of water and no leaks so far. Thanks for the help!

You do not need a wrench for a PVC trap, hand tighten only. Like a previous poster memtioned, the nut may be cracked or striped, replace the whole trap is cheap.

Donna: tighten only as needed. If it leaks, try to tighten a 1/4 turn more. All by hand. If nut doesn't want to engage and keeps getting loose as it is being turned - then you will need a new nut. But make sure the plastic, V shaped washer sits nicely in the other pipe.

Thank you. We are going to watch it for a week or so and if it leaks again we will definitely replace the nut & washer as suggested. Right now it seems pretty snug, thanks again!