redneck p-trap

[Hicle1987]

Hi guys

had a hole in my p-trap. I have been through 4 different kinds of p-traps, plastic, brass, and they all leak at the brass-90 p-trap point of contact. one brass p-trap seemed promising after teflon tape but the leaking did not stop, it just slowed down.

I know the "correct" way of doing this is to remove the brass 90 and change it to a plastic one. but I cannot get it off. I have tried a monkey wrench, pliers, wd-40, a hair dryer, it won't come off. I could try some more but I don't want to mess with it too much because my concern is that I will end up cracking the pipe that comes out of the wall, causing a very expensive problem requiring cutting the wall.
so against the advice of various plumbers in the p-trap isle of my local hardware store, I have done this:


and it's not leaking. I don't know why this is not good, various plumbers said "no, this is not the correct way of doing it" or "no, a fernco coupling is not made for this purpose"

I don't know what to do. should I leave it alone, should I remove the brass 90 and change it to plastic, should I try more with the p-trap that seemed promising, put some pipe dope on there?

 

[bud16415]

Welcome to the forum.

Your photo link doesn't seem to be working for me. If you can just use the insert image in the tool bar it should let us all see what you have made.

 

[bud16415]

I was able to follow link and repost your picture.

It looks ok to me it is doing the job and not leaking and is easy to take apart.

 

[Hicle1987]

I was able to follow link and repost your picture.

It looks ok to me it is doing the job and not leaking and is easy to take apart.

View attachment 29759

thanks, you are the first person to be telling me this is ok.
how come every plumber that I have interviewed has advised against this? they are being vague with their reasoning, they are like "no, this is not the correct way of doing it" or "no, that's not what a fernco coupling is intended for" they won't give a solid reason like "after a while it will leak"

 

[bud16415]

thanks, you are the first person to be telling me this is ok.
how come every plumber that I have interviewed has advised against this? they are being vague with their reasoning, they are like "no, this is not the correct way of doing it" or "no, that's not what a fernco coupling is intended for" they won't give a solid reason like "after a while it will leak"

There is the right way and the wrong way to do most of this stuff and then the do what you have to do sometimes way.



Dealing with old plumbing is sometimes start at point “A” and by the time you stop breaking old stuff instead of fixing a leak in the trap you have a new kitchen.



A pro won’t do what a DIYer will because they don’t want someone coming along and saying look what he did. If a pro fixed it like that and it did start leaking at some point he would be in trouble.



Bottom line for me is when it comes to old homes is do the best you can and if it works then it is a success.



Keep your eye on it for a while and someday you will be replacing the whole sink and then you can do it the correct way.



My last house the previous home owner built a DIY double trap all out of PVC with clean out screw in caps and tees. It was really something not one standard piece in the whole thing. The funny part is it was the easiest trap I ever had to deal with.

 

[Hicle1987]

There is the right way and the wrong way to do most of this stuff and then the do what you have to do sometimes way.



Dealing with old plumbing is sometimes start at point “A” and by the time you stop breaking old stuff instead of fixing a leak in the trap you have a new kitchen.



A pro won’t do what a DIYer will because they don’t want someone coming along and saying look what he did. If a pro fixed it like that and it did start leaking at some point he would be in trouble.



Bottom line for me is when it comes to old homes is do the best you can and if it works then it is a success.



Keep your eye on it for a while and someday you will be replacing the whole sink and then you can do it the correct way.



My last house the previous home owner built a DIY double trap all out of PVC with clean out screw in caps and tees. It was really something not one standard piece in the whole thing. The funny part is it was the easiest trap I ever had to deal with.

ok now I understand, thanks for the convincing reasoning.

 

[Eddie_T]

A true redneck would prolly have reused an old automobile radiator hose.

I have a triple basin sink that was a bear to get all the joints aligned. Also with temperature changes joints would tend to slip and leak. I am thinking some Fernco couplings could solve that problem for me. I don't know if it's Fernco but I have a silicone rubber trap in the most used bath. To clean the trap just a squeeze or so with hot water running.