On Wed, 3 Apr 2013 05:09:42 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:56:57 +0000 Danny D. wrote:

Q1: How does one SNAKE a kitchen sink?
Q2: Do you suggest larger-diameter plastic "J" pipes (with a trap door?)?
Q3: What TOOL spins off a 1.5" diameter nipple when only 1/4" sticks out?
Q4: Can a compression fitting attach to the corroded 1/4" steel nipple?

UPDATE & QUESTIONS:

Q: How does one snake a kitchen sink?
A: In general, you don't; however, you 'can' remove the basket from
underneath the sink, and then snake - or - you can open up the
fittings at the P-Trap and snake from there if you want.

Q: Do you suggest larger-diameter plastic "J" pipes with a cleanout?
A: The pipes are already as large as can be, although mine were
cheap Home Depot style - so a plumber might use thicker grade pipe.
The cleanout would be nice - but I didn't see any at Home Depot
with the cleanout.


That's good. It's just another joint to leak or fail. Removing the
P-trap is child's play, and when you're there you can get a snake into
the stub and waste line. Despite you sister's experience with
eggshells in the trap, most stoppages I've seen are in that stub or
below at a turn. See the sludge in there? Probably the most
horizontal waste pipe in the house.

Q: What TOOL spins off a 1.5" diameter nipple when only 1/4" sticks out?
A: An internal pipe wrench might work - but the problem will STILL be
you need an awfully huge amount of leverage - which you'll likely
just not have. In my case, there actually was enough room to get the
pipe wrench on the nipple, once I peeled off the faceplate, but even
with a pipe wrench, WD-40, and a propane torch, the nipple would not
budge. I doubt the internal pipe wrench will give me any more leverage.

Q: Can a compression fitting attach to the corroded 1/4" steel nipple?
A: No, but a Fernco fitting will work just fine (and it did).


They call all fittings with plastic/nylon washers compression fittings
now, because they call the connecting nut a compression nut and it
compresses the washer to make a seal.
So I don't think that term is reserved for tubing.

KEY QUESTION:

Since the proper way to fix this was likely either to chase the threads,
or to replace the nipple, the key related question regarding why I failed
to remove the nipple, is:

Q1: How do you get enough leverage to remove the nipple anyway?

Strength mainly. If you could get under the cabinet floor to put some
blocks there to brace the floor, you could use a jack on the wrench.
Discretion needed Don't want to break anything.
Since you won't be reusing the threads hitting the stub head-on with a
hammer repeatedly can help break up the dope or rust keeping it frozen
in.. Again, discretion needed. If it's really a cast iron T don't
hammer. All I've seen is steel pipe/T's for sink lines.
If the T shows movement, don't hammer.
And there's always the danger of causing one of the other T joints to
leak even just wrenching unless you can get an opposing wrench on the
T, which you can't do without opening the wall.
I recommend just staying with the Fernco.