I have to remove the U-trap below a washbasin
drain, all PVC pipe installed about 1987 -- and
am unsure how much force to exert on the
nuts at both ends of the U-trap section. Would
these nuts have been cemented with some
sort of PVC solvent or just Teflon plumber's tape?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

They should not be cemented. If its been a while since its been
removed, use a channel lock or pipe wrench. Worst case you could always
cut it and put a new U-trap in.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
I have to remove the U-trap below a washbasin
drain, all PVC pipe installed about 1987 -- and
am unsure how much force to exert on the
nuts at both ends of the U-trap section. Would
these nuts have been cemented with some
sort of PVC solvent or just Teflon plumber's tape?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

You might want to just change it out while your at it. They are amazingly
cheap. The new one should not take much more than hand tight.

"Sacramento Dave" wrote in message
t...

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
I have to remove the U-trap below a washbasin
drain, all PVC pipe installed about 1987 -- and
am unsure how much force to exert on the
nuts at both ends of the U-trap section. Would
these nuts have been cemented with some
sort of PVC solvent or just Teflon plumber's tape?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

You might want to just change it out while your at it. They are amazingly
cheap. The new one should not take much more than hand tight.

Thread hijacking here- I just changed a clogged metal trap for plastic. Clog
was in the wall, but since I had it apart anyway, figured I may as well put
in new. Anyway, it all went back together, but the damn joints leak, even
using channel-locks to tighten 1/8 turn past hand-tight. I suspect an
alignment problem, but 3 assembly attempts didn't make any difference. Any
ideas? would teflon tape help? Never needed it before.

aem sends...

disassemble clean and dry all parts.

reassemble using silicone bathtub caulk on all joints/ let dry at least
a hour. the parts are junk quality, really cheap.

this idea stolen from a plumber who came to fix a joint that leaked for
me. I ont like doing jobs twice so I silicone them from the beginning.

nice thing is things dont leak but come apart easy when necessary

The PVC plumbing under the kitchen sink likely was leaking, and the
last guy who had this house silicone caulked the OUTSIDE of all the
joints. He must have been an interesting guy...we have been undoing his
work for 5 years

There is a small leak we can't find...but sometimes the floor is wet
and it always smells damp and funky under there.

Rip it all out and start over? It has to wait for money available. I*s
there a dye or something we can use in the drain to see where it is
leaking?

The 2 sinks are joined by PVC pipes coming from the sinks to a right
angle fitting, run about a foot of level pipe, and meet in the middle
at another rt angle fitting and go down a common drain. It was clogged
up badly...one sink water level would rise when I plunged the other. I
fixed it by using 2 plungers...one in each sink, with a helper, and
plunging the he** out of it. Now it runs free.
The dishwasher drain is plumbed into one of the pipes so close to the
sink that it shoots up into the sink, fills it, and the DW fills with
water after running if the sink is slow draining
It's one of the worst setups I have ever seen, but we need to live with
it for a while.

Any thoughts?
Debi.
Is a one-way valve a good idea for the DW?