A few weeks ago, our family noticed water leaking from the cabinets around the kitchen and bathroom sinks. With a little inspection, we discovered that the same problem in each case was the culprit. The U-trap tubing was leaking from years of use. The pipe, as the name suggests, is U-shaped.
The importance of the U-trap, in addition to keeping the floor dry and removing water, is that because there is some water at the bottom of the pipe at all times, this helps prevent sewer gases from entering your home and harm you or your loved ones. .
After diagnosing the problem, the next step is to go to the hardware store and get a replacement. Aside from a flashlight (no matches or open fire source!), You will need a pipe wrench (only if you can’t use your fingers to remove the nuts holding the pipe) and a replacement pipe (either metal or PVC ). You should check the pipe to see if you can remove it without a wrench, which will save you some money if you don’t need it, as long as there isn’t one in the toolkit. A word about pipe wrenches: do you know the number they give, like 18 “? That refers to the length of the handle AND the total opening width of the wrench jaws. Confusing huh? Just make sure you pay for what you need.
After you get what you need from the store, unscrew the collars or nuts around the pipe, gently rock it a bit to see if it moves, then pull it out of position and insert the new pipe and the appropriate fittings. Make sure he’s safe. Turn on the water. Check for leaks. If you have more problems with leaks from the same source, recheck all pipe connections for the U-pipe and the P-pipe. The P-pipe is the one that goes from the U-trap pipe to the connection of the wall pipe, which, as the name suggests, is the pipe that leads to the wall and from there to the sewer.
