hello,

 

Bathroom sink water pipe fixed to the wall is leaking, how do you change it ?

 

the pipe is old and also doesn't screw well, but I wonder how it is fixed on the wall ? only putty ?

 

So I need to break around the pipe to take it out and change it ?

 

thank you for your help.

 

 

 

 

 

Wheres it go to on the outside mate? It won't be fixed to the wall it will just pass through it. Is the trap (the white fitting your leaky pipe attaches to a push fit would you know?

You need to back off the rozete (cover ring ) that dresses the hole where the drain pipe goes in to the wall. it should slide around the pire toward the sink.Then you can see how the pipe is attached.

I suspect the drain pipe is threaded (male) and screwed into a female fitting 

Prolly just sleeved into the pipe inside the wall with a bit of caulking around it, underneath that metal ring.

 

If you can't unscrew the trap (the white part) from the horizontal pipe to the wall (the black pipe), then try unscrewing the trap where it connects to the underside of the sink.  If so, then you should be able to wiggle the horizontal pipe section out of the wall.  Then you can get better levererage trying to get the black pipe off the trap.  Or just go buy a new drain set at the shop.

Remove that white thing first. That old pipe should have a rubber ring that might be rotten and just need replacement.

A leak there is usually from back flow.  IE: something clogging your drain pipe.  Might be time to get the snake busy.

The last time I took the trap off at the sink and then replaced the old bit to the wall, it leaked for over 5 hours of screwing around with pipes, washers and silicone. My neck ached for a week and if you look under the sink it looks terrible. Get a plumber. What looks like a piece of cake can turn into a nightmare. Especially with an  older sink .Nothing like a wad of hair to mess things up.

Wheres it go to on the outside mate? It won't be fixed to the wall it will just pass through it. Is the trap (the white fitting your leaky pipe attaches to a push fit would you know?

And sometimes the pipe is buried in the wall and then through the floor into the room/apartment below [emoji30]

1 hour ago, johng said:

And sometimes the pipe is buried in the wall and then through the floor into the room/apartment below

Another professional job by bodgit and scarper

I had a bathroom sink piping replaced in our home recently. HomePro did the job for 500 baht standard labor charge plus the price for the parts involved. The guy sent out by HomePro in BKK did a good job, and their work carries a 6 month guarantee.

 

My bathroom had an old pipe similar to the OP's photo going into the wall. Once the plumber guy removed the calking and retaining washer at the point where the pipe enters the wall, at least in my case, I believe he was just able to pull the pipe out of the wall. I think it had a couple of inches protruding into whatever piping fixture was inside the wall. No problem to get it dislodged.

 

BTW, I'm really wondering about the sink trap piping shown in the OP's photo. My home in BKK also has pretty old style piping, and had a sink trap just like the one in the OP's photo. But the problem was, AFAICT, that design doesn't do much to keep sewer gasses from coming up thru the drain, because it doesn't keep a reservoir of water in the pipe to block it.

 

So, we had the plumber install (at least to my knowledge) what is a more traditional/better U-shaped design of sink trap that does prevent sewer gas from being able to leak upward into the room, similar to the photo below.

 

       

 

AFAIK, the design in the OP's photo would catch a ring or earring if it fell down the drain, but wouldn't block sewer gas coming up thru the pipe. It was an issue in our case, because the Thai family for the building where we live runs a small hair salon downstairs, and I was getting noticeable chemical smells coming up via the old-style sink drain trap.

 

 

 

but I wonder how it is fixed on the wall ? only putty ? Probably yes as said above it should have a rubber sealing ring but doubt it...

just remove the trap and disconnect it from the rusty 'silver coloured pipe'

Get a new bit of piping as the end of the old one is probably rotten...these are normally paper thin...

Remove the ring at the wall...might need to chisel it

Then decide if a new rubber ring will work or just do as before with something like waterproof grout

 

If possible make the pipe slope very slightly downwards from the trap .. just depends if the trap is adjustable

 

Just make sure that when you enter the pipe into the wall that it doesn't touch the rear of the outlet drain line ( if needed cut it shorter or at 45deg)  AND as someone said, although quite unlikely check that the outlet drain line is not blocked .....

 

 

17 hours ago, sirineou said:

You need to back off the rozete (cover ring ) that dresses the hole where the drain pipe goes in to the wall. it should slide around the pire toward the sink.Then you can see how the pipe is attached.

I suspect the drain pipe is threaded (male) and screwed into a female fitting 

Don't count on that Sirineou. 2 I have pulled out of wall, weren't screwed into the down pipe. they were just setting over the down pipe so the water would spill into it. No threaded elbows to screw into. Welcome to Thailand. 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

AFAIK, the design in the OP's photo would catch a ring or earring if it fell down the drain, but wouldn't block sewer gas coming up thru the pipe. It was an issue in our case, because the Thai family for the building where we live runs a small hair salon downstairs, and I was getting noticeable chemical smells coming up via the old-style sink drain trap.

 

 

 

That style includes a water trap in exactly the same way as U bend or P trap, so as long as the insides are intact it does block sewer gas.

10 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That style includes a water trap in exactly the same way as U bend or P trap, so as long as the insides are intact it does block sewer gas.

 

Well, the old one in our main bathroom that looked exactly like the photo above obviously wasn't working in the manner you describe.

 

Because the difference and absence of odors coming up the sink drain in the bathroom is like night and day with the new U-shaped drain installation.

 

12 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Well, the old one in our main bathroom that looked exactly like the photo above obviously wasn't working in the manner you describe.

 

Because the difference and absence of odors coming up the sink drain in the bathroom is like night and day with the new U-shaped drain installation.

 

If it did not work it was mounted too low (not right size) as vertical pipe extends below the horizontal so well below the water line.

Those drain pipes usually just slide into a pipe fitting in the wall.  There could be a rubber gasket around the pipe, caulk/silicon, etc.  One time I saw a big wad of electrical tape wound around the end to seal it.  But if you take the trap off or loosen it enough to move it to the side you should be able to pull the pipe out of the wall.

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I had a bathroom sink piping replaced in our home recently. HomePro did the job for 500 baht standard labor charge plus the price for the parts involved. The guy sent out by HomePro in BKK did a good job, and their work carries a 6 month guarantee.

 

My bathroom had an old pipe similar to the OP's photo going into the wall. Once the plumber guy removed the calking and retaining washer at the point where the pipe enters the wall, at least in my case, I believe he was just able to pull the pipe out of the wall. I think it had a couple of inches protruding into whatever piping fixture was inside the wall. No problem to get it dislodged.

 

BTW, I'm really wondering about the sink trap piping shown in the OP's photo. My home in BKK also has pretty old style piping, and had a sink trap just like the one in the OP's photo. But the problem was, AFAICT, that design doesn't do much to keep sewer gasses from coming up thru the drain, because it doesn't keep a reservoir of water in the pipe to block it.

 

So, we had the plumber install (at least to my knowledge) what is a more traditional/better U-shaped design of sink trap that does prevent sewer gas from being able to leak upward into the room, similar to the photo below.

 

       

 

AFAIK, the design in the OP's photo would catch a ring or earring if it fell down the drain, but wouldn't block sewer gas coming up thru the pipe. It was an issue in our case, because the Thai family for the building where we live runs a small hair salon downstairs, and I was getting noticeable chemical smells coming up via the old-style sink drain trap.

 

 

 

Blocking the sewer gases and smells is what the traps main job is, if it isn't doing that you need a new one.

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Well, the old one in our main bathroom that looked exactly like the photo above obviously wasn't working in the manner you describe.

As I said the insides need to be in good condition, there is a plastic sleeve that can, and in cheep ones does, split. Once that happens you need to replace the unit, preferably not spending 100 Baht but about 5 to 10 times that.

 

Here is a good quality version, the price varies depending on the length of the horizontal pipe.

 

it's also fitted to a sink drain that again is good quality, not a cheap piece of pressed tin 

 

9 hours ago, featography said:

Don't count on that Sirineou. 2 I have pulled out of wall, weren't screwed into the down pipe. they were just setting over the down pipe so the water would spill into it. No threaded elbows to screw into. Welcome to Thailand. 

And that is why leaks in that area are usually from back flow.  Either chemical or snake to clear blockage is needed.

13 hours ago, johng said:

And sometimes the pipe is buried in the wall and then through the floor into the room/apartment below

That's a terrible design.

9 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

As I said the insides need to be in good condition, there is a plastic sleeve that can, and in cheep ones does, split. Once that happens you need to replace the unit, preferably not spending 100 Baht but about 5 to 10 times that.

 

Here is a good quality version, the price varies depending on the length of the horizontal pipe.

 

it's also fitted to a sink drain that again is good quality, not a cheap piece of pressed tin 

 

And another thing to keep in mind, as I discovered, is if you have a blockage where the sink won't drain, the first thing you think of using is drano or the metal snake.. 

 

On the bottom of the P Trap, whether white plastic, or metal, or metal coated, can be unscrewed by hand, and you'll be amazed at the amount of hair and gunk inside the base. This was causing the blockage, and not the pipe inserted into the wall.. 

 

When this is unscrewed from the base (no need to remove from sink or wall) there is a filter type trap in it.. Use an old toothbrush and small flat screwdriver to clean out the accumulation in this area, and reassemble.. 

 

I now also routinely use a drano type of acid, usually monthly, in the sink and drains. A couple of capfuls, 500ml of water, wait 30 min and then flush through the system.. 

3 hours ago, pattayaX said:

That's a terrible design.

Yes it is  the example above from  the "Government Housing Authority" apartments   90 buildings with 

4320 rooms a large percentage with water leaks in the walls !  ????

 

here is what happen on the floor below which is vacant..it was only when the resident on the first floor complained

about water gushing down the bathroom wall that we realised there was a bad problem.

 

 

11 hours ago, sotonowl said:

Blocking the sewer gases and smells is what the traps main job is, if it isn't doing that you need a new one.

The picture of the s- trap flowing into a 90 degree bend is improper plumbing and would not pass code where I live .

no vent!

this would simply siphon upon draining, or get pulled from another draining fixture. 

A vent MUST be installed within one pipe diameter fall of trap and vent.

nothing or very little is vented in Thailand or Asia for that matter, or vented properly.

hence the stink.

simply putting in a p-trap, s bend does nothing if not vented PROPERLY.

15 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Another professional job by bodgit and scarper

You have tried the cowboys now try the indians. was a sign i saw in the UK.

54 minutes ago, Ron jeremy said:

The picture of the s- trap flowing into a 90 degree bend is improper plumbing and would not pass code where I live .

no vent!

this would simply siphon upon draining, or get pulled from another draining fixture. 

A vent MUST be installed within one pipe diameter fall of trap and vent.

nothing or very little is vented in Thailand or Asia for that matter, or vented properly.

hence the stink.

simply putting in a p-trap, s bend does nothing if not vented PROPERLY.

Siphonage is highly unlikely on the sketch design as the pipe diameters get bigger along the route to carry more water.

Traditional u bend traps are unusual nowadays as the building codes you refer now demand the use of bottle traps which are "deep reseal anti vac traps"

I would only use a u bend on at the bottom of a washing machine stand pipe, which has a well vented open top

1 hour ago, Ron jeremy said:

The picture

Your picture is to low a resolution to read what it says.

I have enjoyed zero leaks for eleven years on a home with several bathroom sinks. The metal drains attached to the Cotto basins are stainless VRH 304 metal pipe. The bottle trap sure does collect hair as noted by OwenM.   My home has several kitchen sinks. The Teka stainless steel sink and the Franke stainless steel sink also "connect" to the blue PVC drain pipes flawlessly via the 45 baht adapter in the photo that I bought eleven years ago in Buriram. There is zero silicone in the connectors for my sink drains in Buriram. 

Structure of a bottle trap

4 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Structure of a bottle trap

Good (could not find) but water level would normally extend to horizontal pipe.  But care must be taken when buying as they have in different sizes and you need to make sure the vertical pipe extends into the water holding area when installed.

17 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

But the problem was, AFAICT, that design doesn't do much to keep sewer gasses from coming up thru the drain, because it doesn't keep a reservoir of water in the pipe to block it.

That is definitely a water trap.

It should have water in the container that unscrews. If it's not stopping odours it's probably because someone cut the pipe that goes into it too short so it wasn't under water ( or there is a hole in it and it leaks the water out ).