Calling All Plumbers...

[libya 115]

My bathroom sink has developed a leak. Below, the water is escaping due to the down-pipe coming away from the area directly below the plug-hole.

Visual inspection suggests that the down-pipe is secured by the actual plug-hole fitting which extends a screw-thread fitting keeping the down-pipe tight against a rubber washer directly beneath the plughole.

This screw-thread fitting has corroded away.

My questions are this:

Is this standard 'Thai' plumbing? I need to replace these fittings; the plumbing is user-friendly with all washered screw/thread fittings from down-pipe to U-bend to outflow pipe.

Or: should I replace the above mentioned plumbing, or attempt DIY (or call for Thai plumbers assistence)?

Plus: any recommendations for walk-in plumbing suppliers in central Pattaya? I can unscrew the fittings and show them the store staff.

Thanks for any advice here.

[CGW]

Just to get you started - I would remove it, go to nearest store, buy new and reinstall, it's pretty basic, if you have the tools to remove you should be able to fit.

Good Luck

[Kerryd]

I've been doing my own plumbing work here. Pretty simple really. There are probably a number of small hardware stores in your neighbourhood, run out of the same shop-house type store as most places are.

I redid the whole works from the bottom of the sink to where the drain pipe disappears into the wall (it needed cleaning real bad)

Make sure you get a pipe wrench and a roll of thread-sealer (I don't know the Thai names for these things). I also had a small tube of silicone sealer.

Be careful, some of the hardware may actually be plastic (painted silver so it looks like stainless steel, until it snaps off in your hand !).

Other option is to get a local to do it. Not sure what a job like that would cost, but should be pretty cheap (200 baht maybe ?).

[libya 115]

Yes; thanks for the replies; I intend to do it myself: but I am just surprised that a down-pipe is secured by a thin screw-thread fitting from the plug hole and wondered if any alternative was possible.

:kerryd: yes I have some of that white screw thread tape: engineers tape I call it: I reckon this is a fairly easy task: no pressurised water just waste water, plus all 'quick fit' threaded.

[Kerryd]

Yes; thanks for the replies; I intend to do it myself: but I am just surprised that a down-pipe is secured by a thin screw-thread fitting from the plug hole and wondered if any alternative was possible.

:kerryd: yes I have some of that white screw thread tape: engineers tape I call it: I reckon this is a fairly easy task: no pressurised water just waste water, plus all 'quick fit' threaded.

I don't think you'll find many alternatives without replacing the whole sink.

I would also suggest having a bucket underneath when removing the pipes/fittings (you'll get a real nasty mess of goop and skank water all over otherwise), and roll or two of paper towel (to clean the pipes/fittings that are reusable).

The only thing here that scares me is the electrical work. I installed new water heaters on the bathrooms, and noticed, among other things, that the previous installations had been done with improper wire.

I also noticed (when I lifted the ceiling tiles to get at the wiring) that almost every outlet/fan/light in the place was spliced into a single line from the circuit breaker ! Talk about a scary sight. Looked like 5-6 lines twisted together with a wee bit of electrical tape holding it all together.

Sure would be nice to have a Home Depot or similar big-box, home hardware type store. I've checked a few of the stores here, but found I was able to get most of what I needed from the little shops around the neighbourhood (when I've been able to get them to understand what I was asking for. Tried and tried to explain a pipe wrench at one shop. Even drew a diagram. Nope, didn't have anything like that.

Next trip to that shop, I was getting some hose from a display cabinet and what do I see ? Half a dozen pipe wrenches ! They'd been there all along, the shop owner just didn't understand what I was looking for. After I showed him the picture I had drawn the previous trip, and pointed at the wrenches, he suddenly smiles..."Ahhhhhhhh" (now he knows what I'm referring to !)

[pepsi666]

Is there a pipe connecting the overflow to a sort of plastic cup ?

Does it have a screw holding it altogether ?

Is there a plastic trap under the bath ?

If the answer to all of them is yes, then you have a combined waste and overflow

Easy to do, (but I have no idea how the Thais do it or what its called in Thai

1 Remove trap,

2 remove broken bits,

3 take the broken parts to local shop,

4 I'd use silicon to seal the Chrome /silver waste , then if there is a screw just line it up and tighten, if it is a back nut, do that hand tight and then a quater turn to nip it up, DONT fill the bath, a pint of water will do to check for leaks

A picture would have been really handy

I have just reread your message again, its on a sink, sorry, if the handbasin has an overflow, you'll need a slotted waste,, poly wasker, back nut, if it has rotted away completely, , simple enough to replace, you'll need a pair of grips, or a tool that has wide enough jaws to grip the nut, use silicon to seal both inside and outside of the H/basin

There are several tyopes of wastes out. pop up plug, swivel plug, ordinary slotted waste with plug on a chain, please yourself which you want, I dont know if the Thai's use metric, but if theyy do it's 32mm (! 1/4 in UK)

Edited July 9, 2006 by pepsi666