One of the sights you don’t want to see when you open up the cupboard doors under the sink to fetch an item is water pooling beneath it. Something is leaking—and plumbing leaks of any kind are serious problems that need immediate solutions.
But leaks aren’t always the easiest to diagnose. When you see that water under the kitchen sink, it can come from several problems. Some might be easy for you to remedy on your own, while others will require you to call our team for sink plumbing in Plattsburgh, NY to fix the problem. We’ll take a look at the most common sources of a kitchen sink leaking.
A leak in the p-trap
The p-trap is the drainpipe directly beneath the sink drain, the one with the characteristic bend in it designed to trap water and keep sewage odors from coming up through the drain. The p-trap may be clogged and water is starting to escape through cracks in it. The p-trap can also decay or corrode. We don’t recommend you try to repair the p-trap yourself or attempt to replace it, although you can always try unclogging the drain using safe methods (like a plunger, not chemical cleaners).
A leaky drain
The drain itself in the sink could be leaking water around it. The drain is supposed to be sealed to the sink to prevent water from seeping around it, but the sealing can turn dry and crack over time. The drain might also be heavily corroded and simply too old to work correctly. Our team can handle the straightforward drain repair or replacement that will correct this.
Loose water supply pipe
Can you see water dripping down from the sink right as you’re looking underneath it, even though you aren’t running any water? Then look a bit closer at the water supply lines: there are two, one for the hot water and one for the cold. If one of these pipes has a loose or corroded connection, it will cause a continual leak of water. You can try to tighten the connection, but if this doesn’t work, call for plumbers.
Leaking garbage disposal
If you see that the pooling water is mostly coming from below the garbage disposal (if it’s on a different side of the sink), the disposal may have a leak. This can happen because years of vibrating has caused the disposal to start to pull loose from its connection to the sink. The disposal could also have leaks along the bottom. In both cases, the best option is to have professional plumbers install a new garbage disposal.
Faucet connection leak
Where the kitchen faucet connects to the main plumbing can be a source of leaking. The washers can wear out over time and allow water to begin to escape. You want to leave any plumbing work with your faucet to professionals, who can replace washers without causing damage to the faucet.
Red Rock Mechanical, LLC serves Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York. Reach out to us when you need any residential plumbing work.
