Hello Everyone,<!—-><!—-> <!—->
I have just installed a bathroom sink and have noticed that there is an ever so small leak (drip…..drip) from the sink drain (I believe it’s between the Porcelain and the flange). I have used plumbers putty but am curious as to why 100% clear silicone is not better? <!—-><!—->
Thanks, Dennis
Replies
Hard to take apart later. 'Course, maybe with silicone you won't need to!
Forrest
Check the threads where the rubber "washer" sits. This is often where the water sneaks through! Just use some thread sealer paste.
I always use 100% silicone. I've never had a leak yet. Can't say the same about plumbers putty. Plumbers putty is a leak waiting to happen. It's 2007..time to quit using that junk!!
Almost every high quality faucet I've installed in the last two years specifies silicone under the flange.
If you get it on the chrome face its a pain to get off.
Its a real pain to get the drain out if for some reason you ever want to.
Plus you you miss all the fun of getting to see the squiggly putty ooze outta the top.
You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big one. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.
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Mineral spirits and a rag are all you need to remove any silicone when you are installing the parts.
Unscrew the drain assembly from below if you want to remove it for some reason. It will unscrew easily from the flange and then take a wooden dowel and tap the flange from below. It will come out rather easily but will not be useable again.
I had a plumber rec. silicone for anything stainless as the plumbers putty, according to him, leaves residue on the steel. Silicone none.
"I had a plumber rec. silicone for anything stainless as the plumbers putty, according to him, leaves residue on the steel. Silicone none."You're kidding, right? Silicone residue is hard stuff to remove; just think of how hard it was to get it all off your hands last time you used silicone caulk. Just a little silicone contamination on surfaces to be painted makes paint crawl away.BruceT
I went ahead with the plumbers putty... You know, its really hard to get that silcone to form a rope in your hands to wrap around the fixture when you drop it in anyway...
Either should work. I suspect that the leak is due to some other cause, such as a defect in a fitting.
Since the drain side is not under any real pressure, it's just a gravity flow, the plumbers putty is usually more tham enough to keep the water in the pipes. You probably have a mis-alignment somewhere, or trash under the rubber gasket that wou't let it seat, or something similar. If the drain is assembled correctly you won't need silicone.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I had a plumber tell me to use silicone as the putty can discolor cultured marble.
Yeah, but no one here has any culture to discolor anyway.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
And we're already off-color about 80% of the time.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I think you're right on the mark. LOL