Bathroom sink bottle trap leaking - new bathroom - photo! Help 😭

[HouseHelpPlease2]

The bathroom is less than a year old and I’ve just noticed a leak as per the photo. What can I do about it please? Please say it’s a simple fix? @PigletJohn do you know perhaps? DH will go spare if I mention it because every week we are having to spend money we don’t have on getting professionals in to fix things! Thank you.

Also why would it just start leaking for no reason? We use that cupboard regularly so it can only have started recently.

It looks like it is leaking where a rubber ring is compressed by screwing the parts together.

Aggressive chemicals, especially chlorine bleach, can degrade the synthetic rubber. Try unscrewing it, cleaning all the parts in the kitchen sink, reassembling and making sure it is not cross threaded.

You can lube the threads with white silicone grease.

Thank you so much for replying @PigletJohn. I will have a go at taking it apart. Out fittings are brass so I have been too scared to use any harsh chemicals at all down the sink because I am worried about the metal tarnishing. Certainly no bleach has ever gone down it. I wonder if it might be blocked for some reason?

Here it is this morning, complete with drip!

Blow some talc over the whole thing. Watermarks will show any runs. Just in case it is leaking from above.

Good morning, yesterday morning I unscrewed it and cleaned it. It didn’t appear to be particularly dirty and there were no gunk blockages etc. I screwed it back on but unfortunately the problem persists.

It’s only leaking from around the black ring (front and back). It doesn’t make any sense as to why it’s happened. If you, or anyone, knows what the solution is I would be so grateful!

Replace the black rubber ring?

Take it off , dry everything, then a thin amount of plumbers sealer on both sides and the ring back on , something like boss green/white or water hawk even a thin amount of silicone sealant will do it. It really is a simple job to fix and there is no need to pay someone to do it . 👍

No expert, but would plumbers tape on the thread be an alternative to the grease? These options seem better than a sealant so that the bottom could still be unscrewed if needed.

They are not grease , more like old fashioned putty …. A simple product that from experience works well on plastic screw type fittings that weep. I use the ptfe tape on metal fittings.

I’ve probably had my tub for about 15 years 🙂

PigletJohn probably wouldn't approve because it's very cheaty, but LS-X is amazing for little plumbing leaks like this. Unscrew it, clean and dry it, then add a thin layer round the thread. Screw back on, leave to dry for a couple of hours. Leak should be gone. It's non-permanent, so you'll be able to unscrew the trap agian in the future.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/fernox-ls-x-leak-sealer-50ml/23614?kpid=23614&cm_mmc=Google--Datafeed--Heating%20and%20Plumbing?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google--TOKEN1--TOKEN2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhv2_xbrPgAMV7YBQBh3qIw1IEAQYASABEgKn5PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

And you can still unscrew the fitting with it on as it never sets and stays flexible,

if you like you could remove the rubber ring and use solvent weld on it , it would definitely seal it but you would never get it off again and would have to take the whole trap off if you dropped your wedding ring in there 😀

Thank you both so much for your advice. I’ve bought some of the recommended products and the problem now is we simply cannot unscrew it. It is welded on shut. Even DH (ex firefighter!) cannot get it off! I don’t understand!

I don’t understand as I was the one who screwed it back on the other morning and I definitely don’t have that kind of strength to screw it on so tightly!

I suppose I now need to buy a plumbing wrench?

Yes , make sure you hold the trap tight when trying to unscrew it, you don’t want to disturb the other joints on it .

plastic threads can sometimes stick and are buggers to get off , a bit of extra force a pair of grips will give you will be enough.

I was going to suggest giving it a nip up with some grips but it sounds like it’s tight enough.

Or borrow a pair ? Make sure they open wide enough, you can get different sizes and that looks quite wide .

Wrap a belt around it, thread it through the buckle and pull it back on itself, position it so you can use the loose end as a handle.

Similarly fold up a tea towel, wrap around and twist the free ends together as tight as you can and pull.

You can get it tighter if you wet the teatowel first

I'm sorry to say that if it's stuck, it may be cross-threaded. 😕If so, you may need to get a new one once you have got it off. Which might solve the problem anyway, if you can fit it yourself.

A million thank yous to everyone on the thread as I have fixed it purely thanks to the advice on here! 💐

Hurrah, well done!

👍 It’s very satisfying when you fix something yourself , even small jobs, saves all the hassle and cost of finding someone who will come and do it to .