Threading Problems with Metal Pipes of the Bathroom Sink

Bathroom Pipes

• To disassemble the P-trap to remove clogs from your bathroom sink, use the proper tool. Many P-traps are made of plastic and easily unscrew from the pipe. Other pipes are made of steel and have a large slip nut over them that you have to turn with a pipe wrench. Removing this ring will separate the curved P-trap from the sink so that you can remove any clogs. Removing the trap will also allow you to snake farther down into the sink pipes. You can then replace the P-trap, threading the connector ring carefully back onto the pipe and then tightening it with the wrench. Removing this pipe can also help you to retrieve items dropped down the drain, according to the HandymanHowTo.com website. You will also have to deal with threaded pipe when replacing the faucet and handles of the bathroom sink.

Incorrect Pipe Size

• If you have difficulty threading pipes together, it may be because the pipe is not the correct size. Always bring the section of pipe with you to the hardware store to match it with the correct size for a replacement. This will eliminate extra trips to the store in case of errors. If you are inexperienced with plumbing repairs, talk with the clerk at the store to ensure that they have the correct pipe.

Corroded Pipes

• Corrosion can cause the threads around pipes to seize up and become hard to unscrew. A small bit of WD-40 sprayed onto the area will help to loosen the corroded threads. Corrosion can be a good warning that your bathroom sink pipes need to be replaced. Allowing corrosion to continue can lead to more expensive problems down the road.

Broken Pipe Threads

• If pipe threads are badly corroded, they may break as soon as you attempt to unscrew them with a pipe wrench, leaving behind a part of the pipe. If you encounter this problem, you will have to remove the broken parts of the pipe with an internal pipe wrench that fits inside the pipe and into the threads, allowing you to remove the broken piece.

Teflon Tape

• When threading bathroom sink pipes, use Teflon tape to help assure a firm seal between sections. Teflon tape is a thin, white tape that is wrapped around the threads of pipe to lubricate the threads and improve the watertightness of the seal between pipes. It is wrapped in the direction of the threads, starting at the end and working along the pipe threads, according to the AcmeHowTo website.