Thank you again for the advice regarding my leak in the bathroom. I updated on that thread, but I'll summarize. I was so impressed with the advice that I got that I shared with my dad. We had a big fight about it. Apparently, girls aren't supposed to do their own home repair. Apparently, girls are supposed to just get married so their husband can do it for them. I think that's bull. Instead of doing the advice I was given on my last thread, which was a temporary fix at best, I'm just going in with a full remodel of that bathroom. The problem is I don't even know where to start. I'd like to plan as much as I can before hand and make an estimated materials and cost list that I can collect items over time. Once I've collected everything, I'll start taking the remodel steps. That's going to be a huge project that I'm anticipating taking a few years actually. I could always use advice on how to get started with that, but in this thread I'd like to learn some smaller things dealing with plumbing.

Like the title suggests, my house does not like the element of water. The plumbing is always having issues here and I can't afford to call my plumber, no matter how affordable he is, every time something fails. I want to learn how to do whatever I can.

My first project has been the kitchen sink. I've been working on it for quite a while and it's still not fixed. I'm folding and asking for advice on how to finally finish this. I want to know what I'm doing wrong, what I've done right and any tips for the future because I'm sure it'll probably happen again at some point.

I have severe ADD and I have a cleaning lady who comes to my house to help me clean. Her name is Janice and she comes once a month to help me learn better habits to keep up with the not so stimulating parts of maintaining my house, like dishes, straightening...the day to day stuff that normal people have no problem keeping up with. That's the stuff I struggle with. If I did well that month and kept up with things enough, we do other things like organizing. It's really a big help. She's very patient with me. Her daughter has severe ADD so she knows how to help me make goals and keep me on track. I also see a psychiatrist and a therapist. All three have fallen in love with my idea to learn home improvement and repair. Not only do I seem to enjoy it, like a challenging puzzle, but it makes me feel accomplished, capable and competent. These are all things I'm currently working on during my sessions.

One day Janice was helping me with my dishes and we noticed a smell coming from underneath the sink. Water had completely filled the plastic tub under my sink. It'd been there for a while because the water was gross. I determined that the leak was coming from the flange on my garbage disposal. The disposal unit is new. I bought it a couple years ago and had it professionally installed, so it can't be broken yet. I researched, of course, and took the disposal off the sink. I removed the drain and reapplied plumbers putty. I had some trouble getting the disposal unit back on, but eventually got it. I was very proud of myself, but then the pvc pipe leading to the sewer pipe started leaking. I played with that for a while. I bought a new S-shaped pipe and played with it some more. I seemed to have fixed that leak. I ran the water for several minutes and I didn't notice any dripping. Then Janice returned to help me get the dishes back under control with the now "fixed" sink. When my roommate and I do dishes, we let the water run which I know isn't water efficient but it seems to work with the sink better. Janice, however, fills the sink up with water to do dishes. When she did that, it started leaking again. Now the leak seems to be just under the flange...and the pvc piping seems to be dripping a bit again. I'm missing something or I'm not doing something right. YouTube videos have only managed to get me so far. What else can I try? I'd really like to avoid calling my plumber. I know I can solve this puzzle, but I know I need some professional instruction too.

I've also been trying to fix my dishwasher. I haven't been able to use this dishwasher for years, probably since 2010. When I first moved into this house in 2008, I was really bad at maintaining the dishwasher. I really wasn't good at rinsing the dishes off first before loading them up and running it. I cleaned out the bottom and bought a new garbage disposal, which was also broken at the time, then ran a few cycles with dishwasher cleaner. Then I started rinsing more before loading up. Even after rinsing, I'd run a load of dishes and the dishes would end up more dirty than when I put them in. Last time Janice came over, we took apart the bottom of the dishwasher. We cleaned the blades and the other parts down there as well as the bottom under the parts and the inside of the door. Then, I put everything back together. Since I'm still fixing the sink itself. I'd also like to verify that I put the dishwasher back together correctly and there isn't anything else I can do before running it with some dishwasher cleaner and trying a load.

Thanks again for all your help. Sorry, again, for the long post. I was an English creative writing major in college, so I tend to be descriptive with a lot of, probably unnecessary, background information. So sorry for that. Let me know what pictures you'd like, or is there a way to do video? Would video documentation be better for you guys?

 

One of the first thing to do if you want to learn anything about plumbing is go to a Home depot or lowes and look at there books on how to do. Get one on basic plumbing. When you have questions about a certain part or how to do something let us know. Hard to answer general questions and please keep it short. we read a lot of posts. and you lost me about a 1/3 of way through your post.

 

Pictures are your friend. Posting pics of what you are working on will help us to help you better.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

 

Yeah. Like I said. I was an English major. This was keeping it short for me. I already have books and I already frequent Home Depot which is right down the street from me. I'm also used to having to really explain things in detail. Sorry I'm a writer. Perhaps if you give me an idea of which details are more important to you guys. I'm used to being cornered and interrogated like I'm a criminally insane 4 year old. Like "Why were you there?" "Why do you need help with such simple things?" "Are you stupid?" I'm used to having to explain my defense for needing help in the first place let alone what I did to try to fix the problem...why I tried to fix in the first place...how dare I try to fix my own problems...it goes on. Yes. What details are best for you guys so I can learn how to post more succinctly?

 

What is the problem. tried to read but get lost at plastic tub. Is the sink not draining, Leaking and if where. Pictures will help.
Something like sink is clogged, replaced trap, From what I read is you replaced trap (S) pipe and still won't drain.

 

I said we found standing water in a plastic storage tub under the sink. The leak was coming from the top of the disposal unit, what I understand to be called the flange. I tried to fix the problem. I removed the disposal unit and the sink drain. I applied new plumbers putty and reattached the disposal unit. This seemed to stop the original leak, but a new leak started dripping from the "S" shaped pipe going from the disposal unit to the waste drain pipe. I bought new PVC and fiddled with the pipe until I felt confident that the leak had stopped. I tested by running water in the sink to see if anything was leaking. Nothing was leaking anymore. Then my cleaning lady came over and used the stopper to fill the sink with water to do the dishes. Then the leak started again. This time the water seems to be coming from just below the flange and the "S" shaped pipe seems to be dripping again as well. My roommate tried to do some dishes the next day. This time we just let the water run instead of filling the sink up with water. She didn't notice a leak when she used the different dish washing method, but I did yesterday. Do you accept video? I think a video would be more helpful to explain this. How do I attach videos?

 

https://youtu.be/i1UO4mbePF8

I uploaded the video on YouTube. I have it as "Unlisted" so anyone that's linked to it should be able to view it, but it's not going to show up on a search. Let me know if there's any other information you need.

 

Hard to tell if you saying it is now leaking at the drain or the trap. The trap is the white pipes. The plumbers putty did you take the drain out and put it between the drain and tub or just stick it up on the bottom.? The connections on the white pipe from disposal have a gasket seal in them and if turned the wrong way could leak. I am not the plumber pro but they should be in soon, I am tring to narrow down so we can help.

 

The pipe has only a slight drip between one of the joints. I did apply putty between the drain and the sink. I just cleaned around it so we could run the water. The gasket seal makes sense. It was a real pain in the ass trying to line up the grooves and such to get the disposal unit back on the flange, so it's entirely likely I twisted another area out of alignment in the process. I really struggled with that part. The disposal unit is heavy and awkward...and you have to line up those grooves just right...I was banging my head against the wall for a couple days with that part. So, you may be right. It may be the gasket.

 

Youtube is a great place for getting insight into fixing and replacing almost anything. For the dishwasher, the problem described is mostly caused by a clogged strainer. I just had to clean mine and found a couple pieces of plastic from a failed silver ware basket plus a bit of paper and a small piece of plastic film. The sink leak, if it is a two bowl sink, is most likely in the slip fitting connecting the garbage disposal to the Y fitting before the trap. It could also be the disposal gasket if you didn't get the clamp ring tightened but that leak would most likely be found at the bottom of the disposal. If you think you may have installed the garbage disposal incorrectly check youtube for a video.

 

I haven't read all the diatribes yet. I am a picture person. From what I saw in the video, you had plumber's putty under the sink and over the cardboard ring. The plumbers putty goes inside the sink under the rim of the disposal. The cardboard ring goes under the sink along with possibly a rubber ring and is tightened by the 3 screws of the disposal collar. Did you put any putty inside the sink? I don't see any squish out around it is why I am asking.

 

Yes I did put putty inside the sink. I put it all over that part of the drain which is why it's squishing in so many places. The reason it's not squishing out in the sink is because I removed the excess so I could run the water to test it every time I adjusted something. Could you explain the parts I didn't put in the right order? Did you need any more pictures?

 

Oh...and yes I have accumulated a playlist of garbage disposal YouTube videos that I referred to throughout this project. It's the only reason I got as far as I did so far. I'm talking to you guys because I've been watching YouTube videos and readjusting things for almost a month and a half now only to find it's not quite fixed yet lol. I figure I need a more personalized lesson at this point.

 

From the top, plumber's putty under the rim in a large rope. It will squish out naturally. Starting at the sink on the bottom.....rubber ring, cardboard ring, disposal triangular ring. Loosen the screws and install the second ring and snap ring. Tighten the screws in both triangular rings until the putty squishes out. You should have no leaks at that point.

 

Okay. Will try that! Will let you know if it works!

 

It's fixed!!! The disposal and the dishwasher are both fixed!!! Thank you everybody for all your great advice!! Just wanted to update you guys!! Thanks again!! Now to get the kitchen cleaned up and on to the next fix it project!!

 

Glad you were able to get 'er done.

 

Thank God for the plastic dish pan/tub under the sink. Particle board including bottoms of cabinets and vanities rots out rapidly when wet. Why, or why, didn't they invent exterior particleboard like they did exterior plywood, relegating the interior stuff to ancient history?

If you feel that comments are profiling or sexist, ask the commenters to explain themselves rather than explain yourself. Like, become the interviewer as opposed to continue to get interviewed, For example:

Someone replied with: "Why were you there?"
Suggested new reply to that: (the "confused" emoticon followed by several periods to bring the reply up to the required minimum of 25 characters)

Someone replied with: "Why do you need help with such simple things?"
Suggested new reply to that: "What do you mean by "things"? Please explain."

Splitting hares: Water is a compound. Hydrogen and oxygen are elements.

 

Allan I think you are playing with fire criticizing an English major for word choice-lol. One definition of element is:
Just sayin!!! lol

 

I don't know if it's too late. I briefly went through the thread and the video. As far as the disposer you have two problems (the mounting flange to sink connection looks fine):

- The P-trap is reversed. The shorter end of the bend needs connected to the wall arm, the taller end goes to disposer outlet. This places the connection to disposer above flood level of trap.

- The disposer mounting cushion should have no putty there. If the disposer cushion to flange connection was leaking, it's a very rare leak.
New mounting cushions are available at any hardware store.