Wanted: Plumbing 'Expertise'

[tamaranth]

I need plumbing 'expertise', by which I mean someone authoritative who knows more about leaking pipes than I do. This is not hard. (And I have asked Noel but he's busy ...) Am prepared to get a plumber if I must, but really can't afford it so would prefer not to!


One of the pipes under my sink -- cold-water feed to the washing machine -- has started to drip at one of the joins. The drip is getting worse. Presumably something needs replacing but how easy is it, can I do it myself, how, help...

Will be away from PC 11:30 - 4ish, but any advice / offers of help / recommendations of cheap plumber most gratefully received!

Aha! Another worthwhile use for the digicam! This pipe. The blue one.

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Question: where exactly is it dripping?

If it's dripping actually at the joint between the pipe from the washing machine and the next piece of piping, you may just need to tighten the large blue nut somewhat. You may want to do this gently with a wrench (and I mean gently, maybe an extra quarter turn but not much; but it can help get a better seal). I've had trouble like this in the past.

If the drip is coming from further on the right, between the silver collar and the actual pipe from the washing machine, you need a washing-machine repair person rather than a plumber as it will probably mean the joint has gone there, and you need a replacement pipe.

I am inclined, though, to think that the joint between the pipe and the next piece of plumbing has worked loose.

Good luck.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

and they said LJ was a waste of time ... thanks for this! Tightening the blue nut not obviously effective, but I don't have a very strong grip these days and it's an awkward angle. I thin it is the joint, though. And on a day like today I don't mind getting soaked!

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

The other thing to do, taking care to switch off the water supply first ... that would be the tap thing on the set-up ... is to disconnect and then reconnect everything, just to make sure. You might want to put some Vaseline on the seals too, to make sure they are good and waterproof. I earnestly counsel you to get some sort of wrench if you've not got one; it's really helpful in such instances.

M. (who actually plumbed in her current washing machine herself, figuring that she could probably mess up connecting a pipe to another pipe just as well as Comet would, and for much less cost!)