Hello folks Any advice on this one gratefully received: I've got a 2nd-hand (never again!) bathroom pedestal sink to fit. The pedestal has 2 holes in its base for me to screw it to the floor. Sadly, the basin itself has got no holes for screwing it to the wall. I've bought a couple of old metal support brackets which I will screw to the wall underneath the basin to hopefully support it on each side. What should I use to adhere the basin to the wall and to the pedestal below? Plumbers Mait? Or some kind of silicone? I've got an unopened tube of clear 'Soudal' Trade Plumbers Sanitary Silicone from B&Q which mentions one use as "bonding applications". Would that do the trick, and how much should I use? If not, some other type/brand? Many thanks. Fretters
plumbers mait to bond ped and basin ( the sink's in the kitchen ) and a couple of blobs behind the basin to fix it to the wall, not too much or you'll never get it off again without dragging all the tiles off or plaster which ever it is, then a little bead across the top and it'll stay there till doomsday.
Thanks for your help Tom.plum (including the correct terminology!) I thought I'd got it licked, but I'm having trouble with a weeping waste pipe. I first added a push-fit connector to the existing waste pipe in the wall (far right of photo). Into this I added 15cm horizontal pipe and inserted the other end into the bottle trap outlet. Finally, tightening the compression joints on the bottle trap. I've had a heck of a job tightening the bottle trap to the underside of the basin. Trying to do it by hand, but obviously the work space is very constricted. Anyway, it's weeping from the underside of the the top joint (as far as I can tell, peering round the back). Hence the small blob of fresh Plumbers Mait, which I assume will achieve very little! Do I still need to try to tight the compression joint more? If so, is there a tool I should use? Might I have tightened it too much? Do I need to start again, connecting the bottle trap to the basin first? (Don't think I'd then be able to connect the pipe to the wall; that's why I chose the method described above). Cheers Fretters
Cool - looks good so far, and the arrows are all pointing the right way . Apart from the leak... Applying Plumber's Mait or any other sealer to the outside of a leaking joint is a bodge - sorry. It'll almost certainly come back to haunt you. I would undo the bottle trap again and check that the rubber O ring inside is sitting properly - they can sometimes move and crease or fold when tightening, especially if no lubricant is used on it (anything will do, from proper silicone grease to washing up liquid...) Or, you could use a smear of Plumber's Mait to the top groove of the bottle trap before popping on the O ring, and then a further smear over the O ring - especially along the top edge where it'll contact the basin waste opening. Run your finger along the circular edge of the metal basin trap - any sharp spigots sticking out that could have prevented the O ring sealing? Ok, finally a further smear of PM on the basin trap thread (or on the thread inside the trap's collar) and this will give additional sealing as well as making the nut easier to tighten - it'll act as a lubricant. Hand-tight should be fine. I can also see PM on the basin waste further up - is that a 'just in case' or was there an actual leak from there? If the latter, then redo it... Finally, I understand PM is a non-setting mastic? If so, I personally wouldn't expect it to hold the basin to the wall - for that you'll need a 'setting' type, like the silicone you mentioned (provided it's decent stuff). But I've never used it.
Many thanks for all the advice DA. All much appreciated. I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to be taking the basin off and starting again, especially given your final comment about using a silicone adhesive that sets (any particular brand you can recommend?) I feel like like need to do another practice tightening all the nuts in the dark - like squaddies who have to learn to put together a rifle blindfold. (The 'hardened' Plumbers Mait, or similar, you spotted immediately below the basin waste was already there (an Ebay purchase!) Perhaps I should double-check whether this is the actual source of the leak, rather than my own handiwork. Could you recommend a good quality white bathroom sealant? Decent hotel bathrooms always seem to have bright white "tough" sealant around the sinks, baths, etc. I bought quite an expensive Unibond bathroom "mould-resistant" version, and you can peel the stuff off. Thanks Fretters
Yes, that leak could easily be coming from the actual waste - very hard to actually see water as it makes its way down the waste threads. A good detector is bog-roll - take a 'panel' and roll it up tight. Then place it around the metal waste threads - but you'll have to keep it up tight against black nut if you want to confirm it's coming from above rather than below. If you a 'sealant' primarily for sticking things, then StixAll type stuff is hugely powerful; that'll keep your basin stuck to your wall... However, for decorative work, I guess silicone itself is best. I'd have thought that Unibond would be a good make - are you sure the surfaces were perfectly clean?
It must have earned that name for some good reason . Howd, is it good for the 'decorative' stuff too - visible edge sealing, etc?
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