- 1). Turn on the water and inspect the plumbing under the sink to determine the specific location of the leak. Check all the unions between the sections of pipe, as these are usually the points at which the drain leaks.
- 2). Grasp the pipe above the nut at a union that is leaking using a pair of slip-joint pliers and hold it steady. Grasp the nut with another pair of slip-joint pliers and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. Readjust the nut so it is not cross-threaded, tighten it by hand and then turn it a half-turn with a pair of slip-joint pliers. Over time, a nut can become jarred and may only need a readjustment to stop leaking.
- 3). Remove the nut again, using the same procedure you did before, if the union is still leaking. Pull off the plastic gasket and replace it with a new one. Ensure that the flanged end of the gasket points toward the end of the pipe and not toward the nut. Screw the nut back onto the threaded end of the other pipe by hand and then half a turn with the slip-joint pliers. Sometimes the gasket can corrode, causing a leak, and replacing it will stop the leak.
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