EASY: Kitchen Sink Leak Repair

Water leaks can prove to be VERY costly. Most leaks are much easier to fix than you might think. In this video, I show how to replace a sink drain seal with only two tools, a screw driver and channel locks.
If your leak is in the bathroom, this video shows how I fixed a link in mine:
• EASY: Fix a Leaky Sink...
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Sink Gasket Set - amzn.to/2ACPYRM
Plumbers Putty - amzn.to/39cbPwc
Channel Locks - amzn.to/2VQRFm7
Screw Driver Set - amzn.to/38ByYYB

[@impeachedcat6292]

Great video, was at my girlfriend's family's house and they really appreciated it when I fixed the leak they've had for years in their sink. Also really great video quality 😁

[@TightWadDIY]

Yes! Winning with the future in laws!

[@bookwanderingstitcher]

This video was super helpful. Today was my first time fixing my own plumbing. I had a leak in my kitchen sink and your video gave me the confidence to take everything apart so I could take the cracked piece to the hardware store and get a replacement. The folks at my local hardware store were super helpful and gave me everything I needed and a few tips to make sure I did everything right. I fixed the leak for $2.01USD an hour and a half from discovering the leak. Now I don't have to worry about having leaky plumbing when the new dishwasher arrives tomorrow! 😁

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great! I’m glad you were able to get it fixed!

[@psdaengr911]

I find the older folks at my local hardware store to be more helpful than anyone at the big box stores. These local stores have a lot of repeat customers with the same kinds of problems in very similar houses to yours built or remodeled at the same time by a few contractors.

[@entertheabzu]

Dude, what the hell. You have the best DIY tutorials on youtube, I know this isn't rocket science but you make it look so easy.

[@TightWadDIY]

Thank you so much! I’m a teacher by trade so I have had a lot of practice with instruction.

[@artyero]

Just found evidence of my sink leaking and found your video. Thank you for your easy to follow instructions.

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it helped!

[@artyero]

@@TightWadDIY It helped immensely. I have very little plumbing experience as a homeowner haven’t had to do anything with a kitchen sink. I watched you video, made a Home Depot trip, and was able to get my sink fixed. Thank you.

[@TheTylieanichole]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! The all caps is for excitement. You make this woman with a leaky sink feel like i can really get it done myself! Thank you!!

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great! I’m glad you got yours fixed! Be sure to subscribe! I have over 200 easy to follow videos!

[@psdaengr911]

Make that feeling one of accomplishment and do not fear making mistakes. The "rocket scientists" at SpaceX learned to do by trying and learning from their mistakes. I find that most people, but especially women are capable of doing more than they believed they could and only need the confidence to start trying to do new things to succeed..

[@cinderellaslifeadventures7269]

Thanks this helped me to be able to do it myself and save alot of money. I'm a 63 yr. Old woman.

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you too!

[@Charlie.Lockwood]

What a badass! I tip my hat to you

[@gayledemarb2688]

really good video. I am trying to save an older sink - I'm going to paint it. I planed on buying new fascets but didn't realize the drains could be replaced, and need one fix on the seal on one of the lower pipes. Finding a plumber is going to be a big problem, but this video showed me what is possible. Thanks so much, I'll be back!

[@beensetfree76]

Thank you!!! Your video helped me Repair my leak all by myself!

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it helped

[@KennedyTurner-p8p]

Just fixed mine! Your video was sooo helpful! Thank you so much!

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it helped!

[@tinamatila6229]

Thank you! My Thanksgiving started with a leaking sink

[@TightWadDIY]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that.

[@vajuarez0193]

Followed directions to the T and fixed my kitchen sink. Many thanks for your video.

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it helped!

[@broughamrandolph686]

I have learned a lot from watching your video. I'm get so good I'm ready for Mr. Fix it.

[@TightWadDIY]

You got this!

[@yeongiwon4760]

Thank you much for letting me know.I was concern the leaking water with my wife for several weeks.

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad I could help

[@mattthabarber]

Thank you for allowing me to impress my girlfriend because I now know how to fix our sink problem ! Just finished up, could not be more ecstatic ! Thank you so much ! Off to watch your other videos on problems I have😂

[@world9892]

You are a GREAT Teacher....THANKS!

[@TightWadDIY]

Thank you! I’m actually a teacher so I guess that’s a good thing! Haha.

[@presidentstevenking]

Just started watching. But I'm giving it two thumbs up already. Thank you.

[@TightWadDIY]

Thank you!

[@DavidM828]

Great video. Got the exact same issue with my kitchen sink, this made it seem easy to fix. Thanks for sharing!

[@TightWadDIY]

It’s fairly easy to fix these issues. Take a pic before you get started so you can reference it to put everything back!

[@melvinartis1918]

Thanks for the info!

[@laurabarber6697]

@@TightWadDIY pick= picture with cell phone

[@TightWadDIY]

@@laurabarber6697 I didn’t catch the type. Thanks. I fixed it.

[@andrewyoussef2267]

Really good job man. Keep’em coming. Especially any plumbing videos. Thank you!

[@TightWadDIY]

Thanks Andrew. I have some coming soon related to a water heater.

[@katd114]

I appreciate this video! Thanks for posting it. Now I should be able to fix mine.

[@TightWadDIY]

You're welcome!

[@subhajitsen8864]

Thank you so much for your informative video. It helped me immensely to fix the drip under my kitchen sink without having to call a plumber. I hope I did it right; time will tell!

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you too!

[@kathleenliss7480]

Thanks!

[@TightWadDIY]

Wow! Thank you Kathleen!

[@shitbird2020]

Thanks dude you saved me a grip of time and frustration.

[@TightWadDIY]

Great! I’m glad it worked for you too!

[@destinedbe4birth]

Thank you, i followed step by step and it worked!😁

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great to hear!

[@jessicaneish1814]

Thank you. You deserve more comments and up votes. I need to fix a leak and while I don't think I'll need to get as deep into the weeds, this is still informative. It may come in handy in the future. Happy holidays TightWad!

[@TightWadDIY]

Thank you. I’m glad you found it helpful and informative.

[@dianatrapp3944]

Thank you, you made this easy to follow along 👍

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tls410]

So easy to find this video! Hope it helps me.

[@TightWadDIY]

I hope so too!

[@tanyan8458]

Thank you for the video, it helped tremendously

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad to hear it!

[@lilyding7647]

Thank you for this helpful video!

[@TightWadDIY]

You're so welcome!

[@staygolden891]

Thanks for saving me hundreds of dollars!

[@amrinder1097]

Thanks man that worked for me

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad I could help

[@leticiaramirez7668]

Muchas gracias , excelente video

[@TightWadDIY]

You’re welcome.

[@cynthiathornbury9971]

Great video and step-by-step instructions.

[@kennethlucian680]

This video was very very informative. I’m renting and the maintenance person in my building is not going to fix my sink for whatever reason I can’t tell.So I’m attempting to do this myself. I have only done this once before in another place but I replaced the whole sink as well. The reason I’m fixing the sink is that it leaks like a waterfall. So I found your video very helpful.

[@TightWadDIY]

Hopefully this works for you too!

[@Meanpooh]

Thanks, Worked like a charm!

[@TightWadDIY]

Great? I’m glad it worked for you too!

[@LuisCastro-ri9bz]

This video made me feel like a pro ahahaha thanks man 💯

[@TightWadDIY]

Haha. I’m glad it gave you the confidence!

[@fmccoy1966]

great video! and thank you! nice delivery of the information. you made it easy to understand what you were doing and at easy pace without making a person feel dumb. i'm getting ready to replace all the drain pipe under my kitchen sink & probably the wood "floor" as well due to a nasty leak that i didn't notice until the other day. so two questions....1. in other videos i've seen some people use a type of glue or sealant (pipe dope?). is that an extra precautionary step or are the fittings sufficient? and 2....do you have any video showing how to replace the "flooring" under the sink? ....being a single granny type i'm looking for ease & low cost ideas while still doing the repair in the correct way. and again....THANK YOU!

[@TightWadDIY]

thank you for the kind comment! If they are using glue or “pipe dope” they aren’t using threaded connections like I have. In my opinion, plumbing under a sink should be all threaded fittings so you can easily remove it for repairs or cleaning. Don’t put glue on anything with threads. I assume you would just cut it out and replace with plywood.

[@fmccoy1966]

@@TightWadDIY was able git 'er dun yesterday and worked out perfectly! thank you again!

[@TheHolyQuran30in30]

Great video, thank you

[@TightWadDIY]

You are welcome!

[@garynash9957]

England ...says "very helpful CHEERS !"

[@TightWadDIY]

My pleasure.

[@cathyfrasier5616]

Thanks, seems easy.

[@TightWadDIY]

It’s not too bad.

[@gmoney9818]

The rubber washer and friction washer should be in different order. You place the rubber washer first then the friction washer. If done your way, then as you tighten the nut, it will move the rubber washer out of place causing tiny folds and then a leak. If done with the rubber washer placed first, then the friction washer, as you tighten the nut the friction washer prevents the rubber washer from folding.

[@TightWadDIY]

Thanks for the tip!

[@proyectoaventurero1801]

Chido, chido. Gracias mi amigo. Good video.

[@TightWadDIY]

My pleasure.

[@nataliastillman-ys7co]

Thank you

[@TightWadDIY]

My pleasure!

[@stephenschuster7703]

Very useful video

[@TightWadDIY]

I’m glad you found it helpful!

[@Razetzu]

What is that pipe with a cone top? I had water leaking from it. 0:15

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s a vent

[@Tvo281]

Hey there! New homeowner here and recently noticed a leak under my kitchen sink (which I thought was weird because my new home is only 2 years old) I visually didn't see anything leaking but when I started to feel around I felt some wetness around one of the bottom drain pipes close to the back sink wall. No leakage on the upper sink drain as in your video. What should I do? Undo and replace that bottom drain pipe?

[@TightWadDIY]

Yes. Undo it, replace any rubber or vinyl seals and reinstall it.

[@lorindamartinez4337]

I have my sink will not stop leaking on the top where the sinks are even when I turn off the water can you give me an idea what to do thank you you're very good explaining things I'm 66 years old and I'm going to figure this out because a plumber is just too expensive thank you again

[@TightWadDIY]

Do you mean it’s leaking by the faucet? You may have a leaky valve stem.

[@luispaxtor2680]

Vert helpful video.

[@TightWadDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ceciliagamboa3049]

Thank you so much!

[@BethSnow-z4l]

What isn’t the part that you take off at 3:50?? I don’t have that on mine. Then how do get that next part off? Even bought that special sink drain wrench and can’t get it off

[@TightWadDIY]

That goes to my dish washer.

[@TightWadDIY]

The nut for the drain basket is under the sink. You remove it from the bottom, not the top.

[@mmm_8318]

Great video. Can you use silicone instead of plumber's putty?

[@TightWadDIY]

I wouldn’t use silicone

[@kabusw1]

Thank you so much.

[@TightWadDIY]

My pleasure.

[@clintong8649]

I didnt use plumbers putty for a new bathroom sink, just tightened it using the rubber ring, could that be the reason I'm getting a leak from the drain of my sink near the top?

[@TightWadDIY]

Yes. Definitely.

[@jadelivorsi7236]

Thank you very much for posting your video the only thing is what is the tool you use to take the main not off so you could get the drain out ? Was it a wrench? Minus so tight that all it does is swirl I can’t get that pipe out so I’m thinking I have to buy that tool that’s the only thing that’s stopping me the other supplies I picked up from your video thank you very much it was very informative I don’t have a big leak but I had a drip

[@subhajitsen8864]

You can use a SINK DRAIN WRENCH to hold the nut and use pliers to unscrew. If it still does not work, spray WD-40 into the joint area to loosen the grip. I had the same situation and WD-40 did the trick for me.

[@zarptart3690]

Thanks bro

[@TightWadDIY]

No problem

[@factorreese1037]

Awesome, plumber just tried to charge me 199.99.. Thanks bud

[@TightWadDIY]

You can do it! The plumber has to make it worth his while to come make the repair.

[@psdaengr911]

As a DIYer, when I see a mechanical failure of anything, whether I did it or someone else did, I first compare it to a proper installation. What's available today online wasn't 5 or 10 years ago. The original installation mistake was the installation of the bottom of the sink drain with an obvious and not square gap. There should be no gap below it, it should be sealed by the silicone lubricated rubber washer alone compressed against the sink bottom. Without that the putty used above was not being properly compressed by the tension of the parts below the sink. Those parts do not unscrew themselves so it looks like a secure connection was never made. Metal nuts on mineral coated metal threads bind and do not tighten properly. So those threads should be thoroughly cleaned with a wire brush before reinstallation and lubricated with plumbers silicone or teflon before threading on the nuts. A future source of leaks will be the connection of the drains and tailpieces. A proper connection of a direct connect tailpiece uses a (missing) flanged rubber drain washer with silicone or teflon dope on the threads. Those parts were not cleaned, inspected or re-lubricated, but reinstalled "quick and dirty". You can have good, fast or inexpensive. With plumbing and electrical, if you want good performance and good longevity, you can't take shortcuts. The cost of fixing water damage below what you can see can easily exceed the cost of the plumbing that you can.

[@TightWadDIY]

Okay.

[@Gameplay3-h7o]

Thank alot

[@social3ngin33rin]

What's the friction washer for?

[@h3h3_productions]

It prevents the metal screw from catching and warping the rubber

[@mmm_8318]

Also, I'm trying to buy the parts from Europe. Any product links I can find from European websites since shipping from these sellers is prohibitively expensive? Thanks!

[@TightWadDIY]

Sorry I’m not able to get European links.

[@craftycandlesbymarci]

what is the pipe in the back? looks lik it has a filter on top

[@TightWadDIY]

That is the vent. It allows air in so the water moves through the pipe more easily.

[@SavannahLajeunesse]

My kitchen sink is set up just like this and lately when we turn the water on it starts to overflow from this air vent. Do you know what I can do in this case to fix it? The only difference with ours is that it doesn't have that cap piece like yours does its just then end of the pipe tube. ​@@TightWadDIY

[@GrillThisSmokeThat]

@@SavannahLajeunesseYou have a clog in your pipes farther down than the vent pipe intersection. You can try removing the vent and running a drain snake down it but you really can’t know how far down the clog is. Are you having issues with any other sinks, tubs, or toilets draining slowly?

[@jenniferbrown3731]

How do you fix a leak at nut?

[@TightWadDIY]

Replace the plastic washers.

[@briannaneely7636]

Thank you so much for sharing! You just helped me fix my kitchen sink in my first home. 🥹

[@TightWadDIY]

That’s great news! I’m glad it worked for you too!

[@andrewest1635]

Next is how to waterproof the faucet for the kitchen sink.

[@duncanobrien694]

Why does a kitcken sink drain kit even come with that extra plastic piece in the video?

[@TightWadDIY]

What extra plastic piece are you referring to?

[@loganwork7024]

I have similar connection pieces, but they just won't hold a good seal, even with thread tape. I'm about to flex seal it and call it a day

[@TightWadDIY]

I would recommend that. Just buy new seals. They are cheap.

[@user_abcxyzz]

Why didnt you clean the pipes before putting them back. That's disgusting 🤮

[@TightWadDIY]

I did…

[@cynthiathornbury9971]

Great video and step-by-step instructions.

[@TightWadDIY]

Thanks! I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@Kusuma343]

Thank you

[@TightWadDIY]

My pleasure!

[@gini1294]

Thank you!!!

[@TightWadDIY]

You’re welcome!