How to Repair Emergency Bathroom Sink ABS Drain Pipes

Fig.1 - Wall pipe damage

By Gary Boutin

Supplies and Tools: 

Union, non-threaded, 1 1/2-Inches

ABS cement
Hack saw

Portable hack saw

Sandpaper or emery cloth

Sink basket brass tail pipe
Pipe dope

This job was done on an emergency basis in Chino Hills, California. Inez had a friend replace some fluorescent tubes in her master bathroom ceiling lamp. The lights were at the far end of the room and the bath vanity was quite large. Inez's friend stepped on the vanity to get a better footing and the vanity fell of the wall and its pedestal. When the vanity fell, the sink separated from the top and sheared off the ABS drain pipes making it impossible to drain correctly.

This post show the ten steps on how to solve and repair this problem. 

Step 1: Above right fig.1 shows the damage to the sink tailpipe and fig.2 below shows the ABS pipe that was damaged.

Fig.2 Sink 
tailpipe damaged

Step 2: Fig.3 shows the sink had been moved to its correct location, and only the drain line needed to be repaired. My first step was to check the existing pipe, it did not appear to be damaged. A 1-1/2 inch union was dry tested on the pipe without cement. After the fit was true, sand both the pipes and the union the pipe was pushed together.The blue cement on the inside of the drain pipe.

Fig.3 ABS 
drain pipe

Step 3: Fig.4 shows the next step was to cut the existing wall P-trap attached to the bad union. Use a hack saw to separate the existing union from the P-extension trap.

Fig.4 Cut off ABS pipe

Step 4: Fig.5 shows the ABS cement was applied to the outside of the pipe and the inside of the union.

Fig.5 ABS Glue

Step 5: Fig.6 shows the union in place and ready to accept the P-extended pipe.

Fig.6 Drain pipe

Step 6: Fig.7 shows the insertion of the brass tail pipe into the P-trap. Take the new sink basin brass tail pipe and measure the P-trap to see if its in the right area.

Fig.7 Brass 
pipe adjustment

Step 7: Fig.8 shows the application of pipe dope on the threads of the sink basin tail pipe and thread upwards into the brass pipe near the sink basin.

Fig.8 Pipe Dope

Step 8: Fig.9 notice the brass tail pipe.

Fig.9
Brass tail pipe

Step 9: Fig.10 shows the completed P-trap.

Fig.10 P-Trap

Step 10: Fig.11 shows the water leak test. Check for leaks and make certain all works fine. At the end the client was happy to use her sink again.

Fig.11 Job done

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