Tightening slip nut inside sink pedestal --- help!

[Ben]

I just installed a pedestal sink. I attached all the plumbing after the pedestal was in place, since that was the only way I could see to work things. After I had it all together, I discovered a small leak at the slip nut where the drain tailpipe extension attaches to the p- trap. Because this nut is inside the pedestal and behind the p-trap, I can't get at it with any tool to tighten it. I bought an adjustable spud wrench today, but it's simply too big to fit inside there. The back of the pedestal is about 7" from the wall.

Any ideas how I can tighten this a little more? How can I get into that small space?

Thanks in advance,

-Ben

[Speedy Jim]

There is a "strap wrench" which might reach in. Maybe make one out of a men's belt?

Apply a good-size glob of silicone caulk to the tailpiece after the slip nut and washer are on. Then it will seal with the nut only finger tight.

Jim

[Terry]

How about a strap wrench?

[Don Young]

Maybe take the sink back out of its installed position? You have to be able to service the plumbing so it should not be permanently inaccessible. However you do it know will be how you do it in the future. If it is worth it, you could possibly fabricate a special wrench.

Don Young

[Harry K]

"Spud wrench"? Hadn't heard that term before. Google shows a weird type of crescent wrench.

How about a basin wrench - works in tight places are right angles. I don't know if one would open far enough for the slip nut though and don't want to dig through my wreck of a toolbox looking for mine.

Harry K

[Joe]

Congratulations! You've just been bit by the 'fashion over function' syndrome. Now you don't have the practicality of a vanity with access to the plumbing, and you've also lost valuable storage space. Maybe you should get rid of it and replace it with the even more impractical 'vessel' sink. And have the faucets jut out of the wall, adding even more maintenance trouble and expense. Seriously, a lot of the fashionable do overs from the past are not very easy to live with. When designers call the shots, the engineers can't always correct their blunders. Be smart and be critical. Let SWMBO pick the coors and you do the important stuff. Cheers,

Joe

[frank megaweege]

Wow. You've really got a thing against pedestal sinks. I've got one too because I don't keep my wife in her place well enough. Now I don't have any space to keep my aqua velva. Anyway, I think all he needs is a basin wrench. It'll come in handy even for well engineered vanities and kitchen sinks.

[jim]

Try a clamp wrench have carried on for years just for thet reason Basin won't open big enough to do 11\\4tailpiece nut on trap. The silicon over the top will probaly seal it but is not the way I would do it

[Harry K]

Amen! I often wonder just how many women fall out of love with their retro clawfit tubs the 2nd time they have to clean around/under them.

Harry K

[willshak]

When I built my house in 1984, my SWMBO insisted on a pedestal sink, whereas I wanted a cabinet sink. Naturally, I lost. She picked it out and I installed it. After that, I often complained that anything put down on the edge would fall into the bowl, and there was no place to store anything, like soap bars, face cloths, and bathroom cleaning products, she never said a word. After a couple of years, when she thought that I would not remember who wanted the pedestal sink in the first place, she wanted to 'do over' the bathroom, which 'do over' consisted of a repaint, and changing of the pedestal sink to a cabinet sink. :-)

[<h>]

The only reason we have a pedestal sink in one of our bathrooms is that there is just not enough room for a "real" one. DH was convinced that we could fit a vanity, until I put in a cardboard box of the requisite size. Once he realized that we&#39;d have to climb over the vanity to use the commode he ruefully installed the tiny pedestal. Since it&#39;s the guest bathroom sink storage isn&#39;t much of an issue, but if it were my main bathroom that sink would drive me nuts. As it is, there&#39;s a large storage cabinet built in to the weirdly shaped wall/door opening which holds everything we need in that bathroom. Hey, 200 years ago they didn&#39;t think about inside plumbing, so I&#39;m just happy they eventually added it to the house!

[Frank]

I did same googling. Basin wrench should do it. I have one,only ever used it once but it was worth the purchase, as is any simple tool to put off having to hire a plumber.

Frank