Kitchen Sink Drain Pipe

[Renew Deal]

I had to replace a kitchen faucet and of course the drain pipes started leaking. I got them replaced, but I have two questions. Which pipe material is better, plastic or metal? Does one wear down faster than the other? I used a combination of the two to replace the metal and plastic that was there. Also, what about washers? Plastic or Rubber? The old washers were mostly plastic, but there were rubber washers. Is one better than the other?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. I've done quite a few sinks lately and I prefer PVC. Yeah, I'm obsessed with plumbing.

Buy a good quality plastic kit and pay attention to how the plastic "compression" gaskets slide in so you get a good seal. I swear on my next project, I'm going to use all glue joint PVC and skip the compression all together..... no more fiddling with compression joints.

The reason I dislike metal is it's a pain in the ass to cut.... sharp edges and hack-saws... I like to just about cut a finger off.


We did glue joint PVC at my mother-in-laws in the spring and it worked like a charm. One fit, clean and glue and not a single drip.

She then decided to move so we remodeled the new kitchen before Thanks Giving and we got stuck at Menard's the night before the holiday so we couldn't find the right PVC glue-up pieces so I took the safe rout with a plastic kit. A bit of fiddling and we got it right - no leaks.

She had 1 1/2 inch copper coming out of the wall so I was tempted to get fancy and go all copper but, again, we were up against a time crunch. We promised she would be cooking TG dinner and we barely made it..... it didn't help that I talked her in to tearing down a wall the week before TG. This was three days after they moved in to the new house (they call me crazy).

Anywho, yes, drains.....my White Whale.....

Here's one I obsessed over in my own bathroom when I installed it. God damn it, I wanted a nice looking plumbing job. That "bottle-trap" under that sink was not cheap but it was purty. Who looks at that shit but lunatics like me?:

[MADem]

2. Wow!

Yes, that sink fixture is grand...but that crapper! What a throne!

[Warpy]

3. I love plastic

It's easy to install and easy to fix. PVC is the single gal's best friend.

I have no idea why both plastic and rubber washers were included. I've never held a contest between them. Here in the desert, everything gets caked and choked with limescale before it has a chance to fail.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I seem to recall that the rubber was for mating platic to copper.

I am not sure of that and have no kit here to check, but that's what comes up from the back of my dusty mind.

[jwirr]

4. This novice can tell you what my plumber told us. Food on the way down does not stick to plastic

as easily so it is better. He also told us to pour boiling water down the drain at least once a week. We have a lot old metal plumbing from when this house was built in 1919. We are replacing it when we have to.

[pipoman]

6. PVC is more forgiving, IMHO

it also doesn't clog as easily and snakes better if it does clog. I am using all glue type PVC as I replumb my 100 year old house. Things to remember, especially when using glue type PVC draining...Always be sure all drains enter the main drain above the trap (dish washers, and dual sink drains). Always use a trap with a cleanout plug in the bottom. Always dry fit the entire drain before gluing, then use a sharpie to draw a line vertically across the joint so it all goes back together exactly the same as the dry fit. On compression joint PVC drain, as someone else stated, the foam rubber seals are for adapting from plastic to metal. If using compression, always buy the right size as opposed to the 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 combo kits. Bathrooms are generally 1 1/4" and kitchens are 1 1/2".