Bathtub drain leak

[Fred_M]

I finally have something to fix on our 2 year old Springdale 232SRT.
The bathtub drain leaks where the P-trap joins the tube that comes
down from the drain. This happens only when we push the limit of
the holding tank and we have standing water in the tub.
There is a large nut used to join the trap and tube.
This nut is hand tight, how thigh should it be?
Should there be a sealant on this joint or are we missing
a seal?

[PerryB]

Hand tight is about all those plastic fittings will take without stripping. There is a plastic compression ring that slips onto the downpipe and I suspect yours is split or possibly installed backwards. They are a common hardware store item and easily replaceable. Although sealant isn't normally used on such fittings, if yours is being a problem child don't hesitate to use some silicone.

[mikey98e]

Wouldn't plumbers putty be better?
-mike

[Fred_M]

Thanks guys. As soon as I can get near water and a drain I'll let you know the results. - Fred.

[jbsmith]

The drain pipes are typically black ABS plastic; they'll stand up to some light wrenching. Our shower drain leaked pretty much in the exact same place. If it's the same part, a plastic union on the tail piece of the tub, then it has an inner flat rubber gasket that's not being fully compressed allowing water to leak past the threads. It's gotta be pretty tight; more than what I can hand tighten to fully seat.

To repair my leak I flat filed the male part of the union for a good seat and then lightly lubricated the rubber gasket and threads with some dish soap. I then tightened everything using a large faucet wrench. Despite a ridiculously difficult space to work in, knock on wood no leaks.

You may consider checking the tail piece in the bottom of the tub as well. Always looking to make the job harder than necessary, I pulled my shower drain and re-sealed it with silicon and a new gasket. I've still got the scars from hooking everything back up.