Drains, water heaters and water lines, fixed by a Greenville family since 2010.

Under the kitchen sink

Where a slow drip under the sink usually starts

Most under-sink leaks come from five places. Hover a pin to see what fails there and what we do about it. If you cannot find yours, call and describe the puddle.

1. FittingBrass compression fittingWhere the supply line meets the faucet tail. A nut that was never snugged, or one cranked until the ferrule cracked, weeps a drop at a time. We reseat or replace the ferrule rather than lean on the wrench.
2. SupplyBraided supply lineStainless braid hides a rubber hose that ages. A kinked or bulging line is a burst waiting for a pressure spike, so we swap it while we are there rather than wait for the flood.
3. TrapP-trapThe U-bend holds water to keep sewer gas out. Grease and food settle here first, which is why a kitchen sink slows down before it stops. A trap that drips at the bottom is usually cracked plastic.
4. Slip nutSlip joint at the drain armThe joint where the trap meets the drain arm relies on a plastic washer. When the washer slips or hardens, water runs down the outside of the pipe and only shows up as a stain on the cabinet floor.
5. StopShutoff valveThe valve you reach for in an emergency. Old multi-turn stops seize and drip at the stem, so a burst becomes a whole-house shutoff. Replacing them with quarter-turn valves is a short job.