One Thing Leads to Another

     One thing leads to another.  That was one of Mom's warnings.  However, she was always referring to physical intimacies or alcohol consumption.  I think the old saw applies just as aptly to home repairs.  Get into one fix, and more issues reveal themselves.  That's what happened when Mike and I observed that the soap dispenser at the kitchen sink was leaking.
     The little green puddles in the sink bothered Mike more than they bothered me, so he did some research.  The solution to the dripping problem is to remove the pump and soak it in hot water. When the dish detergent in the pump softens, pump hot water through the pump and rinse everything thoroughly. Next, water down the liquid soap in the dispenser.  Reinstall the pump.  If you solved the problem, the reason it developed in the first place is that your detergent is too thick and heavy for your dispenser.  You are probably using Palmolive or Dawn.  You'll have to water it down.  If the fix didn't work, you probably have a crack in the pump.  You'll have to buy another dispenser.
     So, we successfully cleaned out the dispenser and got it pumping again.  In the process I found a puddle of water under the sink.  Before I call in the pros I like to see if I can fix things on my own.  What that really means is I like to see if I can fix things on the cheap.  Hey, it worked this time.  Here's how:

The leak didn't damage the inside of the cabinet because I keep a plastic pan under the sink.  The water stayed inside the pan.  I cleared all this stuff out and checked every connection for dampness.  I found the leaks at the top of each white slip joint nut.  

One side disconnected.  One side to go.  The waste pipes had black slime on the inside.  The P-trap on the left is the lesser used sink.  The water in this trap was really stinky.

This is the original slip nut.  My videos lead me to believe an O-ring goes in the groove.  However, when I got to Lowe's I couldn't find any such part.  I took the trap and the original slip nut with me.  I found a man in the plumbing aisle who looked knowledgeable, and I asked for his help. 

My new friend told me that I would have to discard the old slip nut and purchase a new nut/washer combination.

I put the slip nut on the upper pipe.  Then I slid the washer up the pipe.

Next, I replaced the P-trap.  The upper pipe goes down inside P-trap.  I moved the washer down to just above the threads on the trap.  Then I tightened the slip nut.  I made it as tight as I could with my hands.  The videos warned against using tools and tightening too much.  There's a black slip nut on the other end of the trap that I tightened next.  Finally, I repeated the routine on the other side.  

I filled up the sinks.  Then I pulled out the stoppers.  I continued running the water while the sinks drained and I flipped on the garbage disposal.  Yea!!  No more leaks.  The price of this repair - $5.33.