P-Trap Trouble

Here is a problem I predicted would happen. To prevent it, I installed the faucet onto the vanity top, mounted the vanity top on the vanity, told the plumber the plans for the finished floor height, and told her to measure off the vanity to determine where to rough in the vanity drain discharge. I warned her that the vanity had a shelf that would be below the plumbing that would have to be considered.


Even with the above precautions, she roughed in the discharge too low. So low that there was not enough room for a proper P-trap below my sink. Grrrrrrrrr.



After switching from my 1.5" plastic P-Trap to a 1.25" chrome P-trap I gained a 1/4" but it was not enough. So I had to spend all morning with a chisel and hammer, cutting out a chunk of the shelf for the low side of the P-Trap to sit in. It was a depressing task considering I had build the vanity myself.


I did my best to carve out my hole without going all the way through the shelf because I had a drawer below it. After getting as low as I could, the pipes still connected at a slight angle that caused the gasket to leak. After 2 trips to Ace Hardware and 2 trips to Lowes, I still could not find a gasket big enough to fix my leak. I ended up buying a piece of rubber and making my own gasket with scissors and a knife. So far...no leaks. But I'm keeping an eye on it.