I get the hesitation, but I actually went ahead and fixed a similar issue in my place.
True, but I found that if you take it step by step—turn off the water, disconnect the trap, dry-fit everything before tightening—you can usually realign things without leaks. It took me a couple tries and some YouTube, but now the sink looks right and drains fine. Sometimes those “quirks” just bug me too much to ignore.“Plumbing can spiral fast if you’re not careful... and yeah, calling in a pro isn’t cheap.”
I totally get wanting to tackle it yourself—nothing more annoying than staring at a crooked sink every day. But man, I’ve seen some wild stuff when folks get a little too confident with plumbing. One guy thought he could “eyeball” the trap alignment and ended up with a slow leak that rotted out the vanity base over a few months. Water damage is sneaky like that.
YouTube is a lifesaver, for sure, but I always tell people: double-check your connections, and don’t overtighten those plastic fittings. Hand-tight is usually enough, and cranking them down can actually cause more leaks. And if you’re messing with anything more than the trap—like moving supply lines or cutting into the wall—sometimes it’s worth at least talking to someone who’s done it before. Not trying to scare anyone off DIY, just... plumbing mistakes have a way of showing up at the worst possible time (like when you’re out of town and your downstairs neighbor calls).
That said, nothing beats the satisfaction of fixing it yourself and having it look right. Just keep a towel and a bucket handy, just in case.
Hand-tight is usually enough, and cranking them down can actually cause more leaks.
Couldn’t agree more—people love to torque those fittings like they’re tightening lug nuts. If you’re re-centering a sink, here’s my quick checklist: dry fit everything first, check for level, and make sure the drain lines line up before you glue or tighten anything. I’ve seen folks try to “make it work” with angled pipes and end up with constant drips. Also, always test for leaks with a dry paper towel under the trap—water shows up fast that way.
Hand-tight is usually enough, and cranking them down can actually cause more leaks.
That’s true for most plastic traps, but I’ve run into a few old metal ones where hand-tight just doesn’t cut it—especially if the threads are worn. Sometimes you need a little extra with the wrench, just not gorilla strength. And yeah, dry fitting is key, but don’t forget to check for burrs on the pipe ends. Those can mess up your seal fast.
Had a job last month where the old brass trap was so chewed up, hand-tightening just meant a slow drip overnight. Gave it a quarter turn with the wrench and it finally sealed. But yeah, overtighten and you’re asking for trouble... or snapped threads. Those burrs are sneaky too—ran into one that sliced up the washer and I didn’t spot it till water started pooling under the vanity.
