Reconnecting a push-fit connector

[tichtich]

Hello. Sorry to be asking such a basic question, but I'm completely new to plumbing and I can't find the answer anywhere. It seems to be so basic that none of the guides bother to explain it!

The drain pipe under my kitchen sink started leaking yesterday, and on closer inspection I found that one of the joints had come loose. It's a plastic pipe and I believe the type of joint is called a push-fit, with an O-ring. I've pulled the joint apart completely, but now I can't work out how to reconnect it. Just sticking one pipe into the other and tightening the O-ring doesn't do the job. How does this sort of connector work?

In the past I've always called out a plumber for any plumbing problems, but this seems so minor that even an incompetent like me should be able to do it myself, if only I knew how.

Thanks for any help.

 

[superdupergasman]

You hit the nail on the head!

Push it together and twist the end of the fitting to lock it in place.

You may be missing the toothed ring inside, the metal insert in the end of the pipe or your o-ring is damadged causing your leak.

A nice picture could be good for us to help you???

 

[Whitespirit66]

If You do get stuck and need a plumber give me a shout. I'm in Westbury On Trym, and very reasonable if we're talking pieces of paper with The Queen's head on. Just reply to this post.

 

[buck51]

It sounds like a Multi Fit fitting to me
If so take the nut off the fitting, you should then find a plastic washer,
and a tapered ruber ring(the seal)
You may have to hook the ruber ring out, Put the nut washer and the tapered seal onto the waste pipe, in that order with the taper facing to the end of the pipe (about an inch or so from the end of the pipe
Offer it up to the fitting and screw nut on hand tight, should be all it needs to reseal it.

 

[tichtich]

Thanks for all the replies. In the end, a plumber came round and did the job first thing this morning, before I had time to sort it out myself. Yesterday, before I thought of asking for help in a forum, I registered with a web site which links up customers and tradespeople. This morning, a plumber who'd been sent my details by that site called round without contacting me first. As he was on my doorstep, and willing to do the job for £25, I thought I might as well tell him to go ahead and do it.

Anyway, it turned that whoever fitted the joint in the first place had omitted to use a rubber sealing ring. So no wonder it was leaking! I guess with the help of you guys I would have been able to suss out the problem and fix it myself. Then again, I have a very bad back, and messing around under the sink would have aggravated it, so it was probably worth paying £25 to save myself a visit to the osteopath.