I’m replacing a bath sink faucet and ran into a problem with the drain. The ABS tail pipe’s metal nut that secured it to the copper drain pipe from the wall is corroded. The threads that this nut went on have corrosion too. See the photo which includes a picture of the second sink in the bath that is not corroded. (I’m wondering if a bag of Epsom salt stored under the problem sink was a catalyst for the corrosion.)

I’m thinking the threads with corrosion are part of the copper pipe. If so, is it possible to clean the corrosion off those threads and attach a new tail pipe with a plastic nut to them? How would I clean them? So far, a stiff cleaning brush and rough cloth haven’t taken off much as the deposits are stuck really well to the threads. In fact, with the nut removed the drain doesn’t even leak.

Appreciate any suggestions you might have. Thank you.

A stiff wire wheel on the end of a high speed drill should clean up the threads nicely. Patience is the key here, it will take time to get it all off.

Thank you George. I like this idea. I imagine I'd need to be careful to not damage the copper threads since most wire wheels are steel. I could get this one [www.homedepot.com]. Or should I try to find a brass wheel?

That Home Depot wire wheel will work well, better than a brass one. Light damage to the threads does not really matter since the sealing is not done at the threads, it is done at the plastic slip ring.

OK, thanks!



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