How to Do Things

A sink is a round shaped fixture, which is used for washing hands or some of the small objects. These sinks come along with taps, which are used for supplying cold or hot water and can have a spray feature for faster rinsing speed. Sinks also have a drain for removing used water and these drains come along with strainers for avoiding overflow of water. Some of the modern sinks have an integrated soap dispenser. Over the time, the sinks may develop a leak and at this time, you must know how to replace sink.

Sometimes the sink is clogged due to various reasons, and a person will have to use chemical cleaners for unclogging the drain or ask a plumber for help. There are various kinds of sinks like:

• Self-rimming: These kinds of sinks are fitted on perfectly shaped holes and are roughly cut on the countertop.
• Bottom-mount of under-mount: These sinks are installed on the countertop. The edge of this countertop will be exposed to a hole, which is created on the sink. These sinks are not used widely because bottom-mount sinks can easily catch dirt and germs start growing inside them.
• Belfast sink: This is also known as a butler sink with a barrier of overflow. These sinks are large and they always have a traditional appearance.
• Farmers sink: This sink has a deep end and is well finished on the front side. This kind of sink requires very little reach-over access to the sink.
• Vessel sink: This is a freestanding sink, which is decorated on all the side and is mounted directly on the surface of the furniture.

In spite of these modifications, sometimes when the drain is clogged or stops functioning completely, then you will have to replace it. Here are some simple steps to replace sink.

Things Required:

• Thread seal
• Plumber’s putty
• Channel locks or pipe wrench
• Rubber mallet
• Countertop sealant or caulking gun

Steps:

• First, you will have to start cleaning the bottom area of the sink. Try to find the water valves and then switch the cold and hot water valves, which are running in the faucet lines.
• Keep a drain basin or a bucket below the elbow of the sink. Now, you will have to open the water faucets for relieving the pressure that is left in the faucets.
• For replacing the sink, you will have to loosen the drain elbow from both the ends and then remove it. Take a channel lock or pipe wrench if you need some extra force. Now, you will have to take out the elbow and prepare for some spillage from the water that is left in the drain hose. Make sure that you have strategically located the basin or bucket.
• Now, you will have to pivot the rod spring clip on the clevis rod. If this part is not there in your sink then you can skip this step. Start loosening the porthole retaining nut, which is present in the drainpipe, and then you can remove the pivot rod from the pop-up stopper. Take out the pop-up stopper from the sink drain.
• Start loosening and take out the drain collar nuts from the drainpipe of the drain collar. Take a channel lock or pipe wrench for loosening it and then you can remove the drainpipe.
• Start tapping the drain collar in upward direction of the basin with the help of a rubber mallet until the seal starts breaking; perform this step with plumber putty. Take out the drain collar, and start cleaning the old putty.
• Now, start taking out the faucet connections from the backside of the sink basin. For this, you will have to use a channel lock or pipe wrench for helping to loosen the connections. After this, you will have to remove the faucet by simply lifting it in upwards direction like an assembled unit.
• You can take out the sink basin by just pushing it in upwards direction and the separating it from the seal on the countertop. Start cleaning it properly for removing the old silicone caulking or sealant.
• Take a little amount of counter sealant coating for sealing the countertop properly in the circumference area of the sink basin inside the cavity of the countertop. When it becomes dry, then remove the excess caulking with the help of a blade.
• Place a reasonable amount of plumber’s putty on the drain hole of your sink. Place enough amount on the bottom of the sink and the hole, so that the drain collar can fit properly and the putty starts squishing from the sides of the top flange. Try to take out excess putty when it has dried. Always remember that the putty will require a lot of time for setting and drying, and you must never use the sink in that duration.
• Start reattaching the faucet and the faucet lines on the backside of the sink basin. Keep a light coating on the thread seal on the threaded side of the connections and then you can reconnect the spray nozzle.
• Apply a light coat on the thread seal of the drain collar and reattach the drainpipe on the drain collar nut. Start aligning the drainpipe properly on the sink with the help of pop-up sink stopper. After this, you will have to reassemble the stopper, by placing a ball end at the pivot rod inside the loop at the base of the stopper.
• Now, you will have to place a coat of thread seal on the threads at the base of the drainpipe and the other pipes that connect to the elbow, and then you can replace elbow and nuts.
• You are done with replacement of sink. Knowing how to replace sink can be very helpful, and you save your added expenses to the plumber.