Pitfalls of Sink Replacement. Got your eye on a deeper sink? Measure the tailpiece first! Measure the tailpiece.

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You can choose a new sink with a deeper basin than the existing sink has, but if it hangs down too low, it won’t drain properly and you’ll have to lower the sanitary tee connection in the drain line inside the wall. You’ll definitely want to avoid this task if the connection is metal and ends up being behind base cabinets.

Plastic pipe is easier—if you can get to it easily. The actual tee connection may be several studs over from where the waste arm enters the wall. Measure the sink tailpiece between the basket strainer and the tee. That measurement is the extra depth that can be added to the sink bowl without lowering the drainpipe going into the wall.

Also be aware that a new disposer may have a lower drainpipe than your existing one—but it can’t be lower than the tee. If the disposer drainpipe will be too low, consider a sink with different depth bowls. You’ll have a deep bowl for dishes and a shallow one for the disposer. Make sure the new sink will cover the old hole. Check the cutout size.

A sink that’s too small for the countertop opening will leave ugly gaps along the sides (or even fall right through the hole!). Before removing the existing sink, measure the opening from underneath. Measure all four sides because the cutout may not be square. Pay special attention to the corners. Contractors often cut them at 9.

I see this type of connection a lot in my business. Homeowners want to connect a.

Once you have checked the water is not running, unscrew the head nut on the tap. Replace all three washers at this time to save having to just replace another single. If you've just purchased a new InSinkErator disposal, you'll be glad to know our disposals are the easiest to install.

Take the measurements with you when buying the new sink and make sure it’ll cover the opening, including any square corners. If you can’t find a sink that’ll fit, buy a larger one and enlarge the opening. Swollen countertops spell trouble. Check for water stains. Leaks around a sink rim can soak the particleboard under a plastic laminate countertop. A little water damage is normal and won’t interfere with your new sink. But severe swelling will prevent the new sink from sitting flat on the countertop.

And crumbling particleboard won’t provide a solid base for the clips that fasten the sink to the countertop. Look at the countertop surface around the sink. Check for bulges or areas where the laminate has loosened from the particleboard. Then look at the countertop from under the sink for areas that are too spongy to support sink clips or support the sink itself.

If you find any of these problems, replace the countertop. Seal with caulk, not putty. Use the right sealant. Plumber’s putty has long been the standard sealant for sink baskets and sometimes even sink rims.

The problem with putty is that it eventually dries out, cracks and causes leaks. Worse, it can damage some plastics, including some of the plastics used to make sinks. Avoid drips and disasters by using a silicone caulk instead. Use a kitchen- and- bath 1.

Apply a bead around the sink opening when you set in the sink and around the drain opening when you set the disposer drain and basket strainer. In App Purchase Crack Dns Error more. Wipe away excess caulk. Seal basket strainer. Seal around the drain opening with silicone caulk instead of plumber’s putty when you set the disposer drain and basket strainer. Wipe away excess caulk.

Then angle a 2. Tap it so it pushes up against the sink bottom. Cut and shim. Slice through the caulk with a utility knife if possible. If the caulk is too hard to cut, use a putty knife like a chisel to cut through the caulk. To lift the sink, tap in shims as you go. Then cut along the front edge of the sink and up the opposite side. Self- rimming cast iron sinks are held in place with caulk. If you’re replacing the sink but keeping the laminate countertop, you’ll have to cut through the caulk.

That can be tricky, especially if the caulk has hardened. You’ll need lots of patience and these items: shims, a few feet of 2. Then cut the caulk. If the caulk is too hard to cut, hammer an old putty knife through the caulk, driving it toward the sink a section at a time. Once you’ve cut the back corners, sides and front, tilt the sink up and cut the remaining caulk from the underside of the sink. Lift out the sink and clean the caulk residue from the laminate.

Remove ALL the old caulk. Use caulk remover. The caulk around your new sink is all that’ll stand between your countertop and water damage. For a lasting, watertight bond with the countertop, you have to completely remove the old caulk. Remove the old sink, then scrape off the caulk (or plumber’s putty) with a putty knife. Apply a caulk remover (sold at home centers) to stubborn caulk.

Let the caulk remover sit for a couple of hours, then scrape off the softened caulk. Finally, use rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover to wipe off residue, and then clean the surface with a sponge and water. Get the gunk out. Flush out sediment.

Working on the water lines always shakes sediment loose. The last thing you want is for these deposits to clog your new faucet. Avoid this problem by purging the lines before hooking up the new supply lines.

Once the entire project is complete and the new supply lines are attached to the faucet, fasten the old supply lines to the shutoff valves. Next, turn the water all the way on for a full minute to wash away any debris in the lines.

Then attach the new lines to the shutoff valves. After three days, take the aerator off the faucet and rinse away any sediment that has seeped through. Make sure you have enough holes. Match faucet to sink openings. Most sinks have three holes for the faucet and a fourth for an accessory, such as a sprayer or a soap dispenser.

But some faucets require only one or two holes, and you may not want enough accessories to use the rest. You can buy plugs for unused holes, but they usually don’t match the sink. If the sink doesn’t have enough holes, cutting an extra hole in stainless steel or cast iron is often difficult or impossible. To avoid these hassles, choose the faucet and accessories first, then buy a sink with a matching number of holes. Some sinks have “knockouts” that you can drill to provide extra holes.

You can also special- order a sink with the number of holes you need. Trash all the old parts. Replace the entire waste assembly. Resist the temptation to save a few bucks by reusing the old drainpipes. The threads are probably corroded and won’t form a tight connection. A new drain assembly is easier to install and less likely to leak. Instead of shopping for each individual part for the drain, buy a kit at a home center that has everything you need.

A sink kit includes drainpipes, fittings, shutoff valves, supply lines and new basket strainers. Test the shutoff valves first. Replace leaky valves. If the shutoff valves under your sink don’t work or you don’t have any, you’ll have to turn off the water supply to the entire house while replacing the sink.

This could cause domestic strife, especially if the job turns into a half day or longer project, so make sure the valves work before going to the home center. To test the valves, close them and turn on the faucet. The faucet may drip for a minute or two, but if the drip continues, the shutoff valves are leaking.

Repair or replace old valves. If you’re buying new ones, use quarter- turn balltype shutoff valves.

They’re more reliable and less likely to leak at the packing nut. Rusty old pipe? Cheat! Solve tough problems with couplings. Corroded steel drainpipes are a bear to work with, since the slip nuts are almost impossible to loosen or retighten. You can easily bypass those rusty old threads by adding a section of plastic pipe. If the slip nut attached to the drainpipe in the wall won’t come off, spray on WD- 4.

If that doesn’t work, cut off the drainpipe with a hacksaw (save as much of the threaded area as possible). Then buy a plastic trap adapter, a transition coupling and a piece of plastic pipe (PVC or ABS) and cement (sold at home centers). Cement the adapter to a 4- in. Required Materials for this Project Avoid last- minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time.