When To Replace Your Kitchen Sink
Over time, the parts inside and out of your kitchen sink will wear out and start to leak. Eventually, there will come a time in which the sink just won’t work properly anymore. The best thing you can do at this point is to replace the sink with a new one.
- How long does kitchen sinks last? Generally, you can expect your new kitchen sink to last up to 15 years before needing any type of replacement. Kitchen sinks last a long time. How long a sink lasts also depends on how often you use it and how well you take care of it.
- When should I replace my kitchen sink?
Whenever you’re trying to deal with a broken sink, you know it’s time for a replacement. You also need a replacement when you realize that you keep calling your professional plumber for repairs. If your sink is too slow to drain, it might warrant a replacement as well. - How easy is it to replace a kitchen sink?
If you’re looking to give your kitchen a facelift, replacing your sink can be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do so. Installing a new sink will give your kitchen an updated look and bring it all together. The process is easier than most people think. If you do encounter problems, contact Easy Reno for help. - How to install a kitchen sink in a new countertop?
Installing a sink is relatively easy. You can do this project in under an hour if the plumbing is already installed. If not, allow yourself up to 2 hours for installation after measuring and cutting tile.
Removing the Old Kitchen Sink
Start Your Kitchen Sink Replacement by Removing an Old One
- Step One: Shut off the water supply
The first thing you have to do is shut off the water supply for your kitchen faucet. If your house has a shutoff valve under the sink, turn that on. Otherwise, turn the main water supply off at the source. - Step Two: Remove the drain trap
Under the sink, place an empty bucket beneath the drain trap to collect any standing water. Remove the drain trap by twisting the slip nuts to the left to loosen them. - Step Three: Remove all drains
Now you need to unhook all drains and garbage disposals and remove them from the countertop or cabinet under the sink. That includes hot and cold water lines, drainpipe, dishwater disposal line(s), and any extra plumbing fixtures. - Step Four: Remove clips and slice through the caulking
Next, if your sink has clips, remove them. Once you’ve done that, at the point where the sink meets the countertop, slice through the caulking with a utility knife. - Step Five: Lift the sink
Once you have everything out of the way and shut off, you need to lift the sink. This can be either a one-piece or two-piece sink. Either way, it should be easy to lift out of place. - Step Six: Remove extra grime and caulk
With the sink out of position, use a metal putty knife to remove any residual grime and caulk. After that, proceed to clean the countertops before installing a new sink.
Your Renovation Assistants
We know that renovation might be stressful. No more unreasonable proposals, missed deadlines, and unprofessional contractors. With Easy Reno your back is always covered with the dedicated project manager, who runs your renovation smoothly and stress-free.
Why Choose Easy Renovation?
Usual Renovation Experience
- Incompetent management
- Poor or no design
- Confusing price changes
- Unprofessional labor
- All the materials hassle on you
Easy Renovation Experience
- Excellent start-to-finish customer support
- Experienced help with design
- Upfront transparent proposal
- Professional and certified contractors
- Materials ordered and delivered on time
4 Pitfalls Of Kitchen Sink Replacement
While replacing your kitchen sink is not difficult, you can run into problems. Common issues to watch out for are swollen countertops, not using the right sealant, inability to handle a rusty old pipe, and using a sink without the right amount of holes.
- Swollen Countertops
- Right Sealant
- Rusty Old Pipe
- Right Amount of Holes
Swollen Countertops
Leaks around the sink rim can cause the countertops under the sink to start to swell. A bit of swelling is okay as it won’t interfere with a new sink installation. If, however, they get too swollen, they will interfere with the installation of a new kitchen sink. To overcome this problem, you will need to cut away some of the material with a circular saw or cutting torch in order to make space for new countertops. Take a look at the countertop surface around the sink. Examine for bulges or spots where the laminate has lifted away from the particleboard. Then examine below the sink for areas that are too spongy to hold sink clamps or support the sink itself. If you discover any of these difficulties, replace the countertop.
Right Sealant
When you are trying to replace your kitchen sink, it is important that you use the right sealant for it to work properly. Plumber’s putty has long been the standard sink basket sealant and, in rare cases, sink rims. While a plumber’s putty works fine, it has a limited lifespan; it dries out, cracks, and leaks over time. Furthermore, it may harm some plastics, including those used to make sinks. Use silicone caulk to prevent leaks and disasters. Use a kitchen-and-bath silicone that must be cleaned with solvent. It is available at home centers. When you install the sink, apply a bead around the drain and around the disposer and basket strainer openings. Excess caulk should be removed with a damp cloth.
Rusty Old Pipe
Corroded steel kitchen sink connection pipes are difficult to work with since the slip nuts are almost impossible to loosen or tighten. You can remove the rust with drain cleaners designed to break down rust. If that doesn’t work, a piece of plastic pipe can easily be inserted between those rusted old screws, making them easy to bypass.
If the slip nut on the drainpipe in the wall won’t budge, spray it with WD-40 and try a bigger wrench. If that doesn’t work, cut off the drainpipe with a hacksaw (save as much of the threaded section as you can). Then purchase a plastic trap adapter, a transition coupling, along with some PVC or ABS, and cement. Simply wrap the coupler around the other end of the pipe and over the steel drain pipe.
Right Amount Of Holes
Check that the sink you choose has a matching number of holes to your needs. Most sinks in the market have three holes for the faucet and probably a fourth hole for an accessory. If you have more holes in your sink than there are connections for, this can lead to leaks. There should be the correct number of holes in the bottom of your mixer for it to fit correctly. Otherwise, you will need to use an adapter on some of them.
On the other hand, if your sink doesn’t have enough holes, there’s not much you can do, as you may find it almost impossible to cut extra holes in the cast iron or stainless steel material. To avoid this scenario, get your faucet and accessories first, then purchase a sink with holes that match them.
Choose The Right Kitchen Drain Before You Begin Sink Replacement Process
Your kitchen sink’s drain assembly usually doesn’t need replacement. But if you’re replacing your kitchen sink as part of your kitchen renovation project, or for any other reason, it is usually necessary to install a new drain assembly to go with the new kitchen sink setup.
The first thing you should do when it comes to replacing your kitchen sink and faucet is to choose the proper drain. The three most common types of sinks are stainless steel, ceramic, and cast iron. You also have two ways in which to choose a kitchen drain: top mount or under mount.
Drains are usually designed for specific makes and models of sinks. If you don’t pick the right drain, you may end up getting something that doesn’t fit properly, which can lead to leaks or corrosion under your sink. Such a problem would require professional kitchen sink drain plumbing.
How you install your kitchen drain will depend a lot on the differences between your new kitchen sink and the old one. For example, how deep is the new sink when compared to the old one?
With an undermount installation, you will need to make some minor modifications to the current countertop in order for the sink to sit on top of it. While this is a common practice, some homeowners refuse to do this because they worry about their cabinets being weakened by the drill holes.
Kitchen drains also have different configurations of parts for different needs. Some are for single-basin sinks, others are for double-basin sinks, and still, some are for sinks that will have a garbage disposal attached.
Once you have chosen your drain and made all of the necessary preparations, you can then move on to installing the sink.
How to Install Kitchen Sink and Faucet
Easy Sink Replacement Step by Step:
Adjust The Drain Outlet
The last thing you should do before installing your new kitchen sink is to adjust the drain outlet. This is because the design of every single kitchen sink is different, and it comes down to how close or far away from the wall your current drain sits. If it happens to be too close, you will need to extend it by putting a rubber gasket around it.
If the drain outlet previously in place is not low enough to accommodate the depth of the new sink, you will need to open the wall and lower the position of the sanitary tee that connects to the drain pipe in the wall. This can be a complex job that may require professional assistance. That is so because it needs cutting away of the back of the cabinet and the wall surface.
As you prepare for the next step, go ahead and take out the old sink and install the new sink on the countertop. This should be straightforward.
Move Onto Garbage Disposal And Strainer Installation
Once you have your new kitchen sink in place, all that is left to do is to put everything back together. You will need to reattach the water supply, reinstall your drains and pipe, and finally connect your faucet.
But first, you should start with the garbage disposal installation on the preferred side of the sink since it takes up the most space. Once that is done, install the strainer on the left over space. You may now install any other under-sink fixtures and additions like your hot water dispenser or water filter.
Now It’s Time For Drain Tailpiece And Continuous Waste Pipe
The drain tailpiece is actually a short, vertical straight pipe that links the sink strainer to a tee fitting. The outlet that’s placed on the side of the tee fitting lets in the waste pipe emanating from the other sink basin or the garbage disposal, while the outlet that’s on the bottom goes on to the trap of your drain.
Temporarily secure the tailpiece to the sink strainer. Connect the arched end of the waste pipe directly to the drain outlet of your garbage disposal using a washer and slip nut. Allow the uncurved end of the pipe to continue past the upright tailpiece that’s located on the sink basin.
Cut the tailpiece and continuous waste pipe to length with a PVC tubing cutter, then keep the tee fitting up to the tailpiece and waste pipe and jot down cutting lines on your pipes exactly where they will glide into the tee fitting. Now, using a PVC tubing cutter, trim the tailpiece and continuous waste pipe according to the required length.
Reassemble the tailpiece and continuous waste pipe, as well as the tee, leaving them hand-tight. Make any necessary adjustments. Fasten the slip nuts just enough with channel-type pliers.
Connect The Drain Trap And Check For Leaks
A J-shaped trap arm and a U-shaped trap bend make up the drain trap assembly. The tailpiece tee fitting has a bottom that contains the trap bend, which fits over it, and an upper portion that draws out into the drain outlet in the wall.
To assemble the trap arm and trap bend, use a washer and a slip nut. Place a slip nut and washer on the straight end of the trap arm. While pushing the trap bend into the tee fitting right on the tailpiece, allow the trap arm to lock right into your drain outlet that’s located right on the wall.
To establish the most direct route from the sink to the drain outlet, adjust the trap components as required. Make sure there is a small downward slope on the trap arm toward the drain outlet.
Cut the trap arm if it is too long to fit in the location. Then reattach the P-trap assembly. All slip nuts should be tightened using channel-type pliers. Don’t forget to check for leaks.
How Much Does Kitchen Sink Installation Cost?
Prices of kitchen sinks vary depending on the type of sink you want, the size of the sink, and the material used to produce it. For instance, the price of the kitchen sink increases with the increasing thickness of the stainless steel material.
When thinking about the cost of a new kitchen sink installation, don’t forget to include the cost of materials. It’s usually at least about $100 cheaper if you buy a prepackaged sink and faucet combination.
A new 1 1/2-inch PVC P-trap costs about $8 to $15, while a length of schedule 40 PVC pipe for all your connections costs about $4 to $5. You should expect to spend between $6 and $8 for a tube of caulk and another $15 for a set of new supply lines for your faucet. Although you can reuse the supply lines from your old faucet, we don’t recommend doing so to prevent leaks and also to have a nice flow rate. Remember that the caulk is needed to not only install the drain basket but also to attach the sink to the countertop.
Contact Us For More Kitchen Sink Installation Tricks And Tips
If you need any assistance with your kitchen sink installation, contact Easy Reno at 647-931-0845. We’re your trustworthy kitchen and bathroom renovation contractors. Our staff is always glad to help and we have been helping homes like yours for many years.
In the end, you may spend about $30 to $40 on the supplies you need to install your new faucet and sink.
