| Installing a Porcelain Kitchen Sink |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-105 |
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Q: I want to hire a plumber to come in and install a new porcelain sink my wife and I bought, but she claims I can do it myself. I've delayed the project as long as I can. Help!
A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Repair) Yes, you can install a sink yourself, with the help of a friend to do the heavy lifting. Here's how: Materials:
Sink
Wrench
Nut driver or screwdriver
Utility knife
Putty knife
Cleaning rag
Screwdriver
Plumber's putty
- Shut off the water supply, both hot and cold water, and open up the faucets to relieve any pressure in the supply lines.
- Use a wrench to remove the nut and pull out the supply lines below the sink. Have a towel at the ready to soak up the extra water.
- Loosen the tail-piece nut, the one closest to the strainer on the bottom of the sink, with a wrench, and disconnect the tube below the strainer.
- With a nut driver or screwdriver, loosen the clips that hold the sink into place (figure A).
- Move to the above-cabinet part of the sink, and cut the seal from the old sink with a utility knife (figure B).
- Lift the sink out (figure C,D).
- Clean the surface where the sink was with a putty knife and a rag (figure E).
- Install the faucets and water handles in the new sink. Sinks have a different number of holes depending on how many gadgets you intend to install in addition to the faucet: sprayers, soap dispensers and the like. You'll have two fewer holes if the faucet has the water handles built in. You can also have the holes custom-drilled.
- Attach the supply line for the sprayer and attach a lead weight onto the line, so it will retract on cue. Pull the line taut and attach the weight where the line begins to bend, tightening it with a screwdriver (figure F).
- Install the soap dispenser (figure G), feeding the piece that goes on top of the sink through the hole in the sink to a nylon lock nut below, which you tighten using your fingers or a wrench. Then screw the soap container onto the nut below.
- Put a new line of plumber's putty around the perimeter of the opening for the sink. This sink is so heavy it won't require clips to stay in place.
- Lift the new sink into the space vacated by the old one (figure H), being careful to settle all the supply lines under the sink before you put it in place. The sinks are heavy, so it's a good idea to have a friend help you do the lifting.
- Install the strainer, connecting the piece that goes above the sink to the piece that goes below.
- Reconnect the supply lines with a wrench.
- Make sure to remove the excess plumber's putty, wiping it off with your finger and then using a dry cloth to smooth the remainder.
More questions for Brad:
Q: Are there any sink accessories that might make scratches minimal?
A: Try a rubber-coated basket strainer system in the bottom of your sink. That way, if you ever decide to drop a heavy metal pan in your sink, you'll "ding" the strainer, not the sink.
Q : Is there a special way to clean porcelain sinks?
A: Yes. Make sure you don't use harsh, abrasive chemicals or cleaners on a porcelain sink. If you do happen to spill paint on the sink when you're painting the kitchen, use turpentine or mineral spirits to get it off.
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