Installing New Sinks

Replacing a sink in your home is a fairly quick and easy job.

1. Look for a new sink roughly the same size as you are replacing so you will not have to change the size of the countertop cut-out.

2. Check under your sink and if you see water shut off valves on the hot and cold lines running to the faucet, you're in luck. Just turn them to the off position and you're ready to go to work. If there isn't a shut off present, you'll need to shut off all the water lines in the house. Save a few pitchers of water first. You can find the main shut-off valve at the water meter. Turn this off, then open all faucets through-out the house to drain the lines. Miss this step and the water sitting in the lines will be draining into the work area.
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3. Using channel lock pliers, undo the connection to the faucet. While you are under there, open the pliers wider and loosen the ring that connects the sink drain tail pipe to the drain trap. The trap is that u shaped, plastic thing.

4. Lift out the old sink and faucet. It could be stuck down, in which case a pry tool might be required. Kitchen sinks are held in place by a series of clamps you will see by looking up underneath, around the edge of the countertop cutout. Loosen these off to remove a kitchen sink.

5. Clean the goop and gunk buildup from the countertop.

6. Most new sinks come packaged with a new tail pipe and assembly instructions. Do the assembly before setting the sink in place. Some sinks come with a rubber gasket that makes a water resistant seal of the sink to the countertop, already in place. If there isn't a ring, put a heavy bead of latex caulk on the countertop to stop water from leaking in under. Now, simply set the sink in place.
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7. Next, remove the faucet from the old sink, clean up the mounting base, attach a new set of flex hose water lines, then set the faucet in place. Tighten it down from the underside using the ring nuts removed from the original installation. For a kitchen sink, remember to affix the hold down clamps to the under side of the sink. Join the tail pipe to the drain line by hand tightening the slip ring on that u shaped plastic thing, and everything is set to go.

8. With all the faucets open, turn the water on, leaving it to run until all air has been forced out and water runs smoothly. Close the faucets and the job is finished. Oh, don't forget to wash your hands.