How to Replace a Sink Basin

Considering the price of replacement sink basins, you can install it yourself and save a whole lot of money from the labor charges of your local plumber. It's not an overly difficult procedure, you don't need professional skills and very few tools and materials are required to successfully complete the project.

Things You'll Need

• Thread seal
• Plumber's putty
• Channel locks or pipe wrench
• Drain basin or bucket
• Rubber mallet
• Countertop sealant or silicone caulking in caulking gun

Instructions

1. Remove all the items under the sink area. Locate and turn off both the cold and hot water valves running to the faucet lines.

2. Place a drain basin or bucket beneath the elbow of the sink. Open the water faucets (and spray nozzle if applicable on kitchen sinks) to relieve any pressure left in the faucets.

3. Loosen both ends of the drain elbow to remove it. Use the channel locks or pipe wrench to help you if necessary. (A lot of plumbing these days is PVC piping, and you can remove the nuts by hand.) Remove the elbow and be prepared for some spillage from water left in the drain hose. Have the drain basin/bucket strategically located.

4. Remove the pivot rod spring clip from the clevis rod (on a bathroom sink with a pop-up sink stopper). If this is not applicable, skip this step. Loosen the porthole retaining nut from the drainpipe, and remove the pivot rod from the pop-up stopper. Remove the pop-up stopper from the sink drain.

5. Loosen and remove the drain collar nut and drainpipe from the drain collar. Use the channel locks or pipe wrench to help you loosen it. Remove the drainpipe.

6. Tap the drain collar upward into the basin of the sink using a rubber mallet until it breaks the seal of the old plumber's putty. Remove the drain collar, and clean the old putty from it.

7. Remove the faucet connections from under the back side of the sink basin (including the sprayer nozzle pipe if applicable for kitchen sinks). Use the channel locks or pipe wrench to help you loosen the connections. Remove the faucet by lifting it upward as an assembled unit if possible.

8. Remove the sink basin by pushing upward and separating the seal to the countertop. Clean the countertop thoroughly to remove the old sealant or silicone caulking.

9. Apply a liberal coating of counter sealant or silicone caulking to the countertop to properly seal the circumference area of the new sink, and place the sink basin into the cavity of the countertop. When it is dry, you can remove the excess caulking with a razor blade.

10. Place a liberal amount of plumber's putty into the drain hole of the sink. Put enough into the bottom of the sink and hole so that the drain collar fits in tightly and the putty squishes out from under the top flange. You can remove excess putty after it's dried and set. The putty will take several hours to cure, set and dry, and the sink should not be used for that period.

11. Reattach the faucet and faucet lines to the back of the underside of the sink basin. Place a light coating of thread seal on the threaded side of the connections. Reconnect the sprayer nozzle (applicable to kitchen sinks).

12. Place a light coat of thread seal on the drain collar, and reattach the drainpipe and drain collar nut. Align the drainpipe properly if it is for a bathroom sink with a pop-up sink stopper. Reassemble the stopper, placing the ball end of the pivot rod into the loop at the bottom of the stopper.

13. Place a light coat of thread seal on the threads at the bottom of the drainpipe and the other pipe connecting to the elbow, and replace the elbow and tighten the nuts.