How to Plum a Kitchen Sink
Kitchen sink plumbing is composed of supply lines and drain pipes. Each of these systems is separate from the other. By using modern plumbing materials and fittings, plumbing a new kitchen sink can be a simple project. The detail that requires the most attention is assembling the supply and drain fittings so that they do not leak. By using new fittings and drain lines, or replacing worn fittings, the project can be completed without error. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Sink and faucet
- Two flexible faucet supply hoses
- Two water supply line shut off valves
- Two sink baskets
- Tub plumbers putty
- 1 package 1 1/2-inch double bowl drain kit
- Hack saw
- 8-inch channel lock pliers
- Small pipe wrench
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Instructions
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Attaching Suply Lines
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1
Determine what type of plumbing pipes supply the water to the kitchen sink. The options in most homes are 1/2-inch galvanized steel pipes, 1/2-inch CPVC plastic tubing or 1/2-inch copper pipes.
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2
Attach a shut-off valve to each supply pipe. The type of fitting on the inbound side of the valve will be determined by the type of supply line in your home. The outbound side of the valve should be a 3/8-inch compression fitting.
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3
Attach the faucet to the sink before mounting the sink into the counter top, and attach the flexible water connectors to the faucet before mounting sink.
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4
Attach the sink baskets to the drain hole in the sink before installing the sink into the kitchen counter top.
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5
Mount the sink into the counter top according to sink the manufacturer's instructions.
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6
Connect the flexible faucet water connectors to the outbound side of the valves on your water supply lines. On both the faucet and the water lines coming out of the floor, the hot water line is on the left, the cold water is on the right.
Attaching Drain Plumbing
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7
Attach the smaller drain T pipe to the bottom of the sink basket, and attach the longer down pipes, cross pipes and others to the drain T pipe. Make sure each joint has a clear, poly compression washer, or the drain system will leak.
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8
Tighten these joints by hand, and then gently with the channel lock pliers or pipe wrench. Do not over tighten the rings on the pipe joints. Doing so will break the fitting ring and/or cause a leaky joint in your kitchen sink.
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9
If any of the pipes are too long, mark the PVC with a pencil and cut it with a hack saw. The pipes should overlap and seat into the joint by about 1 inch.
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10
Connect the last section of the PVC drain system to your home's drain line with a compression fitting. The compression fitting is typically used in homes, and will probably already be applied to the main drain pipe under your kitchen sink.
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Tips & Warnings
If aligning the drain pieces is impossible, use flexible PVC drain parts, available at most home centers, to create a smooth installation.
Do not stress or force any of the joints. Each joint in the drain system should easily fit together by hand before tightening any of the fitting rings. If the pipes are stressed or forced into a connection, the joint will likely leak.
