How to Connect Plumbing for Kitchen Sinks

If the pipes in your kitchen sink are worn out and starting to clog, you may need to replace them. Whether the pipes are old or new, brass or metal, PVC or plastic, the method to connect the pipes is the same. Connecting kitchen sink pipes to your home's drain plumbing is easy enough that anyone can do it with just a few basic materials.

Things You'll Need

• Drain pipe kit
• Pipe wrench
• Bucket
• Cloth

Instructions

1. Remove the old pipes by first disconnecting the p-trap by unscrewing it with a pipe wrench. Place a bucket and cloth nearby to catch or clean up any water that may be in the pipes. Turn off the water before you do this by shutting off the water valve underneath the sink.

2. Unscrew the old drain nuts from the sink basket underneath the sink with a pipe wrench. Clean away any debris from the basin. Place the washer over the new sink basket, and insert it in the hole. Secure the rubber washer underneath the sink basket with a wrench.

3. Unscrew the center nut on the drain, and move the pipe extension in or out to correlate with the width of the sink basin. Place a washer on the end of the pipe, and screw the nuts to the sink baskets on top of the washer.

4. Attach the J pipe or the trap. Connect this to the last pipe you added with a pipe wrench. Add the last curved piece to the J pipe with the wrench. Attach this pipe to the drain outlet in the wall, and tighten the nut with the wrench.

5. Turn on the water valve switch underneath the sink to make sure the pipes work properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure there are no leaks when you turn on the water. If there are, you may need to wrap Teflon tape around the leaks.

• Tighten the pipes with the wrench, but don't over tighten; you could damage the pipes.

References

• Home Tips: Kitchen Sink Drain Plumbing
• Kitchen Sink Drain Repair