How to Repair Kitchen Sinks
Kitchen sinks can sometimes need more than regular maintenance. They often need basic repairs, such as replacing a leaky strainer basket or perhaps repairing scratches on the porcelain finish. Any kind of leaks should be repaired right away to prevent water damage to your cabinets and floor. Scratches left un-repaired can cause rust problems in cast iron or steel sinks. Basic sink repairs can be completed in an hour or two. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Eye protection
- Gloves
- Channel lock pliers
- Sink strainer wrench
- Spanner wrench
- Rubber mallet
- Plastic putty knife
- Strainer drain washer kit
- Clean rags
- 400-grit sandpaper
- Spray degreaser
- Porcelain repair kit
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Instructions
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Basket Strainer Repair
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1
Turn off the water valves from below the sink. Remove the tailpiece that goes from the bottom of the basket drain strainer, down to the P-trap connection. Use the channel lock pliers, and loosen up the nut connections on both ends. Remove the tailpiece.
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2
Insert a sink strainer wrench into the sink drain basket from inside the sink. Ask a helper to go under the sink cabinet, and apply a spanner wrench to the strainer lock nut.
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3
Hold the sink strainer wrench in place while your helper turns the spanner wrench counterclockwise to loosen the basket drain assembly. Once the lock nut is loose, remove it from the threaded bottom of the basket strainer drain.
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4
Hit the bottom of the basket strainer upward from below the sink with the rubber mallet, which will cause it to come out inside the drain. Use the plastic putty knife to remove the old plumber's putty from around the kitchen sink drain hole.
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5
Discard the friction and rubber washer that will fall off the threaded bottom as you remove the basket drain assembly. You will replace them later.
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6
Apply new plumber's putty to the inside of the sink area around the drain. Insert the new drain assembly, minus the lock nut and new friction and rubber washer.
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7
Install the new friction washer and rubber washer over the threaded drain post from below the kitchen sink. Loosely tighten up the basket strainer's lock nut. Ask your helper to insert the basket strainer wrench from above the sink while you tighten down the lock nut with the spanner wrench from below the sink.
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8
Re-install the tailpiece connection using new tailpiece washers. Tighten down both connection nuts at each end of the tailpiece with the channel lock pliers.
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9
Wipe away any excess plumber's putty that has squeezed out with a wet, clean rag. Turn on the water supply valves. Check for any leaks.
Porcelain Scratch Repairs
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10
Sand down the scratched area with 400-grit sandpaper. Clean the area with a spray degreaser and clean rags.
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11
Apply the porcelain repair kit's bonding agent with the supplied brush or spray bottle. Let it dry for a few hours.
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12
Repeat the above process, but use the hardener agent. Let dry for several hours.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Some porcelain repair kits are brush on, while others are spray on. Some kits have separate agents that don't mix before application; some do require you to first mix, then apply to the sink. Follow the manufacture's instructions for your specific kit.
