Kitchen Sink Installation Instructions
The oft-used phrase "everything but the kitchen sink" could allude to the fact that the sink is the one fixture that a kitchen can't do without. Installing one is not a job for which you have to call in a professional, though, since it involves little more than tracing and cutting an outline on the top of the cabinet. Before you start, make sure that the countertop has enough room for the sink and there are no obstructions in the cabinet, such as shelves, to get in the way of the drain hook-ups. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tape
- Felt-tipped pen
- Drill
- 3/8-inch drill bit
- Jigsaw
- Faucet
- Wrench
- Drain assembly
- Plumbers' putty
- Silicone caulk
- Screwdriver
- Drain tailpiece
- P-trap
- Flexible faucet hoses
Instructions
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1
Unpack the sink and remove the installation template that comes with it. Center the template on the countertop at least 1-1/2 inches, but no more than 4 inches, from the front edge. Tape it down and draw the outline with a felt-tipped pen.
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2
Drill a 3/8-inch hole in each corner of the outline. Insert the blade of a jigsaw through one of the holes and cut along one of the lines to the next corner. Cut along the other three lines in the same way, then remove the cut-out. Drop the sink temporarily into the hole to be sure it fits and then remove it. Get help if the sink is too heavy for you to lift by yourself.
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3
Install the faucet into the holes on the back of the sink and screw on the nuts that came with the faucet with a wrench to secure it. It is much easier to install the faucet before you install the sink than afterward.
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4
Apply plumbers' putty to the underside of the strainer of a drain assembly. Place the threaded end of the strainer through the hole in the bottom of the sink and screw on the retaining nut with a wrench. Tighten the nut until the putty oozes out from under the strainer and then remove the excess putty.
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5
Apply a bead of silicone caulk around the perimeter of the sink opening, then turn the sink upright and drop it into the hole, being careful not to disturb the caulk or move the drain.
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6
Hook the mounting clips that came with the sink to the brackets around the underside of the sink, spacing them according to the installation instructions for the sink. Tighten the clips with a screwdriver to secure the sink to the counter.
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7
Screw an extension pipe, called a tailpiece, to the drain and connect it to a P-trap. Extend the P-trap to the waste opening in the wall. Connect the faucet supply tubes to the angle stops, or shut-off valves, with flexible hoses. The angle stops are usually on either side of the waste opening.
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Tips & Warnings
A counter with a backsplash requires a smaller sink than one that doesn't because the curve the backsplash makes with the counter can take away as much as 3 1/2 inches of usable counter space.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
