How to Install Plumbing for a Pedestal Bathroom Sink

You don't need a plumber to install the plumbing for a pedestal sink.

Pedestal sinks differ from standard sinks in that an upright, slender column or stand supports the sink basin. In addition to giving the sink a stylish appearance, the pedestal also conceals the plumbing beneath the sink, without cabinetry. Plumbing installation on pedestal sinks differs from that of standard sinks because the tailpiece of the sink is installed first, before mounting it on the pedestal. This makes hooking up the rest of the plumbing easier.

Things You'll Need

• Silicone caulk
• Caulk gun
• Faucet assembly
• Plumber's putty
• Sink drain assembly
• Pipe thread compound
• Pliers
• Marker/pen
• Drill
• Pedestal anchors, bolts
• Water supply hoses (2)
• Wrench
• P-trap

Instructions

1. Insert the tube of silicone caulk into the caulk gun. Trim off the end of the gun at a 45 degree angle. Apply caulk around the perimeter of the drain hole in the bottom of the pedestal sink. Press the drain flange into place around the opening.

2. Lift the pedestal sink up and on its side. With one hand, hold the flange in place. Take the tailpiece in the other hand and screw it into place on the underside of the flange.

3. Slip the washers and jamb nut over the end of the tailpiece and tighten in place on the underside of the sink with a pair of pliers.

4. Lift the pedestal sink up and mount it on the brackets in the wall. Position the pedestal in place underneath the sink. Mark through the holes in the bottom of the pedestal into the floor. Remove the pedestal.

5. Drill holes in the floor for the pedestal anchors. Insert the anchors. Move the pedestal back into place underneath the sink. Insert the pedestal bolts through the bottom of the pedestal and into the floor. Tighten with a wrench.

6. Roll out a thick, 1/2-inch bead of plumber's putty, about twice the width of the faucet assembly. Press this into place on the underside of the faucet. Insert the faucet assembly into the pedestal sink openings. Secure the faucet from beneath with the retaining nuts.

7. Apply pipe thread compound to the threads on the underside of the faucet and the outlets on the water supply valves. Connect one end of a water supply hose to the supply valve, and the other end to the underside of the faucet. Tighten with a wrench. Do this for the hot and cold water supply valves.

8. Slip the P-trap into place between the tailpiece on the underside of the pedestal sink and the sewer inlet pipe. Press the couplings into place at either end and tighten.

References

• "This Old House"; How to Install a Pedestal Sink; Thomas Baker
• Lowe's: Install a Pedestal Sink