Install a Bathroom Sink

Whether you're installing a new sink in a recently constructed home or replacing an old one, you can learn to plan properly and install your new sink securely. While different sinks will need to be installed depending on the variations of the kit you're using, the basic steps in the process are usually the same. Learn how to assemble and fit your new sink into place quickly and efficiently.

Steps

Getting Started

1. Get the necessary tools for the job. You can install a new sink with basic tools and new components that match the valves already installed in your plumbing. Make sure you have:
   • Silicone caulking
   • Plumbers' wrenches, either pipe wrench or slip-joint pliers
   • Basin wrench
   • Set of plumbing sockets
2. Turn off the water supply valves. Typically located beneath the sink, it's critical that you shut off the water supply to the sink before you remove it. If the valves are not beneath the sink, then you'll have to turn off the main water supply. This is typically located on a lower level or the basement near the water meter.
   • To test, turn on the hot and cold water on your sink and make sure no water comes out before proceeding.
3. Remove the old sink, if necessary. If you're replacing a sink, you'll obviously need to remove the sink that's in place before installing the new one. Disconnect the supply and drain lines from the faucet, using locking pliers or a crescent wrench. A small amount of water may leak out when you do this, which is normal. Just use a bucket or a towel to handle the water that leaks out.
   • Locate the large nut that connects the sink to the drain and disconnect it. This metal or plastic nut will be located either in the wall or the floor. Use your hands or locking pliers to unscrew the nut.
   • Remove the current sink by sliding the edge of a putty knife around the perimeter of the bathroom sink, loosening any caulk that connects it. Pull it loose.
4. Measure the new sink to make sure it fits the space. All new sinks should come with a template of the mounting opening, marking the location of the faucet holes, including a cutout for the sink. You can use the template to make sure the sink fits in the desired location. If it doesn’t, you may need to do some trimming or, or cut the entire opening if you're installing a sink in a house under construction.
   • Most new sinks come with clips and screws that are used to hold the sink in place. If you buy a faucet, sometimes it’ll come with the drain and tailpiece for the sink. If it isn’t included, get one before you start. The supply lines for the faucet need to correspond to the faucet and valves under the sink, so make sure they match before you get started.

Mounting the New Sink

1. Put the sink in place and caulk it. Put a thin bead of silicone around the bottom lip of the sink and set it into the hole. Clean up any excess silicone or smooth a line. Depending on the design of the sink and the opening where it connects to the plumbing lines, you may need to caulk in any number of different places.
   • For undermount sinks, put a bead of silicone under, have someone hold the sink in place, and install the connecting clips included with the sink.
   • You might have to pre-drill holes with a diamond carbide tip if you’re installing the sink in a granite/stone counter.
2. Secure the sink with clips. Connective clips are often included with new sinks to help anchor the units into place, in addition to the sealing caulk. The design of this varies, and will depend on the type of sink and the design, but they usually act like a lever to hold the sink in place. Follow the instructions included with the new sink and defer to the manufacturer's guidelines.
3. Install the faucet. New faucets usually screw onto the faucet assembly in a clockwise direction. Some faucets will have a rubber gasket around the base, and screw on easily, while others will recommend using silicone sealant to secure to the sink or counter. You can anchor the faucet by reaching up underneath and using lock nuts that are included with the installation kit.
   • Sometimes it may be easier to install the faucet before the sink, depending on the design of the counter and the fixtures. Make sure the space for the faucet matches the location of the sink, using the template to measure before you install anything.
4. Install the tailpiece and drain kit. Drop the tailpiece through the sink and screw on the tailpiece nut from underneath. Some sinks come with gaskets that go between sink and tailpiece. If it doesn’t, use non-hardening plumbers' putty or silicone to create the seal. Install the gasket, the included cardboard washer, and the locknut to secure the tailpiece.

Finishing the Job

1. Make sure the water lines match the new fixture. There are three common sizes: half-inch pipe thread, which is a coarser thread used on single-handle sinks, ½ or 5/8ths compression, and 3/8ths compression, which is a different type of thread commonly used on end valves, and intended to provide leak-free seal over hard copper.
   • If your sink comes with lines and they don’t match to valves, you can get additional lines that will match. If you put two pipe threads together, splice them with teflon tape.
2. Connect the water supply lines. Water supply lines should screw into place with the corresponding joints on the new faucet. The specific size of the connectors should be included in the instructions for the specific faucet that you're installing.
   • You want to get lines that will have the appropriate ends for valve end and faucet end. Lines also need to be long enough so you won’t put stress on the joints. Better to have extra long lines and have them loop. No hard bends or kinks. Make them hand tight, and somewhere around a quarter to half turn with a wrench.
   • Usually the "female" connection piece on both ends will always have rubber gaskets, so you don’t need teflon tape.
3. Connect the pop-up. The pop-up is the device that allows you to open and close the sink drain, usually made of a simple metal rod with ball attached to it. Drop stopped into sink from top, slide short end of rod into the opening on the tailpiece, making sure that the opening for the ball is facing toward the lever for the pop-up. Install as per the instructions.
   • Sometimes you need washers and sometimes you don’t. Slide nut to trap the ball in the tailpiece. Tighten so there’s no wiggle, but not so tight that it’s difficult to raise and lower. Attach thumbscrew to pop-up lever rod while sliding the rod from the ball so they can attach and allow you to screw together.
4. Seal your connections with silicone caulk. Finish with silicon around the top of the sink, anywhere that the basin of the sink meets the wall, filling any gaps with a thin bead of caulk. Let the caulk dry for about 24 hours before turning on the water and going back over your work to check for leaks.
5. Turn on the water and check for leaks. There’s no way to know if something is going to leak until you turn the water on. If you have small leaks from the rubber connections, try tightening more. The drain itself will also sometimes leak, which can be caused by over-tightening and straining the seal created by the connector gaskets. If that’s leaking, don’t go past hand tight. Try a new washer instead. It's also a good idea to check the gasket that goes under the tailpiece. Try tightening the nut down more or try different washer or silicone.

Tips

• Check the new sink periodically for leaks. If you find any leaks, check any areas that you tightened during installation to ensure that they are not loose.
• Don't splice compression threads with teflon tape. Don’t use teflon tape if pipes have rubber in them.
• You may have to adjust the seals within the first few weeks of use. This is a normal occurrence.
• Do not over-tighten the water supply valves. Doing so may strip the knobs or break them off.

Things You'll Need

• Locking pliers or crescent wrench
• Bucket or towel
• Putty knife

Related Articles

• Remove a Bathroom Sink Drain
• Unclog a Bathroom Sink That Drains Slowly
• Replace a Bathroom Sink
• Clear Standing Water from a Sink

Sources and Citations

• http://www.essortment.com/install-bathroom-sink-faucet-46262.html
• http://www.homeadditionplus.com/bathroom-info/How-to-install-a-bathroom-sink.htm

See also

• Change the Faucet Hose in a Kitchen Sink
• Attach a Garden Hose to a Kitchen Faucet
• Fix a Leaky Faucet
• Change Washers in the Kitchen Faucet
• Change a Bathtub Faucet
• Install a Shower Faucet
• Fix a Leaky Bathtub Faucet
• Change the Washer in a Shower Faucet
• Replace an Outdoor Water Faucet
• Change a Washer on a Garden Tap

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• Plumb a Bathroom
• Replace a Bathroom Sink