Bathroom sinks are subjected to frequent and intense use, quickly creating chips, stains, or scratches. When this occurs, you should install a new sink to improve the atmosphere in your bathroom and give it a modern, tidy appearance.
Although it requires some time to replace a bathroom sink and involves replacing the faucet as a separate but crucial step, most do-it-yourselfers can complete the task in one sitting.
Buying The New Sink And Preparing The Old One
Switch off the water supply and empty the lines.
The cabinet beneath the sink is where you can find the shutdown valves. Once the hot and cold valves stop turning further, turn them both clockwise. To empty the faucet lines, turn on the hot and cold taps.
You must replace the shutoff valves if they cannot halt the water flow. Without prior plumbing experience, leaving this task to an expert might be advisable.
Cut off the drain pipe’s P-trap section.
Hand-loosen the slip nut connecting the P-trap to the underside of the sink drain if it is constructed of PVC. If the P-trap is composed of metal, use channel locks to loosen the connecting nut.
The P-trap can be temporarily removed to clean it of dirt, but it is not necessary to remove it to replace the sink. To remove it, unscrew the nut (either manually or via channel locks) that joins the P-trap’s bottom to the drain line below. To capture any leaky water, place a thick towel or bucket at the base of the cabinet.
Using a crescent wrench, unfasten the hot and cold water lines.
These flexible lines extend to the faucet’s underside from the shutoff valves. Cut them off directly above the shutoff valves. Although you can manually loosen the nuts on some models, a crescent wrench is usually required.
If desired, you can reuse these water lines; unplug them from the sink’s underside and reconnect them after installation. Nevertheless, this would be an excellent time to get new ones.
Using a measuring tape, find the old bathroom sink’s dimensions.
Ensure the new sink you purchase will fit in the exact location as the old one if you wish to keep your current countertop. Note the countertop’s dimensions and the sink’s length, width, and depth. Installing a new sink of a different size may require replacing the countertop.
Shop for your new sink at a home improvement retailer.
Please bring the measurements of the old countertop and sink. This makes it easier to ensure you get the right size when installing a bathroom sink. Ensure the new sink is the same model as the previous one—top-mount or under-mount! If you need assistance choosing a new sink, ask a staff member.
You’ll need to redo the plumbing if the new sink’s drain doesn’t match your old drain line. Although ceramic still makes up most bathroom sinks, numerous materials and colours are available outside the standard white.
Replacing A Top-Mount Sink
Eliminate the clips under the sink that hold it against the countertop.
A pressure connection is made against the underside of the counter by clips found beneath many sinks, but not all of them. If your sink has these, use a screwdriver or your hands to release them. If you need clips for your new sink, these should be included in the package. However, you should hold onto these older ones for now, just in case they might be helpful.
Use a utility knife to cut sealant between the countertop and the sink.
Gently slide the knife’s blade between the countertop and the sink’s rim. By doing this, the caulk or other sealant holding the sink and countertop together will be cut through.
Take your time and care to avoid cutting through the countertop, particularly if it is laminated wood. Of course, you can get as filthy as you want if you change the countertop!
Pull the outdated sink off the countertop.
It is easy to raise straight up and out if you can acquire a firm grasp from above. If not, have someone else push up from below and lift it out when the sink pops up. Have someone else lift a cast-iron sink if you own one, as they may be hefty.
After repositioning the old sink, please remove any remaining caulk or sealant from the countertop by scraping it off. After scraping with a plastic putty knife, use a rag coated in mineral spirits to remove any leftover material.
Put in the new sink’s drain and faucet.
You can either remove the faucet and drain from the old sink and reuse them or purchase another faucet and drain to replace your new sink. If you need to be more knowledgeable about this undertaking, you might be in an ideal situation with another faucet and drain since they will accompany detailed installation instructions.
Faucet and drain installations will differ significantly, depending on the specific brand and model you select. Nonetheless, with a decent set of instructions, it is a task most DIYers can handle. Otherwise, contact a plumber.
Apply silicone caulk to the underside of the new sink’s edge.
Encircle the underside of the rim with a continuous strip of caulk. This will secure the sink and stop water from trickling into the cabinet below. Select silicone caulk that is meant to be used with plumbing fixtures. Avoid using caulk that isn’t silicone, such as acrylic.
Bring down the sink into the hole on the countertop.
Carefully raise the sink, then slowly lower it into the slot. After positioning it, press down on the sink and use paper towels to remove any extra silicone that squeezes out. Having a second person reach up from inside the cabinet to support the sink from below might make this task a little bit simpler.
Using fastener clips, fasten the sink to the counter’s underside.
As for where to put the clips, go to the directions with your new sink. As instructed, tighten them by hand or with a screwdriver. After the sink is fastened, pressure will be used to keep it firmly against the counter’s underside.
Installing clips is optional for every sink. Should your model require clips, they should be included in the box and your new sink. The clips from your old sink will likely work if you miss one or two.
Run a bead of caulk around the sink’s rim where it meets the countertop.
To prevent water from seeping beneath the sink rim, you aim to build a waterproof barrier between the countertop and the sink. After applying a caulk around the sink’s rim:
- Wet your index finger and smooth the entire bead to ensure the caulk is smooth.
- Remove any leftovers using moist paper towels.
- Apply the same silicone caulk to attach the sink’s underside to the countertop.
Replacing An Undermount Sink
Slice through the caulk that joins the sink to the counter’s underside.
Use a utility knife to cut through the caulk bead around the sink’s rim by reaching inside it from above. Take extra caution when working to avoid scratching the countertop’s lip. The primary purpose of this caulk is to keep water from seeping between the underside of the counter and the sink rim, even if it also holds the undermount sink in place.
Remove the holding clips underneath the sink while supported from below.
An extra pair of hands makes this safer and more accessible, even though it will fit snugly in the sink cabinet. Remove the many clips (usually 4-6) that keep the sink’s rim on the counter’s underside while the second person supports the sink’s bottom. Use epoxy or screws to secure them in place.
- If they are screwed on, a screwdriver will make it simple to remove them.
- If the clips are epoxy-glued to the counter’s underside, use a putty knife to scrape, pry, and wedge them out.
- Ensure someone holds up the sink because it will fall once the clips are removed.
Remove the sink from the cabinet by lowering it.
After removing the clamps and caulk, slide the sink out of the cabinet by guiding it downward. Remove the existing faucet and drain if you plan to reuse them. However, it’s more probable that you’ll want to install new ones when you install your new sink.
Install the faucet in the new sink, but leave the drain out.
Installing an under-mount sink before installing the drain differs from installing a top-mount sink. However, replacing the old faucet is more accessible than entering the sink cabinet.
Most do-it-yourselfers can install a faucet, albeit the procedure differs depending on the kind and brand. Read the instructions carefully that came with the new faucet.
Bead up silicone caulk around the sink’s upper rim.
Make use of silicone caulk intended for use in bathrooms. Ensure that the bead extends around the sink’s rim. Like the one you took out of the old sink, this caulk serves primarily as a waterproofing agent and aids with sink stability.
Firmly anchor the sink using a bar clamp and a piece of lumber.
Section off a piece of 2 in × 4 in (5.1 cm × 10.2 cm) wood, ensuring it is at least a few inches/centimetres longer than the countertop sink opening’s width. Place this wooden piece over the entrance. Next, thread the bar clamp up through the sink’s drain opening so that one of its clamps holds the sink up from below while another person raises the new sink into place from below. Tighten the other clamp after fastening it to the wood piece.
Verify the clamp is tight enough to allow silicone caulk to escape from the space between the sink’s rim and the counter’s underside. Using a wet rag, remove any extra caulk.
Put screws or epoxy in the provided clips to hold them in place.
Support clips for the underside of the sink where it joins the underside of the counter will be included with our new under-mount sink. These clips might sometimes be fastened with screws. If so, use a screwdriver to secure the clips after drilling pilot holes. If not, use the epoxy kind or brand that the sink’s manufacturer suggests.
Most of the time, a two-part epoxy that cures in roughly ten minutes is used to attach the clips. Apply the appropriate amount to each clip and carefully read the product instructions. Then, per your sink’s installation instructions, press them into position.
Wait 24 hours, then install the drain.
It’s crucial to give the silicone adhesive time to cure completely, even though the epoxy should be set entirely in 10 minutes. Before taking them out, give the timber piece and bar clamp a day to settle in. Following that, you can finish the installation by installing the drain.
Like faucets, drain installations differ depending on the type and brand, but you can do it yourself with careful attention to detail.
It is advisable to wait 24 hours before proceeding, but after 10 minutes, you may rely on the epoxy to hold everything in place.
Making Final Connections and Testing
Give a top-mount sink’s caulk a whole day to cure.
Giving the silicone caulk time to set up before making the final connections is preferable. This will stop the sink from moving and shattering your carefully applied firm bead of caulk.
A full day should have passed if you installed an under-mount sink before installing the drain. In this instance, you can move on to the final installation stages.
Reattach the P-trap beneath the sink and the water lines.
All you have to do is undock and reconnect again. If necessary, use a crescent wrench to manually tighten the water pipes where they attach to the hot and cold shutdown valves. Likewise, for a PVC P-trap, tighten the nut using your hands; for a metal P-trap, use channel locks.
A P-trap pipe extender is available at your neighbourhood hardware store if the length of your new sink drain is slightly less than that of your previous one. The extension can be adjusted to size, and it will fasten in position with a nut that you can use channel locks or hand tighten. If your new sink drain is too lengthy, trim off a portion of the pipe at the top or bottom of the P-trap. To adjust, take a hacksaw or pipe cutter to it.
Start the water and look for any leaks.
The hot and cold water valves should be turned counterclockwise to open them. After that, run the hot and cold water taps for two to three minutes. Look for leaks in the drain or water pipes underneath the cabinet. As necessary, tighten any loose connections.
While you check for leaks, leave the bucket or towel at the base of the sink cabinet. Try turning off the water, removing the connection, putting the plumber’s tape around the pipe threads, and then re-making the connection if you leak a pipe connection. If you cannot locate the source of a leak or determine how to remedy it, turn off the water supply and contact a plumber.