Sinks are the most crucial part of your kitchen space. There is no doubt about this fact. However even if you own a great sink, there might be problems and issues coming your way.
Some parts will get broken, sometimes draining will trouble you then again spots can be a regular issue. No matter what, you need proper solutions.
One common problem with the kitchen sink is leakage. Most of the time, only solution to leak is replacing its strainer. Of course, you need to be sure the source of leaks is actually strainer. For example, sometimes we ignore leakages on a pipe.
However, if the problem is within drain and sink joint, it’s definitely strainer. Let’s know about an easy method on how to replace kitchen sink strainer all by yourself.
Get Everything Out from Your Sink!
You are going to do some replacement. Of course, you need an empty sink for that. Make sure nothing is on its surface nor nearby. That will make it easy to do your swapping without any obstacle. Get rid of anything and step on for the next phase.
Detaching Strainer from The Sink!
To replace your strainer, you need to get rid of the old one first. Start with simply detaching the pipes. These pipes are usually connected to your existing strainer. You would be able to see some slip nuts on the drain fittings. Use a simple channel-pipe plier to easily detach these. Now you can use the tailpiece of your sink and pull out drain’s trap that is visible.
Be really careful while doing this step. It’s usually quite complicating. Particularly for people who have never replaced such parts of a sink.
Sometimes the nut stays corroded with sink’s tailpiece. That moment you can use some penetrating oil. This oil will help you to get rid of such problems.
If you still can’t solve the problem then only one option is left. You need to cut the nut out. Now it should be possible to detach the existing strainer.
Just use gentle force and pull the strainer out. It will gradually come out of the sink’s top. Sometimes prying can help you out. Especially when dealing with old plumber’s putty and breaking seals.
Get the Drain & Strainer Ready!
Use some wet cloth and simply wipe down the area around your sink opening. Make sure there is no dirt nor debris existing. It’s really important to neat it up before installing new strainer.
Sometimes the old strainer leaves build up. However, most of the time, these build up are easily ridable with obvious cleaning steps that you usually follow.
You need to get the basket strainer. Simply separate its different part. Make sure to spread them well so that you can easily reach each part. Use a tool to loosen retainer’s screws.
Spreading Plumber’s Putty!
You need some plumbers putty for this step. Use a uniform width plumbers putty rope. Now simply figure out the area around strainer’s base. It should be below the lip. Simply apply the putty around it. Wrap it well enough and makesure no area is missed.
Now get your new sink strainer. Set it up on the opening of your sink drain. You need to be really cautious while centering it. There should be proper aligning when setting it up. Gently use some force to push the strainer into putty. This will help it adhere to the sink easily.
Locking the Whole Set Up
Now you need to again deal with sink’s underside. Place your flexible washer on it. Now grab the metal washer of your sink. Put it right over the sink strainer’s body. Make sure they stay in place.
Now you need to do some threading on retainer. Make sure to thread them well before tightening the screws. Next, simply use your hand to tighten the nuts. The need to be firm enough to not get loosened.
If you are not sure about the tightening, use a screwdriver or plier. This will help you to ensure a firm lock of screws.
Now, be certain you don’t tighten it too much. It needs some space so that the rubber washer avoids any squeezes. Sometimes that’s what happens with sink strainer when nuts are too locked.
However, if you cannot ignore the situation and washer squeezes out get some putty. Use this extra putty on the sink’s metal washer top. This will solve the problem in no time hopefully.
Fixing Drain Pipes Back!
Now it’s time to reassemble everything that you detached for the replacement. It should not take much time and you’ll be finishing off. It’s actually quite simple and follows an easy rule.
Reinstall everything at the exact opposite order of detaching them. You should make sure you follow the order otherwise wrong attachments are going to occur.
Once you are done, check for leaks. Simply turn on the water. If there is no water spilling from the wrong places, congrats! The replacing was well-off.
One important note! To be really sure about no leakage do a simple test. Block down the drain. Now simply fill the entire sink with water. Now release the stopper.
This time if there are still no leaks then you can be completely confirmed about the replacement. Most of the time, extra pressure of running water through a drain can reveal leaks instantly. Use this simple trick any time to be sure about any existing leakage even after a few days.
Verdict
Imagine one day when you have to live without your kitchen sink. Isn’t it scary and really uncomfortable? That’s how much importance your kitchen sink holds in regular life.
Daily basis tasks are almost paralyzed in the absence of a soundly functioning kitchen sink. So, when you get a new strainer, be sure to have it from a quality place. You need an essential part to bring your kitchen sink back to life. Don’t treat it poorly with wrong parts and improper replacing methods. Good Luck!
Author Bio:
Hello, This is George. I am an old blogger and my profession is Engineering. I am a Sink & Faucet Expert. Working as an Associate Engineer at SS Industry. Keep on visiting for more Solution. Thanks.