Thursday, March 9, 2017

Fixing The Kitchen Sink



Plumbing is easily my least favorite task to tackle around the house.  It is messy and gross and sometimes rather unpleasant.  So when I went to empty the kitchen trash and found water in the bottom of the can I knew we had a leak.  Ugggggh.

It took a bit to figure out exactly where the water was leaking from.  Water leaks can be a bit elusive sometimes and in this instance it was the case here.  I poked around under the sink for quite a bit until I spotted were a teeny tiny trickle of water was seeping out around the drain basket in the base of the sink.


Fortunately I've had to make this repair before so I knew what to look for and how to fix it.  Over time the gasket that seals the drain basket to the underside of the sink becomes dry and brittle and will crack.  That turned out to be the case here.

Not only is this an easy repair, but it is als0 an inexpensive one too, under $5.  You just need a new gasket and some plumbers putty.


First I removed the drain from the basket by unscrewing the nut, then I unscrewed the big gasket nut, slid it down and removed the worn gasket.  Next I removed the basket from the sink, scraped off the old plumbers putty and using an old toothbrush to scrub it nice and clean.  I used a rag to clean the area around the sink hole too.



With the sink nice and dry I rolled a nice fat snake out of a gob of plumbers putty and fitted it around the edge of the hole in the base of the sink.  I used a nice liberal amount here.  After placing the basket back in place I pushed it down good and firm to seat it into place.  The putty squishes out a bit forming a nice seal.



Back under the sink I put the new gasket in place and screwed the big gasket nut back on.  Once it was snug I used a wrench to tighten it without over tightening.  You have to be really careful about that.  Then I lined up the drainpipe and screwed that nut back onto the drain basket to secure it into place.  A gave it a quarter turn with a wrench to make sure it was tight enough as my hands aren't that strong.


Once everything was back in place I ran some water for awhile and then filled the sink, checking for leaks.  Over the next few days I checked it a few more times.  All nice and dry.  Mission accomplished!


I used the trash can to catch water and plenty of rags to clean everything up and mop up any water.  Keeping it dry and well maintained is important as water does an amazing amount of damage to our homes if we don't stay on top of things.  When I was done I used spray cleaner and fresh rags to completely clean the inside of the cabinet and make sure there was no mess left behind to cause any additional damage.


I always feel really good when I can fix things around the house and know that I'm taking really good care of my home.

You can read about our under the sink renovation here.


17 comments:

  1. great job! I know better than to do much more than change a lightbulb...being the master of disaster it's better to pay a professional...am envious of those who can do simple home repairs...

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    Replies
    1. Changing light bulbs is a very important do-it-yourself project! I've had one burnt out over the dining room table for a couple of weeks now and another one in the upstairs hall. Don't ask me why? Apparently I'm having some difficulty... :(

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  2. Dana, I'm always amazed at the wealth of knowledge and skills you have. Have you ever considered conducting on-line classes on home improvements for the novice? I could be your first student.
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
    Vanessa B

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    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh, you flatter me! I do want to post more home improvement articles. Inspiring and helping women to be able to do their own home repairs would be awesome, wouldn't it?

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  3. Thank you!! that was the best explanation for fixing a sink leak ever,I actually understood it.I hope you do more of these repair posts.Thanks again

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  4. Good job!! I don't think I've ever tackled a plumbing job at my house.

    Tania

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  5. I am so impressed! Bill does all the plumbing and when he does, I go and hide. He gets so irritated.
    It looked simple, I think I might could do it.
    Which is easier, doing plumbing or nagging?
    It is a serious question.
    Jeannie
    GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Plumbing! I thing you get better results, certainly faster. I have to confess though most of my home repair projects involve cussing.

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    2. Cussing vs nagging...hmmm. Most pondersome.
      Jeannie

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  6. You never cease to amaze me with all your skills. I would be clueless. My hubby does all those kinds of repairs for us and is teaching our sons how to do them at their homes too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Debbie. I'm teaching my girls so before they move out into their own homes they should have a few skills and a toolbox. :)

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  7. Well done with the repairs! I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do, myself.

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  8. I find it really amazing that you managed to fix your sink. You definitely have more patience than I do. If it were me, I would be screaming and would have given up! Not only that, but I am impatient and hate waiting for things and want everything to be fixed in one second. You did a fantastic job. Really well done!

    Helene Raymond @ Trade Squad

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