The kitchen sink is usually the first thing people see when they walk into a home. It can be an attractive focal point, but it can also have its disadvantages. There's a guide for best outdoor kitchen sinks for you too.
If you have a leaky faucet or pipe, for example, water will damage the counter and flooring underneath your sink. The good news is that removing a kitchen sink isn’t difficult if you know what to do.
This step-by-step guide will review all the tools you need and how to use them to successfully remove your kitchen sink when it comes to fixing it or even buying a new sink – without damaging anything in the process.
Things to do before removing your kitchen sink
Here are some things that you should do before starting this task: turn off the water supply, heat some boiling water on the stovetop (this can be used to loosen the caulk around your sink), and potentially mark how much space you have between your faucet and countertop so that you know how far down you’ll need to cut (if this is needed) once the sink is removed.
This will allow you to put in the new one without damaging any of the surrounding fixtures or surface, as well- as avoiding expensive repairs.
Removing brackets holding the sink
There are several different sinks out there, but not all of them use brackets to hold it in place. If yours does then these need to come off before you begin this process.
The easiest way is to slip a flat head screwdriver into the gap between the bracket and countertop at either end and pry upwards gently until you can get a grip on the bracket itself.
Then, use the screwdriver to pull it up and out of the holes in the countertop, being careful not to drop any screws down into the sink as you remove them. Once all four are removed you can move onto removing the faucet assembly.
Removing plumbing fixtures attached to your drain (your faucet)
Next, remove the plumbing attached to your sink by disconnecting your faucet from water supply lines so that you don’t accidentally damage anything while doing this task. First, turn off the hot and cold water at their shutoff valves under your sink- usually located behind or underneath where your pipes come in from outside.
Then, loosen any clamps or screws holding the lines in place.
Don’t remove them completely, just loosen them until you can pull up on the faucet to disconnect them from your water pipes.
Removing the sink
After removing the kitchen sink you should be able to lift up and slowly pull out your existing sink and set it aside carefully so that nothing gets damaged during this process.
The next step is how to prepare for installing a new sink which involves cutting away any caulk between the countertop and where the old faucet was located.
This will allow space for removing the kitchen sink without damaging countertops when you go back through.
Finally, when it comes to installing a new sink, use a level or straight edge across both sides of your hole (making sure that they’re level with each other) to put in the new sink.
Final step when removing and installing a new kitchen sink
Once all the above steps are complete, turn your water back on at the shutoff valve under your sink and wait for any excess water to work its way through the drainpipe. If nothing happens after about an hour, check all of your connections again.
Also, make sure that when you install a new sink, the drainpipe is going into your pipe- if it’s not straight then you may want to reposition it and try again.
Once all this is done, test out everything one last time by turning on the water and running it for a few minutes, making sure that no leaks are coming from any of your joints or connections so that you ensure that things are perfectly sealed.
If you follow the above instructions, then removing a kitchen sink and replacing it shouldn’t be too hard to do.
How long does it take to replace a kitchen sink?
The amount of time that this task will take all depends on how much experience you have with jobs like replacing your kitchen plumbing, fixtures, etc. In other words, it all comes back to practice and being able to think on your feet if and when problems do arise.
This is why we always recommend doing simple tasks like these around the house first until you get more comfortable with them before tackling more difficult projects.
The right time to remove a kitchen sink and replace it.
The time to remove a kitchen sink is when you notice that it is leaking or that there are other problems with it, such as rust or corrosion issues- but we always recommend replacing your kitchen sink after ten years or so. This is also dependent on the materials used.
Final thoughts on how to remove kitchen sink
The above guide should help you accomplish this task with little difficulty – when you understand the steps as they come after each other.
If not, contact a plumber who can explain in more detail how to remove the kitchen sink easily and effectively.
This will ensure that you complete this task in the best way possible while causing no damage to your other kitchen equipment.
