Step by Step Guide : How to Remove Sink Drain (10 Best Steps)

In the future, if you plan on renovating your bathroom or kitchen, you may want to consider adding a new sink to the mix.

It is necessary to remove the sink drain and remove the plumbing before you can use your new sink. But, many people don’t know how to remove sink drain.

It might sound like a difficult task to replace a sink drain, faucets, and sink, but it’s much simpler than you might expect. Find out how to remove the sink drain with this comprehensive guide.

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Things to Consider before removing the sink drain

How to remove sink drain

The installation of new pop-up sink drains, sink, and faucets in your bathroom or kitchen is a quick and easy way to update your space.

In order to remove the sink drain, you will need to detach everything it is connected to, including the pop-up sink drain and the P-trap.

Make sure you watch out for sink installation issues and plumbing problems.

Remove caulk:

  • Caulk is the only thing that keeps your countertop from getting water damage.
  • In order to ensure the bond is watertight and long-lasting, you must completely remove the old caulk.
  • Once the old sink is removed, use a putty knife to remove the plumber’s putty or caulk.
  • When removing stubborn caulk, it is advisable to use a caulk remover.
  • Leave it for a few hours and then take it off.
  • Caulk is used to hold these sinks in place.
  • The caulk will need to be cut through if you wish to keep your laminate countertop when replacing your sink.
  • You will need a sturdy putty knife and a strong utility knife for this task, as well as a great deal of patience.

Be cautious of swelling countertops:

  • Inspect your sink’s rim for leaks and stains caused by water.
  • It is possible for your particleboard to absorb moisture from the plastic laminate.
  • Your new sink installation won’t be impacted by minor water damage.
  • If indeed the swelling is excessive The sink would not sit level on the counter, and a collapsing ground will leave sink screws less stable.
  • If you find any of these flaws, the countertop must be changed.

Throw away your older pieces:

  • It’s critical to suppress the urge to save money by recycling outdated and aged drainpipes.
  • The likelihood is that they will not make a strong connection.
  • The reality is that replacing your sink drain is significantly easier and much less liable to cause a break.

Remove the sediment:

  • When dealing with water pipes, it is normal to blow debris away.
  • Clogging your new pop-up sink drain is the final step you want to do.
  • To solve this situation, clean the water systems before connecting to your fresh supply lines.

How to remove sink drain

How to remove sink drain

To install a new drain for your kitchen sink, follow these steps to remove the cracked drain and replace it with one that will allow your bowl to be used for more important tasks.

Materials required

  • A kitchen sink drain kit
  • Plumber’s putty
  • A basket or wrench
  • A pair of pliers
  • penetrating oil

Steps on how to remove sink drain

How to remove kitchen sink drain

Step 1: Switch off the water supply

  • Switch off the hot and cold water connection to the bathroom sink faucet by searching for the shut-off knobs in the sink cabinets.
  • This process may not be essential since the area of the sink you will be dealing on does not have anything to do with the water system pipes.
  • Switching off the shut-off valves, on the other hand, is something that a new plumber should become accustomed to.
  • This measure will guarantee that you do not spoil your work even if you accidentally switch on the water faucet, which is especially important if you have placed a touch – free sink faucet.

Step 2: Disconnect the Drainpipes

  • The P-trap and the tailpiece from the sink drain are held connected by a connection ring.
  • Connect a wrench to this connection and remove it by rotating the wrench counterclockwise.
  • After loosening the connector’s strong hold with the wrench, you may use your hand to release it from the tailpiece more easily.
  • Certain tailpieces feature threads that match the ones on the sink drain strainer.
  • The tailpiece can be removed by unscrewing it from the base of the drain strainer by twisting it anticlockwise.

step 3: Remove the Sink Drain Nut

  • A locking nut, sometimes termed as a basket nut, can be used to properly fasten the kitchen sink strainer underneath the sink.
  • The sink drain should not leak if this screw is firm enough and the sealing components, such as plumber’s putty and rubber washers, are in excellent condition.
  • Therefore, when your sink drain is overflowing, it might be due to a failure of some of the sealing parts, or it may be due to the lock nut not being secure sufficient.

Step 4:Apply Penetrating Oil

  • The lock screw is made of metal, and it is not impossible that it would corrode in a moist area such as the kitchen sink.
  • If you find it difficult to remove a rusted lock nut, then you can loosen the lock by splashing the correct amount of penetrating oil.
  • Let the penetrating oil to soak into the nut’s grooves before turning it with a wrench.
  • The night before you do this task, spray the penetrating oil onto the lock nut.
  • It will save time and effort.

Step 5: Take out the Basket Strainer

  • You may disconnect the basket strainer after you have loosened the lock nut and removed the tension protector and the rubber washer that seals the base of the sink’s drain hole.
  • You may need to provide it a press from beneath the sink to break it away from the thick plumber’s putty.
  • Give just as much power as is necessary to prevent moving the entire sink basin off the surface.

Step 6: Rinse the hole

  • Consider the hole created by the drain strainer to be nasty with fragments of dried putty and muck.
  • Scratch the putty away using a putty knife, then rinse and dry the area to prepare it for the fresh basket strainer.

Step 7: Setup the New Sink Drain Strainer

  • Rotate the new sink drain strainer above and coat it with plumber’s putty.
  • Insert the drain strainer into the sink’s drain hole and push it down to create an equal seal with the sealant in between sink and the strainer.
  • Need not press down on the basket strainer so strongly that all of the putty is ejected off.
  • Remove any leftover putty that was squished out when you placed the drain strainer into the hole.

Step 8: Make sure the drain hole under the sink is sealed

  • Go further into sink cabinet and place a rubber-seal washer well above the drain strainer’s base.
  • Furthermore, when tightening the drainer strainer with a lock nut, place a tension protector layer above the rubber washer.
  • As you fasten the lock nut, you should grasp the drain strainer with needle-nose pliers so that it does not spin round along the wrench.

Step 9: Join the tailpiece

  • Join the tailpiece to the bottom of the drain strainer after connecting the basket strainer snugly to the sink’s drain hole.
  • Regarding concerns of longevity, we recommend using a brass tailpiece more than a plastic one.
  •  Use a ring connector to connect the drainpipes to the tailpiece base.
  • To avoid breaking this connection or the drainpipes, gently tighten it with a wrench tool.

Step 10: Test for leaks

  • Switch on the closed valves and open the faucets.
  • Let the water to flow for a reasonable amount of time while you check the connections for leaks.
  • Every part with leaks should be tightened.

Video Guide: How to Remove the Sink Drain Assembly

How to Remove Sink Strainer Lock nut

Sink drain locknuts are often composed of soft metal, generally a zinc-based composite that does not rust quickly, although some of them are formed of PVC.

They are small and basically serve to form a strong seal between the drain basket and the bottom of the sink, irrespective of the substance from which they are manufactured.

After installation, the locknuts would only need to be removed if the basket needed to be replaced or if it overflowed.

  • Connect huge slip-joint pliers to the locknut’s sides.
  • Rotate the screw anticlockwise.
  • During rotating, keep a strong grip on the knobs and keep the connection as strong as necessary.
  • Sprinkle lubricant well above locknut so that it seeps down into the threads.
  • Start breaking it loose by first rotating the locknut in one direction, and then in another.
  • When using slip-jointed pliers, heat them up.
  • Give heat to the locknut using a hair dryer tuned to the highest setting.
Tip: One may use a heat gun as a substitute for a hair dryer, but one should also be cautious.
  • Anything combustible, such as toilet paper or tissue, will be burned by a heat gun.
  • Wait for a few minutes so that hot air will be forced into the locknut.
  • Reconnect the slip-joint pliers and try turning it again.
  • If the locknut didn’t move with the slip-joint pliers, then hit it with a hammer for a few turns while heating up.
  • Using the slip-joint pliers, try turning it once more.
  • Then, use a pair of pliers to grasp the locknut ends and screw them away.
  • Every time you take off an end, the nut can tend to loosen.
  • Try to loosen the nut till you can either actually remove it or it starts to detach.
  • Put the chisel’s pointy end against any of the locknut studs and tap the opposing end slowly using a hammer.
  • If the substance is made of lightweight metal or polymer, the chisel may start to cut through it.
  • Chisel back somewhere at the sides, and after that, slash up and down on the nuts using the chisel.
  • Pry the locknut from the drain basket using pliers after the material has released.
  • Using a hacksaw, remove the nut.
  • Slice crosswise through the locknut’s fragile metal or plastic.
  • Again, when the tip has been crossed, take it off.
  • When you’re not planning to use the drain basket anymore, position the hacksaw blade in between the sink and the locknut itself and finally cut through the drain basket.

Conclusion

A leaky kitchen sink drain isn’t something that you can come up with for ever.

Anyone may attempt, however pulling out bowls of water underneath your sink can quickly wear your out.

This instruction will assist you in removing your clogged sink drain and replacing it with a more effective one.

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