Sink Repair
Repair Plumbing that is Attached to Any Type of Sink
There are a few different types of sinks with distinguishing differences between them but the plumbing they connect to is similar. There are self rimming sinks, undermount sinks, vessel mount sinks, wall hung sinks, and other types of sinks as well that are used in commercial applications. As a matter of fact sinks are not repaired by plumbers. Plumbers hook up the plumbing to the sink. Plumbers also install and replace sinks but they do not repair sinks. A broken sink would constitute a cracked sink, chipped sink, and or rusted stained sink. There are people who refinish old cast iron sinks, copper sinks, stainless steel sinks, and some people refinish porcelain or enamel on steel or cast iron sinks but plumbers remove old sinks and install new ones.
Sink Drains Slow
The first item to check when you have a sink drain problem it the pop up drain assembly. They always catch hair and clog the drain opening. You need to check to make sure the prop rod is moving the stopper up and down. If there is hair or the prop rod does not move the stopper it is probably not going to drain very well so you will need to call a plumber or fix it yourself. If you choose to fix it yourself we have a list of virtual plumbers who are licensed to practice plumbing who use video chat to teach you how to fix the plumbing attached to your sink.Vessel Sink Drains Slow
Some homes have vessel sinks which utilize a grid drain. The sink may or may not have an overflow. The overflow does 2 things, 1 it allows the sink to overflow into the drain below the stopper and 2 it allows air to enter the drainage system as the sink bowl is draining. Because the most vessel mount sinks do not have overflows they inherently drain slower.
Sink Plumbing
Most of the plumbing for a sink is under the sink in the cabinet. When you look under there you will see white or black pipes connected to a pee-trap that is connected to the sink and some water pipes that come from the valves and go up to the faucet. These drain pipes and water pipes are what is repaired by plumbers or you when there is a problem with your sink. The pee-trap hods water to seal off sewer gas from coming into the home. These build up with organic matter causing the drain to clog or become stinky. The valves turn on and off the water to the faucet on your sink. The hoses that connect to the valves allow water to flow from the plumbing system to come out the faucet to fall into the sink bowl and flow down the drain to the septic or city sewer system.
Faucets for Bathroom Sinks, Kitchen Sinks, and Utility Sinks
Plumbing for bathroom sinks is not much different than plumbing for kitchen sinks or utility sinks. The faucets are different but the water supply lines are the same, well they used to be until the kitchen faucet manufactures began including supply lines already connected to the faucet, making so when a supply line begins to leak at the faucet you will need to buy a whole new faucet. But the bathroom faucets still require the plumber to use a traditional supply line that can be purchased from most any hardware store. The drains are both 1 1/2" pipes that connect with slip joint connections. All sinks must have a pee-trap to keep sewer gas from escaping the drain system into the home. The kitchen sink usually is equipped with a garbage disposal and the drain pipes are configured differently but over all the plumbing is very similar.
All Sinks Must Have an Air Gap
The air gap is built into the faucet except the pull out or pull down sprayer faucets they have check valve that prevents the water in the sink bowl from being sucked back into the water pipes. The air gap is the physical distance between the rim of the sink and the spout of the faucet. All sinks must have an air gap between the faucet spout and the rim of the sink bowl no less than twice the size of the pipes serving water to it, making the physical distance from the spout to the rim no less than 1".
When to Call a Plumber for a Sink Repair
So now that we have discussed what plumbers consider sink repair you should now know that plumbers do not repair sinks. Rather you or a plumber fixes the plumbing and faucets that are connected or mounted to sinks. If you need more information about plumbing for your sink or how to remove and install a new sink you can video chat with a plumber from our list of virtual plumbers if you need to learn how to fix the faucet or the plumbing that is attached to your sink.