HOW TO |
Skill
Level
One hammer: Novice
Five hammers: Experienced |
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Replacing
a Pedestal Sink
There’s
an elegance to pedestal sinks. When placed in a small bathroom
they can give the bathroom a larger feel due to their small
footprint. If you have a wood vanity and want to replace it
with a pedestal sink you should hire a licensed plumber. The
location of the drain and water supply lines is commonly lower
than what you’ll need for a pedestal sink. If so, you’ll
need to open up the wall to replace the plumbing. Also you’ll
need to install blocking between studs that the sink will screw
into. This could take days plus the wall will need to be re-finished
before installing the new sink.
Replacing
a pedestal sink can still be a challengng DYI project. Allow
one full day to complete. TIP: before you buy your new sink
measure the distance from the floor to the bottom of the P-trap
and elbow assembly (lowest point). Why? The back of some pedestals
are different. Knowing the room you’ll need could save
time and money.
If you’re
going to use the same faucet make sure you buy a sink with the
proper spacing, sinks come in two opening configurations, 4”-8”,
the distance for the faucet supply lines. Now that we’ve
addressed the above let’s get started.
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BEFORE
This sink was replaced because it had cracks in the basin
and the homeowner didn’t like the style. |
AFTER |
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STEP
1
Turn off both water supply lines. |
STEP
2
Disconnect both water supply lines. Place towels on the
floor to catch water still in the lines and drain. |
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Step
3
Disconnect the P-trap at the wall. You might need pliers
for this step. Leave the faucet and drain pipes attached
they’re easier to remove when the sink is on the floor. |
Step
4
Remove the anchors that hold the sink to the wall. You might
need a wrench for this depending on what was used to hold
the sink to the wall. |
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Step
5
With all the connections loosened remove the sink. You’ll
need a helper to hold the sink base as you work the P-trap
from the wall. There’s a good chance that the location
of the mounting bolts that held your old sink will not match
up with the new sink. Remove them at this step. |
Step
6
Remove the P-trap and elbow from the sink. At this point
if you’re going to re-use the same hardware you can
clean out the pipes before installing them back in the new
sink. |
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Step
7
Remove the water supply lines, then remove the nuts holding
the faucet to the sink. |
Step
8
Measure from a doorjamb or the end of the wall to the center
of the drain. Mark that distance on the floor to center
the pedestal. Dry-fit both new sink pieces against the wall
to locate the distance from the wall to the front of the
pedestal. Mark this dimension on the floor and pedestal
as a reference when placing the new sink when you’re
ready to mount and level the sink. |
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Step
9
It could be easier to place the P-trap and elbow in place
but not tighten before installing the new sink. If you’re
not re-using the old drain you’ll need to measure
and cut the new drain to match where the elbow is located.
Use pipe dope or plumber’s tape to reconnect to all
male connections on the drain.
Install
the faucet to the new sink in reverse steps when you disassembled
it from the old sink. Some faucets are sealed and do not
need plumber’s putty and some need putty. Read the
instructions that came with the new faucet. Although you
will need to use putty to install the pop-up drain. Roll
a wad of plumber’s putty into a 3/4” wide sausage
and wrap it around the pop-up drain, underneath its flange.
Place the drain into the basin hole, from under the basin
hand tighten the gasket and washer onto the drain. Finish
tightening with pliers a quarter turn, remove the extra
putty with your finger and clean any residue with a paper
towel or sponge. |
Step
10
Place
the basin on the pedestal and against the wall (use your
helper for this and the next step). Fine tune the pedestal
and level the basin side-to-side. You might need to shim
the pedestal due to the floor not being level, use a wood
shim to level the basin and break off the extra wood. Or
you can use any hard material, but place it from the inside
of the pedestal so you can’t see it from the outside. |
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Step
11
Mark the location of the new mounting holes and remove the
sink. Test with a nail to locate the mounting block. If
the new mounting location misses the mounting block from
the old sink you can use hollow wall anchors (see the anchoring
story from the Feb/Mar 2003 issue of Northwest Renovation
magazine or log on to www.nwrenovation.com and go to the
archive page). Connect the sink to the wall. Use shims again
if needed and check for level. Some pedestals can be mounted
to the floor, if so do that now. |
Step
12
Connect and tighten the water supply and the P-trap (don’t
overtighten). Turn on the water and test for leaks, also
close the stopper, fill the basin half full, and release
to check for leaks in the drain system.
In
conclusion there’s a few things to take into
consideration. The water supply tubes that were mounted
on the old sink might not match to the location of the
new or old faucet. You can substitute them with a flexible
hose. Measure the distance between the faucet and the
water supply and add two inches and buy one that closely
matches that length. Do not try to force the old rods
into the new location you can crimp the rod and you’ll
still have to buy new hoses. You’ll also need to
run a bead of chalk where the sink back meets the wall.
Use a bathroom caulk. |
| Tools
& Materials |
Plumber's
putty and tape, level, crescent wrench, hacksaw (if neede),
tape measure, screwdriver, pliers. |
| Where
to Purchase |
A
Boy Electric & Plumbing
(503) 225-9009
(800) 691-7895 for nearest location |
| Permits
& Codes? |
Log
onto:
www.opdr.ci.portland.or.us |
| Average
Cost |
Will
vary on amount of tools and product needed. The sink in
this how-to cost $158.95 at A-Bot Supply. |
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