-
Position the Sink
Position the sink on the countertop. The sink may come with a mounting ring or gasket to be used between the sink and the countertop. If your sink has one, position the mounting ring over the drain opening and set the vessel on the ring. Other sink models may call for a bead of silicone caulk to seal the sink to the countertop.
-
Insert the Drain Flange and Tailpiece
Apply a bead of plumber's putty along the bottom surface of the drain flange on the drain fitting. If the drain comes with a foam or rubber gasket, place this against the bottom surface of the drain flange.
Insert the tailpiece end of the drain fitting down into the sink drain opening and through the cutout in the countertop. If the drain flange has lettering on it, position it so the lettering reads upright when looking down into the sink from the front.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Tongue-and-groove pliers
- Rag
- Hacksaw (as needed)
Materials
- Vessel sink
- Drain fitting and tailpiece
- Plumber's putty
- Pipe-joint compound
- Drain trap assembly (1 1/4-inch or 1 1/2-inch, as needed)
It is best to install the drain onto the sink prior to setting it in place.
Apply pipe joint compound to the rubber seal. Working from underneath the sink, slide the seal up around the drain tailpiece and into the countertop cutout as far as it will go. Thread the friction ring onto the tailpiece, followed by the mounting nut. Hand-tighten the mounting nut as far as you can, then tighten it just a bit more with tongue-and-groove pliers. Be careful not to over-tighten, as this can damage the sink.
Check the alignment of the drain fitting and lettering once again to make sure it is still straight. Wipe away excess plumber's putty from around the drain flange with a rag.
Instructions
Tip
3. Secure the Tailpiece
Having a helper to hold the vessel sink in place as you attach the drain fitting is a good idea, particularly if it is a round-bottom vessel. If you don’t have a second set of hands, carefully hold the vessel with one hand while you attach the drain fitting.
Connect the P-trap to the sink drain tailpiece, using a slip nut and washer, making it just snug for now. Install a trap arm between the P-trap outlet and the branch drain pipe in the wall or floor, using slip nuts. The trap arm must have a slight downward slope toward the drain line. Depending on the drain configuration and the location of the branch drain opening, you may need to add a tailpiece extension and/or cut the trap arm to fit, using a hacksaw.
Double-check the fit of all the drain parts, then tighten the slip nuts further by hand or with tongue-and-groove pliers. Many slip nuts don't require pliers. Be careful not to over-tighten the nuts.
Tip
4.Complete the Drain Assembly
If the drain tailpiece is 1 1/4-inch and the P-trap is 1 1/2-inch, connect the trap with a reducer fitting.
Tip
Run water into the sink and check for leaks under the sink. If there are no leaks under normal running conditions, fill the sink all the way up to give it a good volume test. Slight leaks at the slip nuts can usually be fixed by simply tightening the slip nuts just a bit further.
If there is leaking around the bottom of the sink onto the countertop or around the rubber seal, it indicates that the drain fitting is not properly seated in the bottom of the sink. In this case, you'll need to disassemble the drain and start over, focusing on getting the drain fitting properly sealed in the sink's drain opening.
5.Test for Leaks