How to Fix Your Kitchen Sink

Fixing a Leaky Drain

Check the drain pipe connections. If you can’t see where the leak is coming from, press a clean tissue around each drain pipe connection in your under-sink cabinet while the water is running. If you find the culprit, try tightening the connection firmly but not excessively, by hand for PVC nuts or with a wrench for metal nuts. If that doesn’t work, try disconnecting and reconnecting, and potentially replacing, the pipes and/or nuts. If you have old metal drain pipes covered in rust, you should consider replacing them. Check the rusted areas for leaks since this is commonly where they're found. If the drain pipe itself isn’t leaking, plug the sink, fill it with water, and wait 5-10 minutes. Run a clean tissue around the underside of the sink where it meets the metal sink drain, which is also known as a sink strainer. That might be the source of the leak.

Identify your sink strainer and its connectors. The metal sink strainer uses pressure connections to create a watertight seal around the sink opening from above and below. There are three main types of sink strainers: locknut, locknut with screws, and bell washer. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions or online resources on identifying the strainer type and the locknut or bell housing that holds it in place.

Tighten up the sink strainer connectors you’ve identified. If the locknut or bell housing feels a bit loose, try tightening it -- securely but not excessively -- and see if that stops the leak. Usually, however, a poor plumber’s putty seal is the culprit and you’ll have to pull out the sink strainer. If you're dealing with a very small leak, you may be able to fix it by applying clear silicone around the whole connection where the strainer meets the sink.

Remove the sink strainer if it’s still leaking. After removing the locknut or bell housing that holds the strainer into place from below, press upward on the sink strainer to pop it up and out of the sink. Tap it with a rubber mallet if it needs further encouragement. Clear away any plumber’s putty residue around the rim of the sink opening.

Install a new sink strainer. Form a half-inch diameter ring of new plumber’s putty to place around the clean, dry rim of the sink opening. Press the new sink strainer down into the plumber’s putty firmly, and tighten the locknut or bell housing from below as per the appropriate instructions for your model. Clear away excess putty in the sink with your fingers, a plastic putty knife, and a wet rag. Test the new sink strainer by once again filling the sink, waiting several minutes, then dabbing a tissue around the connections.

Unclogging the Drain

Bail out any standing water in the sink. Use a cup or ladle before proceeding with your drain unclogging efforts. If you happen to have a shop vac it will be easier to remove the water with it instead. Many times you may even be able to unclog the drain by holding the nozzle close to the drain as you suck out the water. If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it isn't the cause of the clog before moving on.

Dump baking soda and vinegar into the drain. This combination is great for making science experiment volcanoes, and those same reactive properties can help bust loose a clog. Start by sprinkling in 1 cup (225 g) of baking soda. Use a rubber spatula to help push it down if necessary. Then, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of white vinegar into the drain. Put the stopper into the drain opening so the combination expands downward. Block both openings if it's a double sink.

Pour boiling water down the drain. Boil 4 cups (1 liter) of water while the baking soda and vinegar do their work for at least 5 minutes. Then pour the water down the drain quickly. Repeat the entire process if necessary. Dissolve salt into your boiling water to make it more effective.

Fill the sink about one-third full with hot water. Bail out any cold, backed-up water if you haven’t done that yet.

Align a plunger over the drain opening. Make a good seal. Your toilet plunger will work, but you may want to consider where it’s been and buy a kitchen-specific plunger. If you have a double sink, plug up the other side with a wet rag. Or, you can do the same process on both sides with two plungers, with a friend or with both your hands holding a plunger.

Work the plunger up and down. Be vigorous, but don’t lift the plunger off the sink bottom and break the seal. Add more hot water if it slowly drains away as you work. Keep plunging until the drain is clear or you decide it’s time to try a new method.

Disconnect the drain pipe to use a cable auger. Also known as a plumber’s (or pipe) snake, a cable auger will spin and extend deep into the pipe, then retract and pull out any clogs. For the best results, you should disconnect the drain pipe under your sink first. Loosen the nuts that connect the drain pipe, including the curved trap, at the sink drain and near the wall or floor. Use your hands for PVC connections or a pipe wrench for metal connections. Place a bucket beneath the drain pipe to catch any water that leaks out.

Check for clogs in the removed section of drain pipe. Remove them manually, with gloved fingers or simple tools like a bent clothes hanger or a piece of flexible tubing.

Extend and retract the auger to pull out any clogs. Feed the auger into the pipe opening that extends into the wall or floor. Follow the specific product instructions for extending and retracting the auger.

Reattach the drain pipe carefully. Then check for leaks and proper drainage. If you still have sink problems, call a pro.

Repairing a Leaky Faucet

Plug up the drain with a stopper or rag. This is one of several precautions you should take before you begin tearing apart your faucet to fix a leak. You don’t want to lose anything down there during disassembly!

Turn off the water to the faucet. There should be two shut-off valves beneath the sink, one each for hot and cold. Turn the faucet handles to make sure both hot and cold are off, and to get rid of excess water in the lines. For mobile homes and some older homes that don't have shut off valves, you may need to turn off the water for the whole house.

Wrap the teeth of wrenches and pliers with duct tape. This will protect against damage to the faucet’s shiny finish. One layer of tape will do.

Remove one or both leaky handles on a compression faucet. Any kitchen faucet with separate handles for hot and cold is a compression faucet. Remove a handle by popping off the decorative (“H” or “C”) cap and loosening the screw beneath. Repeat the process on the other handle if it’s also leaking.

Loosen the nut that holds the stem in place. Use a tape-wrapped wrench and turn counterclockwise. Pull out the stem.

Replace one or both rubber washers in the assembly. Install a new O-ring for leaky handles, or a seat washer for a leaky spout. Both are rubber, but the O-ring is thinner. Take them to the hardware store if you need to find a match.

Reassemble the faucet handle. It’s the exact reverse process — so if you managed to pull out the faucet handle successfully, you can put it back in too! Turn the water lines back on, then try the faucet and check for leaks.

Remove the handle of a single-handle faucet to investigate. Unless you already know what kind of faucet you have — either a “ball,” “cartridge,” or “ceramic disk” — you’ll need to look at the inner workings to figure it out. Unscrew and remove the handle itself: it may be on the lower front or rear of the handle or under a decorative cap which you can pop off to expose the allen screw. A ball faucet has a free-moving ball (usually rubber) that seats in a metal socket, similar to your shoulder or hip joint. A cartridge faucet has a cylindrical mechanism (the “cartridge”) that will pull out in one piece. A ceramic disk faucet contains a shorter cylinder with several neoprene sealing rings on its underside.

Get detailed instructions for your specific faucet type. Your repair procedure will vary depending on whether you have a ball, cartridge, or ceramic disc faucet. In any case, the repair will involve several detailed steps, but the overall tools and techniques are not beyond the capability of most homeowners. Use the product instructions for your faucet, or print out a high-quality online guide with detailed images and instructions on repairing a ball, cartridge, and/or ceramic disk faucet. That said, there’s no shame in calling a plumber if you’re not sure what you’re dealing with!

Replacing the Entire Sink

Empty the under sink cabinet and shut off the water. Before you tear out the old sink, clear out all the cleaning bottles, buckets, pots and pans, or whatever else is in the cabinet underneath. Place old towels over the bottom of the cabinet to sop up excess water. Turn off the hot and cold water lines by twisting the valves in the cabinet clockwise, then open the faucet to drain the lines. If you have a garbage disposal, shut of the power to it at your main breaker panel before your start loosening any pipes or supply lines.

Disconnect the drain pipe. A few inches below the underside of the sink, the metal sink strainer will meet the metal or PVC drain pipe. Loosen the nut that connects them, either by hand (for PVC nuts) or with a wrench (for metal). There will be two of these connections if you have a double sink.

Disconnect the hot and cold water lines. These are the flexible metal tubes that connect each shut-off valve to the underside of the faucet. To disconnect them, loosen the nut above each valve with a wrench.

Disconnect the garbage disposal, if you’re saving it. How the disposal is connected to the sink varies based on brand and type. Refer to your product instructions or contact the manufacturer if you need guidance. The disposal will usually be connected to the drain line with either a screw or a nut. Unplug the disposal, or, if it’s hard-wired, disconnect the electrical wiring to remove the disposal completely. You may also choose to lay it in the bottom of the cabinet until it’s time for re-installation.

Cut through the sealing caulk around a top-mount sink. If your sink has a metal lip around its edge that keeps it in place, you have a top-mount. Run a utility knife around the perimeter to slice through the caulk. Work carefully if you’re not also replacing the countertop.

Remove the brackets from beneath for an undermount sink. If your sink has no lip that sits on the countertop, it is an undermount that is held up from below by a series of brackets or clips. First, cut through the caulk seal by carefully running your utility knife around the top of the sink basin, where it meets the countertop. Use a screwdriver to remove all the clips or brackets. Removing an undermount requires a second set of hands to hold the sink up as you remove the clips. Recruit a buddy or put your teen to work! If the undermount sink is installed in granite countertops, it may be held up with an epoxy. In this case, first make sure the sink is supported by wood braces below it and cut the epoxy where the sink meets the countertop with a linoleum knife. If this is too difficult, a heat gun may help to soften it.

Push up from underneath to lift out the sink. With an undermount, have your helper push up from below while you grab and lift from above. You’ll have to twist and contort the sink a bit in order to fit it through the opening. If your sink cabinet has a wide opening, you may be able to pull the sink out from below instead. You can pop up a top-mount sink and lift it out yourself, but this is also much easier with a helper.

Clean up the countertop around the sink opening. After the old sink is out of the way, use a razor blade or putty knife to scrape away any caulk residue around the rim of the opening. Clean the de-caulked countertop with your regular cleaning agent, then let it dry completely before installing the new sink. Be very careful with the blade or knife if you’re keeping the countertops — if you’re not, don’t worry about it!

Install a new sink. Essentially, you’ll be performing the removal process in reverse: apply a caulk seal, drop or lift the sink into place, tighten any clips or brackets, and fix all the water, drain, and electrical connections. However, you will have to install a new faucet yourself. But with the product instructions and a little faucet installation help from wikiHow, you’ll be all set! Likewise, you’ll probably need to install a new sink strainer, but you can handle that too!