How to Change Out a Utility Sink & Fixture

Removing the Old Sink

• 1

  Turn off water to the sink’s fixture at the supply line. Disconnect the supply lines with an adjustable wrench.

• 2

  Turn the nut that holds the P-trap under the sink in place counterclockwise to loosen it. Since you are putting new fixtures on the new sink, there’s no need to remove the old ones.

• 3

  Remove any bolts holding the legs of the old sink to the floor. Slide the back of the old utility sink up and away from the brackets holding it to the wall. Move the entire sink out of the way.

Installing the New Utility Sink

• 4

  Set the new sink so you can easily access both the top and bottom of it. Slide the faucet fixture through the pre-drilled holes, aligning the gaskets on the fixture. From the bottom, tighten the nuts that came with the faucet with an adjustable wrench.

• 5

  Wrap Teflon plumber’s tape around the male portion of the hot and cold water supply line connectors on the faucet. Attach new flexible supply lines onto the connectors. Hand tighten the connections then tighten them one quarter turn with an adjustable wrench.

• 6

  Place a nylon insert washer inside a plastic nut and slide the nut and washer to the flanged end of a PVC tailpiece. Connect the washer to the drain fitting on the underside of the utility sink.

• 7

  Measure the wall connectors on the back of the new utility sink. You may be able to use the old connectors if they are a similar size. If not, install new wall connectors on the wall behind the utility sink installation, taking care to secure hangers in wall studs. Follow manufacturer’s directions for setting new hangers at the proper height for your sink.

• 8

  Slide the new sink onto the wall hangers to secure it to the wall. As you mount the sink, position the tailpiece so it goes into the P-trap. Hand tighten the nut on the P-trap around the tailpiece to complete the drain installation.

• 9

  Wrap plumber’s tape around the male connectors of the other ends of the supply lines. Connect the lines, so the hot line goes with the hot water and cold line goes with the cold water.

• 10

  Turn the water supply on to the sink. Watch for leaks. If you see a leak, tighten connections one-quarter turn at a time until the leak stops.

• 11

  Fasten the utility sink to the floor following manufacturer’s instructions. If the sink has enough weight to it, you can often omit this step.