Introduction
If the sink strainer of your kitchen is leaking, it indicates that you need to replace it. But don’t worry; you can do it yourself and don’t need to call a plumber. After reading this guide thoroughly from beginning to end… you will get complete confidence and be able to replace your kitchen sink strainer yourself. So, stay tuned.
In your kitchen’s grand culinary theater, many characters play starring roles: the gleaming stove, the sharp knives, and the ever-reliable refrigerator. Yet, a silent protagonist operates behind the scenes, ensuring every act goes smoothly. Enter the Kitchen Sink Strainer, an unsung hero that deserves its curtain call.
The Everyday Hero: The Kitchen Sink Strainer, although seemingly unremarkable at first glance, is a powerhouse. Ensuring your kitchen operations run smoothly, this device diligently filters out food debris, preventing potential blockages and providing a hygienic environment. It’s like the supporting actor who ensures the lead shines.
Materials & Design: Typically crafted from robust stainless steel or durable plastic, its design is simple yet ingenious. A sieve-like structure that fits seamlessly into the drain, equipped with just the right size of perforations or mesh. This ensures water flows freely while trapping everything that shouldn’t go down your drain.
How the Sink Strainer Champions Hygiene and Efficiency
Guarding Against Blockages: Blockages can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare. The Kitchen Sink Strainer acts as the first line of defense against this. Effectively trapping food particles prevents them from going down and causing potential clogs, ensuring your sink remains clear and functional.
Promoting a Cleaner Kitchen: Rotting food remnants is a breeding ground for bacteria. The strainer indirectly promotes a cleaner, fresher, and more sanitary kitchen environment by ensuring these particles don’t stay lodged in your drain.
Easy Maintenance Equals Longevity: The beauty of the sink strainer lies in its ease of maintenance. Regular cleaning, which often involves a quick rinse or a light brushing, ensures that it remains in top shape, serving your kitchen effectively for years.
The Different Faces of the Kitchen Sink Strainer
Fixed Perforated Models: These classic designs feature fixed holes that trap larger food particles. They’re reliable workhorses suitable for most kitchens.
Strainers with Twistable Stoppers: More than just a strainer, these models come with a twistable stopper, allowing homeowners to fill the sink with water when needed. Once done, a simple twist enables the water to drain, with the strainer springing back to its protective role.
Acceptable Mesh Protectors: Fine mesh strainers are the guardians of choice for those kitchens where tiny grains and particles are the norm. They ensure even the smallest of particles stay out of the drain.
Functions of A Sink Strainer
The kitchen sink strainer is a pretty simple assembly for anyone to understand. Here is an introductory discussion about it which will help you during replacement.
A sink strainer is a wastewater drainer used in the sink to let the wastewater flow from the sink to the main drain. However, it can seal the drain to fill the sink with water.
Well, a kitchen sink strainer consists of several parts. First, you will notice a big bowl with threads outside and a flange at the bottom, the strainer. Inside the strainer is a basket with an elevated nut at its center. The basket also has a rubber gasket underneath it that will help you to seal the drain.
In addition, you will see two washers below the filter. The black one is the rubber washer, and the other is the metal washer or sometimes cardboard. Finally, a locking nut tightens the washers with the strainer and completes the assembly. However, sometimes you will find a tailpiece nut with a washer at the bottom of the filter.
Hopefully, all these parts match the kitchen sink strainer you bought. Or, if you do not believe that, you can check our sink strainer. Our filter is made of pure brass with chrome-plated polishing.
Guide To Replace A Kitchen Sink Strainer
Till now, you have the sink strainer in your hand and got enough knowledge to start replacing it. But before going into action, make sure you have these tools and materials:
- Adjustable Pliers
2. A Normal Pliers or Spanner
3. Plumbers’ Putty
You are ready to go now. Follow these steps consecutively to replace your kitchen sink strainer like a pro.
Step 1: Remove the Old Strainer from the Sink
Before installing the new one, remove the old filter from your kitchen sink. You can start by removing the tailpiece pipe of the p-trap. The line that connects the strainer and the trap bend of the p-trap is the tailpiece. You can remove it by loosening the slip nuts. But before remove it from the assembly, place a bucket to catch the stagnant water.
Now pick up your adjustable pliers and loosen the lock nut of your old strainer. If the nut is too sturdy to lose, apply some slippery oil. Even if it does not work, you may need to cut the nut to remove it.
After removing the nut, take off the washers if they are still sticking to the sink. Then gently pull out the filter from the top of your sink.
Step 2: Ready the Sink
The old one has been removed, but the sink is not ready for the new one. This is because the sink has a lot of dirt and old putty. Try to clean the putty leftover as much as possible using anything sharp. After that, scrub both sides around the sinkhole with a clean cloth or sponge to clean the area thoroughly.
Step 3: Disassemble the Strainer Parts
After making ready the sink, you will need to disassemble the sink strainer to install it:
- Unscrew the tailpiece nut (if any).
- Take off the washers along with the locking nut. Set apart the basket from the assembly without unscrewing its nut.
- Spread all these parts anywhere within your range.
This Old House
Step 4: Apply Plumbers Putty
Now, take some plumber’s putty and make a roll like a snake. Make it long enough to fit around your new strainer lip. Wrap the putty underside of the strainer lip and gently flatten it with your thumbs. Or you can apply the putty around the sinkhole. It will work the same but do not apply too much.
Step 5: Place the Strainer in the Sink Hole
Install the putty-applied strainer into the sinkhole from the top. Make sure that it sits strictly at the center. Align it to bring to the center (if needed). After that, gently press it down so the putty can cling to the sink surface.
Step 6: Join the Locking Nut and the Washers
Pick up both washers and the locking nut. Place the metal washer, followed by the rubber washer, on the locking nut. Now, go below the sink and screw up the nut with the body threads of the strainer.
Step 7: Make the Locking Nut Tighter
To tighten the locking nut, try to tighten it using adjustable pliers. Sometimes, it is possible that while you are trying to tighten it, the strainer body moves also. So, take another plier or spanner and hold the base flange of the strainer from above the sink with one hand. And then try to tighten the nut with the other hand. But make sure not to pull the joint. After a good fit, scrape out the excess putty.
Step 8: Reattach the Tailpiece
Insert the new tailpiece nut and the washer into the tailpiece pipe. Then attach it to the base threads of the strainer by screwing up the nut. Finally, attach the separated p-trap parts in the reverse order you have divided them.
Step 9: Test the Strainer Properly
After all this, you can now set the basket in its place inside the strainer. Now, turn on the water supply and check for any leaks. For complete accuracy, firstly, fill the sink with water, then suddenly release it. The sudden pressure of the water will make the leaks more noticeable. If you see any leaks, try to tighten the nuts and apply some putty.
Hopefully, the whole process was easy for you. And yes, as you are thinking, you can replace the kitchen sink strainer yourself. So, go and get into the action. All the best.