Installing a pop-up drain in your bathroom or kitchen sink can significantly enhance the functionality and aesthetics of your plumbing fixtures. But you don’t need to be a professional plumber to install one yourself. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to install a pop-up drain, from the necessary tools to the tips that save you time and effort. This article aims to be the only resource you’ll ever need for your DIY pop-up drain installation.
Understanding What a Pop-Up Drain Is
Before diving into the installation, it’s crucial to understand what a pop-up drain is and how it works. As you may already know, a pop-up drain is a drain plug-in sinks and lavatories that can be manually opened and closed. It has multiple elements, including the lift rod, clevis strap, pivot rod, and pop-up stopper.
Tools and Materials Needed for Installation
You’ll need a few essential tools and materials to complete the installation. Make sure you have the following on hand:
- Adjustable wrench
- Plumber’s putty or silicone sealant
- Plunger
- Bucket
- Towels or rags
Pre-Installation Preparations
Before installing, clean the sink area and remove the old drain. Turn off the water supply and place a bucket under the sink to catch any remaining water. Remove the old drain and clean the area thoroughly.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
Things You Need Before Start
Make sure you have these tools close to your hand before starting the installation.
The Pop-Up waste drain
An Adjustable Spanner
Silicone Sealant
Piece of Dry Cloth
POP-UP Basin Waste Installation Guide
You got the tools and waste. Follow these steps now to install the pop-up waste in your basin:
Step 1: Ready the Basin First
Firstly, if possible, then take off the basin from the top. It will provide you even better access to the lower side of the basin, and you can move it comfortably.
Secondly, clean up the center hole of the basin. You can use water to clean it. Next, take a piece of cloth and wipe that area gently. Make sure it’s completely dry. Otherwise, there will be a problem in tightening the waste. However, there’ll be a chance of leakage.
Step 2: Disassemble the Waste
The waste may be assembled. You need to disassemble it before setting it up. Unscrew the push button by undoing the spins. In the same vein, take the hex nut and washer from the body.
Step 3: Smear Some Silicone Sealant
There’s a possibility of getting leaks between the waste and the hole if you don’t do anything there. However, the waste can be shaky if it’s not hardened there.
That’s why we recommend applying silicone sealant there. You can use a sealant gun to do that. Or if you don’t have the sealant gun, you can do it with your hands. Spread a silicone sealant coating around the plughole opening in the basin. This will help you to tighten the waste correctly without any leakage.
Step 4: Place It Now
You can see two rectangular slots on the waste body. Look at the basin hole; similar types of holes are available. These are known as “overflow holes,” which prevent water from overflowing.
Insert the waste in the basin hole now. Most importantly, ensure that the overflow holes of both basin and waste are aligned.
Step 5: Apply Silicone Sealant At The Bottom
The waste body has come out of the basin hole at the bottom. Apply some silicone sealant between the hole gaps and waste at the bottom of the basin.
Step 6: Screw Up
Insert the rubber washer from the bottom, now followed by the hexagonal nut. Screw the hex nut with your hand as much as possible. You can hold the head side of the waste with one hand and try to tighten the nut up. When it’s hand tight, you can use the adjustable spanner to tighten it more.
Step 7: Wiping
You may have noticed that extra silicon sealants have come out from the gaps after tightening the hex nut. Use the piece of cloth and wipe that excess silicon from both the upper and lower sides of the waste.
Step 8: Refit The Basin
Please leave the basin for some time to dry the silicon correctly. After that, you can place the basin right where it was. Ensure you set the basin in the correct direction as before.
Step 9: Set The Push Button
You can set the push button to the waste now. Remove it and place it at the top of the stopper if it has any cover. Make it hand tight by screwing it clockwise, don’t make it too tight; hand tight would be well enough.
Final Step: Test It
All your hard work will now be judged. If you have previously installed a drain, you can attach the trap directly to the waste. Fit the trap nut with the threaded body of the waste, and it’s good to go.
Firstly, to test it, hit the push button several times and see if it’s going down and coming up nicely. After that, pour some water into the basin to check if it’s flowing well through the waste. And also check for leakage. [If the trap is not there… place a bowl under the basin to protect your house from flooding.
If you have completed the above steps in a row and the waste passed the tests… then Congratulations, you have successfully installed the pop-up basin waste.
In sum, it’s not a difficult task, and you don’t need any plumbers to do this… because you’ve done it already by yourself. Follow our blogs for more plumbing help. And if you want to buy drains, basin waste, and traps, Contact Us…
Inserting the Drain Flange
The first crucial step in installing a pop-up drain is fitting the drain flange into the sinkhole. Applying a plumber’s putty or silicone sealant is an often overlooked but essential step. This application creates a watertight seal between the drain flange and the sink, ensuring no water leaks occur over time. Spread a generous layer around the flange’s base and press it firmly into the sinkhole. Wipe off any excess putty that seeps out when pushing.
Tips:
- Choosing the Right Sealant: Plumber’s putty is generally the go-to option, but silicone-based sealants are also effective, especially for plastic sinks, which plumber’s putty could potentially stain.
- Press, Don’t Pound: Press the flange gently but firmly. Pounding it could result in an uneven fit or potential sink damage.
Attaching the Drain Body
Attaching the drain body to the flange is another crucial step. This section will house the actual drainage mechanism, so you must get it right. With the flange already inserted into the sinkhole, the next step is to fix the drain body from underneath the sink. Using an adjustable wrench, tighten the nut to secure the drain body to the flange.
Tips:
- Alignment is Key: Make sure the hole for the pivot rod in the drain body is aligned correctly with the back of the faucet where the lift rod will be. This will ensure the pop-up mechanism works smoothly.
- Hand-tight is Just Right: While using an adjustable wrench, ensure you do not overtighten and risk cracking the sink or stripping the threads.
Connecting the Tailpiece
The tailpiece is the vertical pipe that extends down from the drain body and connects to the P-trap, which then connects to the home’s plumbing. The tailpiece must be attached securely to ensure proper drainage and prevent leaks.
Tips:
- Cut to Size: Tailpieces are often sold in standard lengths, so you may need to cut them to fit your specific sink height.
- Teflon Tape for Extra Seal: Wrap the tailpiece threads with Teflon tape to ensure a watertight connection.
Assembling the Pop-up Mechanism
The pop-up mechanism is what allows you to open and close the drain. It’s a surprisingly intricate system involving a few different pieces: the lift rod, clevis strap, and pivot rod.
Tips:
- Adjusting Clevis Strap Length: The length of the clevis strap will determine how high or low the pop-up stopper sits. Adjust accordingly.
- Trial and Error: Before tightening everything, do a few test lifts to ensure everything is moving smoothly.
Testing the Mechanism
Before finalizing all the connections, test the entire mechanism to ensure it’s operating smoothly. Pull the lift rod up and down and observe the movement of the pop-up stopper.
Tips:
- Look for Smooth Operation: The stopper should move up and down smoothly. You’ll need to adjust the connecting rods if it sticks or is sluggish.
- Check for Leaks: During this test phase, it’s also a good idea to check for any leaks at the connecting points. Tighten any loose nuts if needed.
Final Checks and Tightening
Congratulations, you are almost done! The final step involves thoroughly checking all the components and connections. Ensure all nuts and screws are tightened and the stopper moves up and down effortlessly.
Tips:
- Re-check Alignments: Ensure all parts are aligned properly, especially the holes in the drain body and the lift rod at the back of the faucet.
- Run Water: This is your final test. Run water through the system to make sure there are no leaks.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even after installation, you might face leaks or a poorly functioning mechanism. In such cases, checking the tightness of all connections and the seal around the flange can often resolve the issue.
Introduction To The Pop-up Drain
Since you’re about to install a pop-up waste, before that, it is important to know the waste and learn a bit about its parts.
If you buy the waste online, then inspect it immediately after delivery. However, there’s a chance of getting a damaged product sometime. Unbox it… Check if all parts look good or not… push on top 3/4 times to check if the machine is working well.
You have the waste in your hands now. There is a cap-type thing on the head of the waste, and it’s a “push-button sprung plug.” You can unscrew it by undoing the spins anticlockwise.
There’s a brass thing installed; it’s the “stopper.” Don’t unscrew it now. It would help if you took it off only when you needed to clean up your pop-up basin waste. The stopper moves up and down for every push button push. It allows the water to flow through the sink when it’s up and retains the water in the basin when it’s in a down condition.
There are spinning threads outside of the waste body; this area is “threaded chrome.” Besides, there are two more things available with the waste. An O-sized rubber is attached, and it’s the rubber “washer.” Right after that, a hexagonal plastic nut is added to tighten the waste with the basin.
Maintenance and Care Tips
Regularly clean the pop-up stopper and the drain area to prevent clogs and ensure smooth operation. Most pop-up drains can be easily disassembled for cleaning.
Conclusion
Installing a pop-up drain doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right tools and a comprehensive guide, anyone can do it. This guide aims to give you the know-how you need to install your pop-up drain successfully.
