It only took three months to replace something this time...

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-02-2011, 08:24 PM

We've been in here not even three months and it's already starting!

DH went to put in the new tap for the kitchen sink today and lo and behold, we found the laminate had rotted completely through. We had plans to replace the counter top in the next year or so, but now it's become priority number one.

But hold the phone!

DH wants to just replace the sink with one that has the single hole at the top.

Now I wouldn't much mind doing that, except for the counter top is going to have to be replaced eventually. We have a galley kitchen and it'll be easier to put this counter top in than in the last house. However, the current counter top has gouges in it and pieces are missing. It's not a really pretty counter top, but it's functional.

Price really isn't a concern because we knew this was coming anyways. I have money in the emergency fund and taxes are coming back, so we'll have money regardless. What I am concerned with is losing the garbage disposal (because some of the sinks may not be the right size or have the right fit for the garbage disposal) and having to re-do the plumbing underneath to allow for the new configuration (which means calling in a plumber to do that for me -- I haven't the slightest idea how to replace plumbing).

Now we're both scratching our head trying to figure out what the easiest way is to fixing our lack of sink issue in the kitchen. I can do dishes in the dishwasher and fill the pots with the tub tap. That's not a problem. What is the problem is just trying to get the right set up without breaking the bank and stressing us out.

**goldeneyez** · 04-02-2011, 11:53 PM

when we were looking at replacing out countertop, I googled to see what I could find online. I'm not exactly sure if you are looking at finding a way to get a sink that will allow the garbage disposal, but they do have sites that show how to figure that out. We were needing to know how to attach the counters we had together and i found that on Ehow.com they have loads of tutorials on there that may help you out. Hope this helps.

Stacy

**Spirit Deer** · 04-03-2011, 07:31 PM

If either of you is even the least bit handy, putting in a disposal and new waste lines shouldn't be much of a challenge, especially if there is already a disposal there.

I'm not sure what you mean by the right fit for the disposal. All sinks have standard drain cut-outs in the basins, and all disposals are also standard, so any sink you choose should fit with your disposal. Everything should fit fine. If you're concerned, then you can take measurements before you go shopping for a sink to make sure before you buy.

We just remodeled our kitchen and it was a total DIY project, including plumbing in the new sink. We went from the four-hole traditional style of sink:

to a new one-hole sink with pull-out sprayer faucet:

and I would never go back. It's a lot easier to keep clean, and looks much more modern and sleek, IMO.

The biggest challenge for me was cutting the hole for the sink, because there was NO margin for error, and if it was wrong, I'd have ruined a ten-foot section of countertop and had to replace it from a store seventy miles away.

As for the new waste lines under the sink, they are fairly self-explanatory. The main thing is to dry-fit everything before gluing it together, and when you do glue it together, make sure each piece is placed correctly because the glue sets up almost immediately when the PVC is put together. PVC is cheap, so even if you make a mistake you can't change, replacing it wouldn't cost much. I bought a kit for my new sink drains for about $7 from Ace Hardware, and it had a bunch of different pieces in it for different types of installations, plus instructions and diagrams on the back of the package to help answer any questions a DIYer might have. You don't need any special tools, either. A hacksaw cuts PVC easily, and most of the connections are hand-tightened.

I promise, it's not an intimidating project. Look at what's already under the sink and you'll get an idea how easy it would be to replace it. There are also numerous YouTube videos showing how to do most any DIY repair.

Oh, another bonus with our new sink is the drains are way at the back of the bowls. That in turn created a LOT more space under the sink for storage, and I made the most of it.

Here's a final thought. You can give re-plumbing the drain lines yourselves a try, and if you really cannot figure it out (which you will) THEN call a plumber. If you succeed, you've saved a wad of money, and if you don't (which you will) then you'll have a job done now that you've already concluded will have to be done eventually anyway. You said you have the money to cover it, so IMO, there is no downside.

Just think of it as an opportunity to learn a helpful skill. Good luck!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-04-2011, 10:56 AM

That is so awesome!

I have some experience with replacing the countertop (albeit, FIL cut the hole for the sink and not I) but plumbing, to me, is pretty scary.

That was the concern I had with the disposal. I wasn't sure if you needed a specific sink that stated it was meant to fit disposals. I thought that they were all different. I know some of the ones we had looked at had strainers built into them. I wouldn't be able to use the disposal if we bought a sink like that.

**Spirit Deer** · 04-04-2011, 02:44 PM

Double check about built-in strainers. It could be they just installed strainers for display purposes. It seems unlikely to me they would be permanently installed. I could be wrong, as I don't do much plumbing anymore. But it's worth checking on.

Don't be afraid of plumbing, especially waste line plumbing. Supply lines are under pressure and can force water out if there's a problem, but waste lines aren't pressurized so the most you'll get is a drip. Then you'll have to tighten the connections, no big deal.

You can do this!