Although every scenario is different, the steps to installing a utility sink are pretty much the same. First you find the sink you want, you buy it, get it home and set it where you want it. The tough part comes when you have to hook it up to the water supply lines and the drain lines. If you are working in a basement area, like I did, you can easily access the water and drain lines and installation is just a little more than a snap.
When I set out to buy a sink I was surprised to find all the options available to the home owner. There were a few kits to purchase and they made it nice to not have to pick up all the items you would need. This can reduce the amount of unnecessary return trips to your local hardware store or home center. The criteria I used to pick my new sink were depth, with and quality. They had a very nice double wide sink that I really didn’t have the room for, so I opted for the single wide, fourteen inch deep, plastic utility sink with snap in plastic legs. Nothing fancy, but perfect for my basement shop environment.
Because I was placing the utility sink next to my sewer pump I didn’t have to run the drain very far. As a matter of fact, the most difficult part was gluing the PVC joints together so close. Also, I had to tie the utility sink into a vent that I had dropped when we built the house in 2003. This was interesting because there was quite a bit of water in it from the years of use and I had to remember to drain it before I cut off the temporary cap. Regardless, I glued together the PVC pipes so I had the correct amount of slope to have the water flow into my sewer pump and I was ready to move on the water supply line.
Running the copper lines can be the trickiest part when trying to install any type of water using item. As a matter of fact, it is not for the average do-it-your-selfer. I suggest hiring a plumber if you don’t feel comfortable with this step. Because I don’t install copper pipe everyday, I even had a few problems when trying to run my lines. The basics to running copper pipe is to drain the water in your house, cut the line where you want to tie into and fit your pipe together, remembering to clean both the fittings and the pipe and applying a good amount of flux so the soldering goes smoothly. You then apply heat to the fitting and touch the solder to the area where the fitting meets the pipe. The heated fitting will draw in the liquefied solder and connect the fitting to the pipe. To keep the joints looking clean I then wipe with a wet cloth.
Now all that is left is to test the installation and a great way to do this is by cleaning one of those big steaming pots that are impossible to fit into a normal sink. Whola … Done