- Sink Repair

A leaking sink is a common issue. Every once in a while, you might notice water come from the supply hose, the flange in the floor of the sink, or from the pipes underneath the sink. However, a leak is not always immediately noticeable. Sometimes your sink will not begin to leak until you turn it on. Other times you have to let the sink fill up a bit before the leak shows. Here are some examples of problems that can occur and what causes the leak.

Leaks can appear inside the supply hose that transfers water to your faucet. The water is placed under pressure so that the water can work its way through your pipes to your faucet. A leak here could indicate defective water pipes, loose compression fittings or loose faucet connections. These can be a pain to tighten because the faucet connections are often located in cramped spaces on the rear of the sink. Use locking pliers to tighten the faucet connections and a wrench to tighten the compression fittings.

This is a round metal disc that sits around your drain. The sink flange is designed to seal the drain around the outside so that water cannot run through the floor of your sink and into your cabinets. Over time, the sink flange can become corroded or the gasket underneath the flange can wear out, causing a leak. In many cases, this is fixed by simply replacing the sink flange and rubber gasket.

Located underneath your sink will be the drain pipe assembly. The drain pipe is usually divided into three separate sections of pipe. Each section of pipe is held together by a round metal or plastic disk called a locknut. Most drain pipe leaks occur where two of these sections of pipe meet. In most cases, tightening all locknuts will fix this type of leak. If the leak persists, you may have a hole inside your drain pipe and that section will need to be replaced.