About Kitchen Drains and Traps

Kitchen sink drains and traps are, for the most part, very easy to assemble and disassemble. This is because they are made up of 3 elements: 1 1/2″ pipes, nuts, and slip washers. Due to this type of construction this system does not require a wrench. Tightening everything by hand should do the trick. The pipes and washers are made from plastic. This means you eliminate the risk of corrosion as plastic parts can last for the life of the kitchen sink. The only issue that may arise is the possibility that the pipes could be bumped out of alignment. In this case you would simply disassemble and then reassemble. The number of bowls your sink has is the deciding factor when determining the configuration of your kitchen sink trap. Whether or not your sink also has a food dispenser or dishwasher line will also weigh on deciding on the trap configuration. Also, be sure you also check all local codes to make sure that the trap you decide on is compliant.

Drain Kits

These days you can buy drain kits which include everything you require to install a new sink. This includes all of the pipes, the slip fittings as well as the washers. They are also various kits available to fit the install of your choice. These include double bowl kitchen sinks kits, garbage disposal kits, etc. The reason for this is because each type of install will require different parts to get the job done.

Tips for Choosing Drains

Wall Thickness: This is the thickness of the piping. The thinner the wall thickness the hard it will be to obtain a good seal. The thicker wall pipes will obviously have a better seal but will also be a bit more expensive. You can get away with the tinned wall pipes for lavatory drains. They are less demanding than the kitchen drains which we recommend using the thicker wall pipes.

Now that you know all about kitchen sink drains and traps you can now move on and learn how to install. Stay tuned to our blog because next week our article will be on how to install a drain/trap system. In the meantime, if you have any questions please always feel free to contact us or you can also Click here to schedule your appointment today.