You can install an overflow drain in your sink to get rid of excess moisture.
If the drain doesn’t effectively get rid of its excess, it may cause an unsightly mess. Adding an overflow drain to your sink is a simple project that you can do yourself.
So, how do you add overflow drain to sink? Sinks without overflow drains can cause damage to your home if water overflows.
Therefore, it’s crucial to add one to prevent flooding and protect your home from water damage. First, you need to remove the strainer from the drain opening on top of the sink.
Then, place a bucket underneath the drain opening to catch any water that comes out during the process. Next, remove the drain stack under the sink.
Finally, place the drain stack in a bucket and add 1/4 cup of baking soda. Wait 30 minutes for it to absorb the odors before rinsing it off and putting it back together.
Contents
How To Add Overflow Drain To Sink
Disconnect the Sink From the Main Water Supply.
Before you begin installing an overflow basin, you should disconnect your kitchen sink from the main water supply line underneath the kitchen sink to avoid accidental spillage during work.
You should prevent any damage that may be caused by dripping water during the installation process of the basin itself.
This gives you access to the main water supply line, which you need to shut off first before you proceed with the installation procedure of the basin itself.
Every installation is different, but most of them have one thing in common: they were not ready ahead of time.
Turn off the water supply first, then turn off the electricity to the entire kitchen so you can avoid electrocution.
When you turn off the water supply valve underneath the kitchen sink, make sure that you also close the main shut-off valve to the whole house to stop water from leaking out through the pipes later on.
Install A Dishwasher Tailpiece To The Pipe
With a T-fitting at the top of the pipe, the pipe that goes under the sink should be connected to a dishwasher hose outlet.
On the pipe, you will create a hole for the adapter fitting and then screw on the adapter fitting to the threaded side of the T-fitting that you created earlier.
The goal is to make sure that when both ends are connected to the dishwasher hose outlet and the tailpiece on the undersink area, they are perfectly aligned so that water can always flow freely.
This is when you can use your drill to fasten the T-fitting securely in place and then screw on the adapter nut on the other end so that it will tightly seal into the tailpiece on the undersink area.
It will also provide a supplementary seal so that you can avoid leakage of water when the faucet is turned on as well as prevent water from spilling out when the faucet is turned off.
Connect A Vinyl Tube To The Tailpiece
Because the threaded end of the tailpiece has a secondary seal, it will be easy to thread in a vinyl tube that will later be used to drain water from the overflow basin.
This will be accomplished by first threading one end of the vinyl tube through the hole in the T-fitting and then screwing the other end of the vinyl tube to the threaded end of the same T-fitting that you just fastened in place previously.
The tube will be attached to the underside of the sink (or counter top) with a rubber gasket or grommet. This will create an airtight seal that will keep air out when the overflow basin is draining water.
The purpose of this is to stop water from leaking out of the drainpipe at the same time.
This will hasten the drying process of your dishes while also ensuring that your kitchen sink remains dry at all times, which is a huge plus if you tend to cook greasy food on a regular basis.
When there is trapped air between the sink and the vinyl tubing, it will also prevent your sink from accumulating too much bacteria whenever you have dishes in it for long periods of time.
This is precisely what you want to achieve for your kitchen sink because having plenty of bacteria there can spell disaster for you and your family’s health.
Leave One End Of The Tube Open
These plumbing designs are useful if you experience flooding from your sink. An overflow drain allows you to easily drain excess flow from your plumbing system. One end of the tube is left open, and the excess water flows into the sink.
This is the only end that should be left unsealed, and you should use a clamp to keep it secured in place over the rubber gasket or grommet.
When there is a closed circuit with both ends of the tubing sealed, it will automatically create a vacuum effect within the tubing itself, which will make it useless for draining water from the overflow basin.
This defeats the purpose of the whole assembly, since the whole point of having it installed in the first place is to make it easy to drain water without spilling.
You should leave one end open to let water into the overflow basin so that it can reach the required level before it can empty out through the open end of the tubing when water pressure inside the tubing reaches a certain level.
Can I Install an Overflow Drain in a Sink Without Overflow?
If your sink has an overflow, it is critical that you have one installed, or else the water will spill out from the holes that are drilled in your counter top or underneath it.
If your sink does not have an overflow, you can still install an overflow drain by drilling a hole in it that will directly connect to your plumbing pipes with a T-connector.
Do I Need a Drain With or Without Overflow?
If the sink you’re using the drain on is an in-sink garbage disposal unit, then you don’t need to have an overflow because the disposal will take care of draining the excess liquid that has accumulated in the basin.
If the sink in which you want to use the drainage kit does not have an in-sink garbage disposal unit, then you will definitely need to install one as the last step of the installation process.
Also Read: How to Remove Drain Bladder Broke Off In Pipe
Final Words
These are the crucial stages in installing an inline p-trap for a kitchen sink.
To install an overflow drain in an existing sink in a kitchen, first cut a hole for the flange on the bottom of the pipe.
On top of the flange, put a dishwasher tailpiece and connect it directly to the dishwasher.
This will assist in releasing any trapped air within the pipe to prevent water from backing up through the dishwasher hose connection when the trap becomes full.
You always want a channel for the flow of water to be completely blocked off when the trap is full to prevent water from spilling out of the hole in the countertop.
It will enable you to connect the end of the P-trap to your main plumbing pipes with an elbow and then connect the other end of the P-trap to the water supply line with a tee piece.
This is the only method to guarantee that there will be no leakage from the connection point between the P-trap and the main plumbing pipes.
