Replacing and repairing the siphon under the sink: 5 useful plumbing tips

The siphon performs important functions: thanks to the water plug, it does not allow odors from the sewer to enter the room and protects the pipes from frequent blockages. If the drain system is worn out or out of order, its replacement does not need to be postponed until later. It is not difficult to change the siphon under the sink on your own, it does not require special skills and complex tools, the main thing is to know how to do it correctly.

Siphon types

Before replacing the siphon, you will have to select and purchase a new product. First, let's get acquainted with the varieties of this device.

According to the principle of operation, the siphons used in the sink in the kitchen or in the washbasin in the bathroom are divided into the following types:

Bottle with a submerged tube (a water stopper is created by two cylinders, one of which is inserted into the other). It is used more often than other types due to the possibility of removing accumulated contaminants by unscrewing the plug from below.
Bottle with two partitions.
Pipe. Such a product has the form of a pipe bent in the shape of the letter “S” or “U”, due to the bending of which a water seal is created.
Corrugated. It is a plastic corrugation, curved and fixed in the desired position with a clamp.

Previously, drain devices were made of steel and cast iron, but now practical and inexpensive plastic is most often used for siphons and other plumbing equipment. It is not subject to corrosion, does not rot and does not retain dirt. Plastic tolerates cleaning with the use of a cable and chemicals.

The cheapest products are made of polyethylene and PVC, their service life does not exceed 6 years. Siphons made of polypropylene and ABS plastic will live for more than 10 years.

At chrome siphons Brass has a spectacular appearance, but the strength is not much higher than that of plastic products. The most reliable are stainless steel devices.

How to choose a drain device?

The product is designed simply, and it is easy to disassemble it to check the absence of defects. It must be free of defects on the surface and in threaded connections. Gaskets are used elastic and lubricated with silicone sealant.

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Price

The price may vary significantly. A simple plastic siphon of any modification can be bought for 100–300 rubles. For a product with a chrome coating or with additional taps, you will have to pay from 400 to 1000 rubles. The price of brass devices starts from 1000 rubles. and can reach 15 thousand rubles. The most expensive are chrome-plated bottle-type siphons made of brass or steel.

Dimensions and choice of type of device

Siphons have standard sizes and, as a rule, are compatible with any sinks. The cross section of the outlets depends on the volume of drained water. When buying, do not forget to check the completeness and compliance with the diameter of the old drain device.

Tips for choosing the type of siphon:

A product with a collapsible flask is recommended for the kitchen: it is easy to clean it from food residues. A bottle siphon with a corrugated drain, as in the photo, is easier to install than the others.

It is more difficult to choose a pipe drain, since it has a rigid structure: its nozzles must be exactly aligned with the holes of the sink and sewer bed.
If there are problems with free space or an inconvenient location of pipes, it will save the situation siphon-corrugation.
For a kitchen sink, it is better to take a drain with even walls, since the corrugations quickly become clogged with dirt.
If there is no space at all under the sink, you should choose a special flat siphon.

To install the drain device, you need to purchase an odorless silicone sealant. Acid compounds will not work.

Siphon replacement

The process of replacing the siphon under the sink consists of the following steps:

Dismantling the old drain. Work is being done on the bucket. A rag is prepared in advance, which should immediately close the hole in the sewer pipe to avoid an unpleasant odor.

After dismantling, the remaining contaminants are removed and the sewer pipe is cleaned.
Threaded connections on the body of the siphon are checked for burrs. If they are, they are carefully cut with a knife. You also need to make sure that all gaskets are in place.
The sink drain grate is leveled and installed with a gasket or sealant to prevent leakage.
A thick gasket is put on the outlet of the sink, after which it is placed from below in the center of the drain hole of the sink. A screw is inserted into the central hole and screwed with a screwdriver so that the drain grate and outlet are firmly pressed against the sink.
The flask of the device is assembled. From below, a rubber gasket should be installed on it and screw the cover. A union nut and a cone-shaped gasket are put on the sink outlet. The upper part of the siphon is mounted on it, after which the union nut of the outlet is screwed to it. Such a connection is reliable and tight. It is often used in non-pressurized systems. An outlet pipe is connected to the flask.

Siphon designs may vary. The order of assembly of each of them is indicated in the attached instructions. The schematic of the classical device is in this article.

The sewer pipe should be dried and a cuff lubricated with sealant should be installed in it.
The drain end of the outlet pipe is adjusted to size, then inserted into the sewer pipe, where it is sealed with a cuff.
For some time, water is supplied to the sink to check the tightness of the connections.

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This manual describes the installation of a bottle siphon. A pipe-type drain device is even easier to install, since there is no need to collect the flask. The corrugated device should be bent in the shape of the letter "S" and secured with the clamp supplied.

Helpful Hints

The following tips will help you operate the drain device without problems:

When installing a siphon, it is necessary to ensure that the drain grate is symmetrically located relative to the sink opening.
The device is cleaned by supplying hot water, which dissolves fat deposits well. To speed up the process, soda or special detergents are used. They are poured into the hole, and then the water is intensively drained, flushing.
The use of a plunger allows you to periodically clean the device without disassembling the sump.
The sealing of the thread does not ensure the tightness of the connections. Rubber gaskets provide reliable protection against leaks. When worn, they should be replaced.
It is not recommended to pour too contaminated liquids into the sink. A small strainer is installed at the outlet, which should be cleaned periodically.

Siphon repair

If the drain device starts to leak, there may be several reasons for the malfunction:

poor-quality installation - incorrect docking of joints, skewed threads, not fully tightened union nuts, use of unsuitable gaskets;
blockage;
seal wear - over time, the gaskets harden and shrink, so they begin to let water through;
damage - cracks or chips.

For repair, it is necessary to install a container from below to drain the liquid.

With unsatisfactory build quality, the product simply needs to be disassembled and assembled correctly.
In case of blockage, the lower part of the siphon must be unscrewed, then the sewerage system must be cleaned with a cable or wire.
In the place where the drain flows, the rubber seal is replaced with a new one, lubricated with petroleum jelly or liquid soap. In this case, the joints are treated with sealant.

Advice from a plumber: if you can not buy new gaskets, old seals should be liberally lubricated with sealant or silicone adhesive and installed in place. You can let water in after the material has solidified. Such a connection will last for several more years.

A cracked siphon should be replaced immediately. If for some reason this is not possible, the repair will require epoxy and bandage or fiberglass. A cracked part - a pipe or a flask - is dried, processed with sandpaper and a solvent. The glue is diluted according to the instructions, applied to the surface of the part, then it is wrapped with a bandage or cloth. After the composition has solidified, the device is ready for use.

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Conclusion

Thanks to the siphon, drains go into the sewer, and odors from it do not fall back into the room. The service life of the device is limited, so it has to be changed from time to time. Installing a new product is a simple operation that does not require a plumber to be called.

Kristina

My husband and I bought our first apartment in a secondary mortgage. The tenants lived before us for 5 years. Repairs were done on their own. When the repair came to the kitchen, the question arose of replacing the siphon, since water leaves the sink very slowly. The old plastic siphon was very clogged inside and there was nothing in the tubes. Gaskets were also replaced with new ones. But then the question arose: a friend at home drains hot water or boiling water after potatoes, for example, into the sink without including additional cold water. Her and our siphon is plastic. Tell me what to do in such cases? Will the tubes melt?
I would not like to change the siphon too often for this reason.

Answer

ibuilder.decorexpro.com/en/

Christina, hello!
You should not be afraid, but you don’t need to overheat the siphon once again, turn on cold water while draining boiling water - this will significantly lower the temperature. So rubber seals will last much longer! 🙂

Answer

Gregory

If the siphon is installed under the kitchen sink, then, regardless of its device, in addition to solid food residues and other insoluble debris, fatty deposits will be deposited in it. And over time, this can become a serious problem, up to the need for a complete replacement. Therefore, I advise you to periodically disassemble the siphon to clean this fat. Or rinse with a special tool.

Igor

Three years ago, the bathroom was renovated, the sink was replaced, a new plastic bottle siphon with two partitions was installed. During this time it was cleaned only a few times. Recently I began to notice that an unpleasant smell comes from the sink, the siphon was cleaned, but the smell remained. What to do in this case? Buy a new siphon, or is this not the case?

ibuilder.decorexpro.com/en/

Hello Igor!
We believe water is leaving the water lock in the siphon. This is a problem of poor ventilation in the sewer riser. You need to contact the housing office with this problem. Read more about the causes of smell from the sewer. here.

Answer