A sink siphon with overflow is an improved version of one of the key elements of the sewer system. Like a conventional siphon, it is a structure of hermetically connected curved pipes, often supplemented by a settling tank. But it has one useful element - an overflow that looks like a pipe connected to an additional hole in the sink, through which water, which for some reason has not gone through the main drain, will enter the sewer, and will not overflow onto the floor.
Purpose of drain devices
There are several important tasks that the siphon for washing with overflow successfully copes with:
- Draining wastewater from a kitchen or bathroom sink into a drainage system. This function is performed by pipes made of plastic or metal, depending on the type of siphon. The features of their device help to remove grease and other debris into the sewer without delays and the formation of deposits on the inner cavity of the pipes.
- A protective mesh located in the neck of the fixture helps protect the drainage system from clogging with food waste and household waste. Moreover, this element is removable, which allows you to remove accumulated waste without resorting to disassembling the siphon itself.
- Creation of a water seal. This function is assigned to the siphon itself. The difference in the height of the water level in it and the height of the outlet tube contributes to the creation of a water seal. Such a trick helps to prevent unpleasant sewer odors and gases from entering the apartment.
- Protection of the premises from flooding in case of blocking the main drain hole using an overflow system.
Water overflow
There are several reasons why water from the sink begins to overflow:
- The drain hole is closed deliberately to fill the sink with water, the faucet opens, but for some reason does not close again.
- Accidentally blocked or clogged drain.
In such a situation, the sink-overflow system for the sink comes into play. Having reached a certain level, the liquid begins to flow out through a special technical hole, and through it through the drain pipe it enters directly into the siphon tank and continues its way, as it should be, into the bowels of the sewer system.
Varieties
Sink siphon with overflow can have two design options, according to which it can be attributed to one of the following types of devices:
- bottle type. The most popular kitchen sink siphon. It owes its name to a rigid container that looks like a bottle, located between the drain hole and the outlet pipe, inside which a water seal is formed. The case can be easily disassembled and the height can be adjusted.
- Pipe. It looks like a pipe, curved in the form of the letter "S". The formation of a water seal is provided just due to this bend.
Both types of devices may have additional fittings for connecting a washing machine or dishwasher.
The specifics of the choice
One of the main parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing a siphon is the material of its manufacture. The store will offer you two varieties of it:
- Metal (cast iron, bronze, brass, steel). They are more difficult to install than plastic ones, besides, such a concept as flexibility inherent in corrugated pipes is not typical of them.
- Plastic. An economical option that is not subject to corrosion, but at the same time, with the right choice, it is strong enough, easy to assemble / dismantle.
To make the right choice, determine in advance the installation location of this device.Will it be installed on the sink and hidden in the kitchen cabinet or in the leg of the “tulip” washbasin, or will it be open? When choosing the first location option, it makes sense to choose a plastic option, but if the siphon is located in plain sight, you should think about more decorative metal models.
If there is an additional drain hole in the sink, check its configuration before buying a siphon, because you need an additional tube for the drain-overflow system. By installing the most ordinary siphon on such a sink, you can become an unwitting culprit of flooding not only your own, but also your neighbor's housing.
It also does not hurt to pay attention to the throughput of the siphon, if it is insufficient, this can cause a flood, and overflow will not help in this case.
Standard set of siphons with overflow
For the subsequent self-assembly of the drain system, we recommend understanding its composition, which includes:
- The top part of the system, called the outlet. It consists of a metal mesh, a bolt fixing it and a base.
- Outlet pipe (neck). Can be equipped with additional branches for mounting a washing machine or dishwasher.
- Hose or rigid pipe for drain-overflow.
- Siphon body.
- Outlet pipe connecting the siphon and the sewer system.
- Consumables (seals, bolts, etc.).
The connection of parts to each other should be done only with the help of seals, otherwise leaks may occur.
We mount the siphon with our own hands
After checking the completeness of the purchased siphon, you can proceed with its installation. But first, you have to dismantle the old fixture:
- Water shutoff is in progress.
- A basin or other volumetric container is placed under the sink.
- The screw located in the center of the outlet of the sink is unscrewed. The old siphon is dismantled, and the hole in the sewer pipe is temporarily plugged up with something, otherwise, while you are busy, sewer odors will enter the apartment.
- The site of the old siphon application is being cleaned. If the old cast-iron version was previously installed, it is quite possible that all the bolts had time to stick to the metal tightly, it can only be split with a hammer and removed in parts.
Siphon installation is as follows:
- We put a protective grill in the drain hole, putting it on the sealant.
- From below, we attach the neck of the siphon to the sink, attach it to the grate with a long screw that comes with the kit.
- We put a union nut and a conical gasket on the pipe, and then the body of the siphon.
- We adjust the height of the device.
- We insert the outlet pipe into the sewer hole by pulling out the plug. We fix the connection point with a union nut.
- We install an appropriate tube to the overflow outlet. We connect its other end to a small overflow hole on the sink.
After completing the installation, be sure to check the performance of the structure. To do this, turn on the water, close the drain hole and fill the sink. Make sure the overflow system is working, then open the main drain and check all joints for leaks.
As you can see, the process of installing a siphon with overflow is not something very complicated. Therefore, it is quite possible to do it yourself, without resorting to the services of a professional plumber. You can give yourself confidence by viewing a few additional master classes on the Internet.
