Removing sinks

[Johnazjk]

Hi,

Recently bought a house with several unnecessary sinks in bedrooms.

Can anyone point me towards a resource/guide for completely removing a sink?

Most of the guides I've found are about replacing or updating a sink, which isn't helpful.

I've got no meaningful plumbing experience but am fairly capable. Fairly.

Cheers!

John

 

[flh801978]

First of all switch off water supply and check nothing out of cold tap if there is they are fed from a tank so you then need to drain or switch off outlet valve from the tank.
If you have a combi boiler then the hot should have gone off.
If not isolate or drain the tank

Then cut the pipes feeding the taps as far back as you need and use either plastic end stops...just slip on the cut pipes..or compression brass stops...or solder on end stops depending on your level of plumbing skills

Then cut the drain and stop with a plug...solvent weld perhaps

Hopefully you wont have lead pipes?

Turn on supply’s and check for leaks /weeps

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Then cut the pipes feeding the taps as far back as you need and use either plastic end stops...just slip on the cut pipes..or compression brass stops...or solder on end stops depending on your level of plumbing skills

But in doing so you may be creating a "dead leg" - a branch of pipe that is dead-ended so gets no flow through it, which can be a bacteriological hazard (allegedly). WRAS guidelines say the stub should be no more than 1.5 times the pipe diameter in length. So enough to get a stop end on without removing the tee altogether, but not a lot more.

 

[Lons]

Then cut the pipes feeding the taps as far back as you need and use either plastic end stops...just slip on the cut pipes..or compression brass stops...or solder on end stops depending on your level of plumbing skills

But in doing so you may be creating a "dead leg" - a branch of pipe that is dead-ended so gets no flow through it, which can be a bacteriological hazard (allegedly). WRAS guidelines say the stub should be no more than 1.5 times the pipe diameter in length. So enough to get a stop end on without removing the tee altogether, but not a lot more.

Not often practical though when pipes are buried in the wall or under floors!

If using push on plastic stop ends, although not strictly essential imo it's best to put some locking rings on the fittings just in case. I'm never entirely happy with them in difficult to access places - just in case.

One other very important thing is that the pipe ends must be perfectly clean and deburred or you're asking for trouble, best to always use a pipe cutter not a hacksaw!

Bob

 

[novocaine]

their in bedrooms, which suggests upstairs, which in turn suggests they are fed from below the floor, lift the boards near one and take a look whats going on.

it's quite likely that someone has fitted a ring or terminated feed with take offs for each sink rather than individual feeds, so you'll find a pipe with a tee off it beneath each sink. if thats the case do as above but cap them below the floor with a 30mm stub or figure out where the feed is from and cut and cap it there (the latter is much nicer to me, cheaper as it's only 1 cap it's most likely behind a cupboard somewhere)

 

[stuartpaul]

their in bedrooms, which suggests upstairs, which in turn suggests they are fed from below the floor, lift the boards near one and take a look whats going on.

it's quite likely that someone has fitted a ring or terminated feed with take offs for each sink rather than individual feeds, so you'll find a pipe with a tee off it beneath each sink. if thats the case do as above but cap them below the floor with a 30mm stub or figure out where the feed is from and cut and cap it there (the latter is much nicer to me, cheaper as it's only 1 cap it's most likely behind a cupboard somewhere)

That would be my preferred option. Work your way back to the bedroom supplies and try and find the main 'source'. This way you'll have less capping to do and you can strip out any redundant pipework at the same time.

Less potential for leaks in the future!

 

[novocaine]

and copper is worth a good wack when weighed in. but that could be a real pita if it involves ripping up boards.

 

[Johnazjk]

You lot are bloody marvellous. Thanks so much. The info has given me the confidence to get stuck in.

The idea of tracing back to the supply (three rooms have sinks) makes a lot of sense so I'll start there.

Wish me luck and thanks again everyone.