Month: May 2021

How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Bathroom Sink?
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How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Bathroom Sink?

Bathroom Sink Replacement Costs at a Glance

  • Average total cost: $470-$700
  • Sink: $100-$250
  • Faucet: $50-$800
  • Tile countertop: $2-$75 per tile
  • Solid surface countertop: $75-$150 per square foot
  • Granite countertop: $75-$300 per square foot
  • Quartz countertop: $110-$250 per square foot
  • Labor cost: $20-$150 per hour

The bathroom sink is a high-traffic, functional fixture your family uses several times a day. Whether you’ve got kids regularly putting the porcelain through its paces or the sink in your master bath just doesn’t give the spa vibes you desire, replacing a bathroom sink might be a home improvement task for you.

This May Also Interest You: How to Replace or Install a Bathroom Faucet

Is bathroom sink installation something you want to tackle on your own, or should you hire a professional? Discover more about the cost to replace a bathroom sink below.

Reasons to Replace Your Bathroom Sink

People replace bathroom sinks for many reasons, but the “why” behind this small bathroom reno task can actually impact the cost of installation. Here are a few common reasons you might decide to replace a bathroom sink:

Damage

Perhaps the kids smashed it one too many times with hard toys and there’s a crack, or maybe time has worn away the protective glaze. Replacing the sink in this case can help reduce functionality issues or leaks.

Mold or Mildew

An ill-fitting sink or one that’s damaged could support mold or mildew growth. Tiny leaks, seeps or problems draining, for example, can spur such problems on. You’ll likely have to fix this problem before you can install a new sink, which may add to the total cost.

Upgrade Time

If you want a more functional faucet or bathroom vanity, you may wish to replace the bathroom sink. Or maybe you just think the existing sink is ugly. You’re tired of looking at an eyesore every time you brush your teeth, or you’ve redecorated the rest of the bathroom and it’s time for the sink to catch up.

Average Cost to Replace a Bathroom Sink

According to Porch.com, the average cost for replacing a sink runs from $470 to $700, including materials and labor. The Home Depot, for example, charges $200 to $350 to install a sink, though that doesn’t include the cost of the sink, faucet or any related plumbing work that might need to be done. The sink itself costs between $100 and $250 on average.

Can I Replace a Bathroom Sink Myself?

Replacing a bathroom sink isn’t a small home improvement task, but it can be a DIY job if you have the right tools and skills. You’ll need to be comfortable with detailed measuring and basic plumbing. If you want to replace the sink and vanity at the same time, you can get all-in-one kits cut for you to make the job easier.

If a plumbing issue is the reason why you want to replace the sink, you may want to consult a professional for assistance. They may need to make more changes than just the sink to resolve the issue. They can also let you know if sink repair is a good alternative to replacement.

How Long Does It Take to Change a Bathroom Sink?

If you’re just swapping out a sink for another or dropping a vanity and sink into place, the job usually takes less than four or five hours. Bigger sink replacement jobs can take a bit longer. It all comes down to how skilled you are, whether you run into unplanned issues and what you need modify to fit your needs. Need to cut out more space on a countertop? That’s going to add some time.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Bathroom Countertop?

Obviously, if you want to replace the vanity top as well as the sink, that will cost you more money. According to HGTV, the type of countertop you choose can drastically change the cost.

Tile is often the cheapest, costing $2 to $75 per tile, depending on the material. Solid surface materials that look like stone can cost between $75 and $150 per square foot. Granite costs $75 to $300 per square foot. Manufactured quartz costs between $110 and $250 per square foot.

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clean bathroom sink and faucet

How Much Does a New Faucet Cost?

If you want to add a new faucet to your bathroom sink installation project, that will increase the total price. Faucets come in a wide range of styles and finishes, so you could be looking at an expense between $50 and $800 or more.

The cost of the faucet depends on the functionality, design, materials and designer. Many bathroom faucets come with common hardware for installation, but you may need to buy additional items to complete the process. This is especially true if you’re switching from a one-hole to a three-hole faucet or vice versa, as you may need to cut out or hide counter holes and run some different lines.

technicians

How Much Does a Plumber Charge to Replace a Bathroom Sink?

Plumbers usually charge by the hour, though some may have flat fees for specific types of work. Plumber costs can range from $20 to $150 per hour. You’ll also have to pay for any materials, like the sink and faucet.

If a sink installation job does take several hours, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars in addition to the cost of materials. If you require sink work on a weekend or holiday, the cost may be higher.

When You Should Call a Plumber

Dropping in a new sink is a DIY job many people are comfortable with. But if you need to rerun or adjust pipes, it might be time to call a plumber to avoid issues down the road. And if you do have a problem where water is rushing into areas where it’s not supposed to be, you will definitely want to call for professional help.

Since we’re all home now more than ever, being prepared for unexpected home repairs with a plan from Service Lines Warranties of America is important. Having a plan in place gives you peace of mind knowing that you can simply call our 24/7 repair hotline for covered breakdowns. See what plans are available in your neighborhood.

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Can You Pour Cooking Grease Down the Drain? No. Here’s Why

Your kitchen sink drain is where unwanted liquids go — dirty dishwater, expired milk and that cup of coffee you made but forgot to drink. Cooking oils and liquid grease seem to fit into this category. However, dumping that stuff down the drain is a great way to get a greasy blockage in your pipes.

This May Also Interest You: Snake’s in a Drain! How to Unclog Your Sink With a Drain Snake

So, no. You really shouldn’t pour grease, oil or animal fat down any kind of drain, including your toilet. The reason why is a little gross, but you need to hear it …

What Happens If You Pour Grease Down the Drain?

When you finish cooking bacon, the grease in the pan is a liquid. Let it sit for a few hours at room temperature and it’ll harden. That’s exactly what happens in your pipes if you pour liquid grease down the drain or garbage disposal. But when it congeals in your pipes, it gums up the works.

At first, you may notice water drains from your sink slower than before. Soon, you may experience full backups. If you have a septic system, grease can cause all sorts of problems. All-Clear Septic & Wastewater Services of Massachusetts warns that, if you ignore fat buildup, eventually, your pipes may have to be dug up and replaced.

What If the Oil Is Liquid at Room Temperature?

Cooking oils will stay liquid no matter how long you let them sit out — but oil and water still don’t mix. According to Mike Wilson Plumbing of Virginia, liquid oils coat the inside of your pipes, creating a sticky trap for food scraps and an ideal environment for clogs.

What Else Shouldn’t Go Down the Drain?

A good rule of thumb is never to pour cooking oils or grease from cooked meat down the drain. But to avoid buildup, Hunker says you should avoid dumping these, too:

  • Salad dressing
  • Coconut oil
  • Peanut butter
  • Butter
  • Lard
  • Mayonnaise
  • Cosmetic oils
  • Petroleum jelly

Can I Pour Grease Down the Drain With Dish Soap?

Dish soap is designed to break down the grease on your pots, pans and plates, but it’s not powerful enough to dissolve large amounts of oil. While it may help flush fatty deposits out of your own pipes, the grease is just pushed farther into the sewer system or your septic tank.

‘Fatbergs’

If your pipes are connected to a city sewer system, pouring grease down the drain can cause problems on a much larger scale. In the sewer, your hardened grease mixes with everyone else’s, forming an ever-growing, solid mass of fat. Indiscriminate flushing of non-flushable items — Q-tips, floss and even “flushable” wipes — clogs the sewers with materials that can’t be broken down. These catch on the globs of fat and combine to create “fatbergs” that can weigh several tons.

This has happened in several major cities around the world, including London and Detroit. (Before you click, be warned: These are pretty gross.) In Baltimore, a massive fatberg caused a million-gallon sewer overflow.

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How to Properly Dispose of Grease

Hopefully, the idea of a bus-size fat mass is enough to convince you that you shouldn’t pour grease down the drain. But you’ll still need to dispose of it somehow.

A little oil in the bottom of a pan can be wiped out with a paper towel. Let larger amounts of grease and butter cool off, then pour them into a disposable container to solidify. Pour cooled cooking oil back into the container it came in or another large jug. Make sure the lid is on tight before you throw it away.

What Can I Do If I Poured Grease Down the Drain?

Any oil, fat or grease you dump down the drain may contribute to these large accumulations in your city’s sewer system or deposits in your septic system — but there are a few things you can do to keep fat from building up in your pipes.

According to Mr. Rooter Plumbing, hot water will turn the grease back into a liquid so it can continue down your pipes. Pour a gallon of boiling water down the drain along with some dish soap. You may also want to run hot water from the faucet. Before you pour any boiling water, check whether your pipes are metal or PVC; PVC pipes could melt under extreme heat.

Some drain cleaners claim to break down greasy clogs, but using them too often isn’t good for your plumbing. Discover Plumbing and Rooter of California recommends a baking-soda-and-vinegar approach. Shake half a cup of baking soda into the drain, then pour an equal amount of white vinegar after it. The fizzing reaction will help dissolve the fat. After 10 minutes, flush it out with boiling water.

Since we’re all home now more than ever, being prepared for unexpected home repairs with a plan from HomeServe is important. Having a plan in place gives you peace of mind knowing that you can simply call our 24/7 repair hotline for covered breakdowns. See what plans are available in your neighborhood.

Never Flush These 11 Things Down Your Toilet
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Never Flush These 11 Things Down Your Toilet

We all put things down our toilet that aren’t exactly supposed to be there — whether out of convenience or ignorance. But you should know that your habit of flushing cat litter or Q-tips might be harmful to both your house’s septic system and your city’s sewer system.

This May Also Interest You: How to Fix a Clogged Toilet

When you flush your toilet, the wastewater drains into your pipes, then into the city sewer system or your septic tank. Items that don’t belong in your pipes can create massive clogs, which could result in your septic system backing up into your home. In severe cases, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection says trash can clog citywide sewer pipes and damage the equipment at wastewater treatment facilities.

Say it with us: “My septic system is not designed to handle anything other than human waste and toilet paper.”

In theory, that makes sense. But there are still so many things that seem flushable. These are some of the most commonly flushed items — and the reasons why you should keep them out of the toilet:

1. ‘Flushable’ Products

This one’s kind of a paradox: Almost everything labeled “flushable” shouldn’t be flushed. According to Templeton, Calif.’s Water Conservation Department, “flushable” only means that an item can be flushed without clogging the toilet. But that’s not a good metric by which to judge whether something will be harmful to your septic system or your city’s sewer system. Most so-called flushable items — wipes, diapers, seat covers and cleaning products — don’t break down completely, which can cause clogs later on.

2. Bathroom Trash

Bathroom waste often gets chucked into the toilet just because of proximity. After all, the toilet also transports waste from one place to another, right? Avoid the temptation and throw these items in the trash instead:

  • Dental floss
  • Q-tips and cotton balls
  • Menstrual products
  • Band-Aids
  • Contact lenses
  • Condoms
  • Disposable masks and gloves

3. Food

Tell your kids to stop flushing their bread crusts. According to Mr. Rooter Plumbing, your toilet is not the place for food scraps. Food doesn’t break down the same way as human waste, which means it might end up sitting in your pipes for a while. Scraps like bones or fruit pits will take a long time to break down, and oils and fats will solidify in the pipes.

4. Non-Toilet Paper

Have you ever seen a paper towel commercial? You know how the advertiser will show off the strength of the product by using a few paper towels to carry a watermelon (or another heavy object)? Toilet paper commercials rarely feature such a segment because toilet paper is designed to break down as soon as it hits the water. Other paper products — like tissues, wipes and paper towels — are supposed to hold up under the same circumstances. For that reason, they can build up in sewer systems and cause blockages.

While we’re at it, don’t flush newspaper, documents, photos, paper packaging or the cardboard toilet paper roll, either.

5. Medicine and Prescriptions

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, flushing pharmaceuticals can harm waterways because wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to remove these substances from the water. The chemicals in over-the-counter and prescription medications can harm fish and contaminate drinking water.

That said, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a “Flush List” of commonly abused prescription medications that have been deemed OK to flush if you can’t locate a drug take-back location.

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6. Diapers

Flushing a diaper is a one-way ticket to a clogged toilet. Wastewater Treatment Services of Texas says diapers won’t break down in the water. So, even if you can flush one without clogging the system initially, you may have some expensive repairs waiting for you down the line. Baby wipes — though they may pass without a clog — shouldn’t be flushed, either.

7. Fish

Pet fish have long been dignified with water burials — but it turns out that flushing your fish is harmful to more than just your septic system. Sometimes your little finned friend that’s gone belly up hasn’t actually expired, and contrary to what you may believe, your toilet isn’t a direct line to the ocean. This means that your fish may wind up dying in a wastewater treatment plant. Or — as Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper explains — your pet goldfish might accidentally end up in a local waterway after an overflow, where it’s an invasive species that may harm other wildlife.

8. Cat Litter

If you prefer furry friends, you may have considered throwing their waste in the toilet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s usually fine to flush doggy doo, as long as it’s not in a plastic bag. It’ll be treated just like human waste.

The same does not apply if you have a cat who uses a litter box. Just take this warning from Supeck Septic Services of Medina, Ohio: “Flushing kitty litter — even ‘flushable’ kitty litter — wreaks havoc on your septic system and can quickly lead to catastrophic, whole-system failure.”

9. Hair

Long hair likes to stick to the inside of pipes. According to American Water, flushing a clump of hair can create a net-like structure that traps other objects, leading to clogs.

10. Nail Clippings

Like hair, fingernail and toenail clippings are technically organic matter, but that doesn’t mean they’ll break down in your septic tank. Avoid problems by clipping your nails into the trash can, instead.

11. Chemicals or Poisons

Automotive chemicals, fuels, solvents and poisons should stay far away from your toilet, as they can harm your drain lines. According to the National Agricultural Safety Database, these toxic substances can leach into the soil or contaminate groundwater and waterways. To be safe, never pour these things down any household drain, including your toilet:

  • Paint or paint thinner
  • Gasoline, kerosene or lighter fluid
  • Antifreeze, motor oil or brake fluid
  • Pesticides or fertilizers
  • Pest poisons

Since we’re all home now more than ever, being prepared for unexpected home repairs with a plan from HomeServe is important. Having a plan in place gives you peace of mind knowing that you can simply call our 24/7 repair hotline for covered breakdowns. See what plans are available in your neighborhood.