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Sink help

Homeblessings
11 years ago

I'm in need of sink selection 101. I am trying to choose a stainless steel single bowl sink to be installed flush undermount, and have lots of questions.

First, our cabinet is 31 1/2 inches long. I've seen several sinks that are 30 inches in length but say they require a 32 inch cabinet. I called about one and they said it was because the installation clips that go with it are 1 inch each. I could have it installed but would need to use epoxy instead of the clips and it would be a permanent install?

Are there smaller clips that can be used or do the clips differ depending on the sink, brand, etc..

2nd, in order to have a flush mount does the sink need to have a zero radius? The ones I've seen look so modern and I don't want a modern look.

3rd, I'm interested in a sink that is almost 10 inches deep. I've seen comments by other reviewers on other sinks that garbage disposals could not be installed with a sink this deep. How can I know for sure if everything will fit. Our cabinet has a depth of 30 inches and the disposal that is in there now is about 12 inches. Seems like it should fit but maybe it needs to be a certain height from the bottom.

4th, Tell me about the sink hole. What do I need to buy to put in it if it is connected to a disposal? Some kind of drain, strainer, just leave it empty?

If you have answers/opinions to any of these questions or any other things I should consider when choosing a sink I'd love to hear it.

Comments (6)

  • suzanne_sl
    11 years ago

    Maybe I can help with #2, 3 and 4.

    #2: A flush mount sink does not need a zero radius, in fact, it's difficult (nearly impossible?) for a fabricator to get 90-degree corners in a sink cut-out. The roundier the sink, the happier your fabricator will be, but they can do nearly 90-degrees when called for. Mine is.

    #3: A 10" deep sink in a standard sink cabinet (30" sounds right) with a standard garbage disposal underneath fits just fine. Not to worry. It's nice to have more space under there for storage, but isn't necessary for other reasons.

    #4: In general, sinks come with a plug/strainer/drain thingie. You don't need to go find one separately.

  • shannonplus2
    11 years ago

    Just about #3: I have to respectfully disagree with Suzannesl. It all depends on your plumbing setup. What is important is where the plumbing outlet is located under your sink, and taking into account how deep your sink is.

    So, what you want is for the outlet of the disposal--i.e. where the disposal drains into your plumbing to leave the house--to be higher than the plumbing under your sink that takes the water out of your house. It's just about gravity: if your plumbing outlet is located higher than the disposal's outlet, the disposal may not be able to drain properly. So go online and look at the specs of the disposal you are considering, note where the outlet is located, add the 10" depth of your sink plus an inch of counter top if you are undermounting your sink (not sure what "flush undermount" is? I thought a sink is either undermounted, OR is flush with the counter). Look under your sink and see where the plumbing outlet is in the wall, and do the math.

    If you find your plumbing outlet is too high, you can do two things - either get the Insinkerator Evolution Compact which is a smaller 3/4 hp disposal, or have your plumber move the plumbing outlet down a bit. That can be an easy job or a hard job depending on your house's set-up. So ask your plumber to have a look. I have a very large 1 hp batch feed disposal, but it fit fine with my plumbing under my sink. Other homes might be different.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Insinkerator Evolution Compact 3/4 hp Disposer

  • suzanne_sl
    11 years ago

    shannonplus2 - flushmount just means the sides of the sink are flush with the granite above, so not positive or negative reveal, but flush.

    homeblessings - shannon has a point. I was basing my answer on my sink set up. My house was built in 1971. When we remodeled, we installed a 10" deep sink and reused the same Insinkerator and didn't need to change any plumbing. Maybe it depends on when your house was built and what was "standard" then. You might want to check with a plumber.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago

    >shannonplus2 - flushmount just means the sides of the sink are flush with the granite above, so not positive or negative reveal, but flush.

    I thought that was a neutral reveal? I always thought flushmount was an overmount sink faired into the countertop so it made a smooth surface to sweep the crumbs over. Have I been wrong all this time? I'd like to know, if so.

  • Homeblessings
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    flush-I was referring to a neutral reveal in my original post. My fabricator calls it flush.

    Thanks for all the info so far. Anyone have an answer to #1.

    I'm still confused about what to do for a drain. Lots of sinks I've seen come with just a hole, and I've seen a few that come with some type of drain/strainer, but in the reviews people said they didn't use it because of the garbage disposal. Does that mean they just hooked the garbage disposal up to the hole somehow or did they install something else in that space?

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago

    Yes, if you have a garbage disposal, you use the flange for that instead of a sink strainer.