Removing a Faucet and Drain from a Vanity Bathroom Sink

Removing a faucet and drain from a vanity bathroom sink may at first seem like a difficult task, but with patience and the right tools most homeowners can complete this project in a single afternoon. More importantly, by reversing these steps, most homeowners can install a new faucet and drain. Cleaning out the remaining drain pipe at this point is also a very good idea.

Step 1 - Turn Off Water Supply

There are two shutoff valves located below each of the riser pipes to the bathroom vanity sink. Turn each of these off by turning their handles clockwise as tightly as they will go. Place a small bucket underneath the left riser and using the #8 or 10 crescent wrench back off the hex nut counter-clockwise. Use the small bucket to catch the water in the riser. Repeat this procedure for the right riser.

Step 2 - Remove Pipe Risers

Using the faucet wrench, carefully get a grip on the end of the hex nut of the left pipe riser that attaches to the faucet and back it off in a counter-clockwise direction. Remove the riser, and repeat the procedure for the right riser.

Step 3 - Remove Faucet

Using either the faucet wrench or the crescent wrenches, back of the faucet retaining nut under the sink in a counter-clockwise direction. Removing these nuts will allow the faucet to be removed from the sink.

Step 4 - Remove Bathroom Sink Drain Pipes

Place the small bucket under the bathroom trap. Start at the bottom of the sink and loosen the upright pipe that attaches to the bathroom drain. Using the #10 or 12 plumber’s wrenches place one wrench on the pipe nut and the other on the bathroom drain retaining nut. Back off the upright pipe nut in a counter-clockwise direction.

Be careful and catch the draining water from this pipe and the rest of the drain pipes as the water retained in these pipes can be somewhat smelly and spilling it can cause odor problems to remain in the vanity sink base.

Next, place the plumber’s wrenches on the pipe resembling a semi-S shape. Back off the nuts for this pipe and catch the water that has been retained in it. Finally, there will be another pipe with the rest of the S shape that attaches to the permanent pipe that goes into the wall. Remove this pipe so that all the drain pipes are removed.

Step 5 - Preventive Maintenance

At this point it would be good to run a “snake” down the permanent pipe that goes into the wall. This will clean out the pipe and prevent problems later on when the new drain pipes are installed. It is also a good idea to use a drain cleaner and deodorant or household cleaner to clean out this remainder of the drain system.