What Is a Sink Flange?

If you have a sink in your home, then you probably see the sink flange every day without realizing it. The flange connects the ceramic of the sink to the metal pipes and helps to prevent both from leaking. If you need to locate and repair your sink flange for any reason, then you should start by having a quick look at the bottom of your sink.

Locating the Sink Flange

The sink drain flange is a flat metal disk which fits into the drain hole at the bottom of the sink. It usually has a patterned grid over the hole, rather like a strainer. The flange holds the drain up to the sink and is connected to the former by a straight piece of pipe called a tailpiece.

Different Types of Flange

There are a number of different styles of sink flange, although all of them serve the same basic purpose. The most common is the simple strainer disk. The hole in the middle is stopped up by a plug, although the plug is not usually joined to the sink flange. In the stopper flange, the plug is attached to the center of the sink flange through a metal tube. This tube moves up and down inside the tailpiece.