Can ceramic sinks explode??? =D

[jujujulia]

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

 

[Jimbo]

What is the sink made of? I have seen ceramic lav sinks blow out a chunk, always due to a hammer dropped in it. Your kitchen sink...it's not solid ceramic is it? The more common type would be porcelain enamel on pressed steel ( thin ) or porcelain enamel on solid cast iron. I have never seen a cast iron sink broken.....that would truly take a LARGE sledge hammer blow. The steel sinks, and to a much lesser extent the cast iron, can have chunks of porcelain knocked off by a frying pan or such. How about a picture?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cass]

In the rental game dropping a pan or dish on a sink would be considered normal wear and tear.

The reason is that due to the fragel nature of enamel the possibility of damage, in that particular setting, is high because you have water and soap resulting in a dish or pan slipping and falling out of someones hands and doing damage.

A hammer or similar item causing the damage is not normal wear and tear.

 

[Verdeboy]

If they were given a move-in checklist and they did not mention this damaged sink, then you can subtract the cost of repairing/replacing the sink from their security deposit. If there was no checklist, then they could claim it was like that when they moved in and it would be their word against yours.

As far as the sink self-destructing, that is in the same category as, "The dog ate my homework."

 

[Molo]

It seems possible that a hairline crack coiuld allow water under the enamel coating on a sink. Whether or not the water could do the damage is another question. Also, perhaps the enamel layer was improperly put on the sink in the first place. Although something being dropped on the sink could definitely do this damage, I wouldn't rule out other possibilities.

Good Luck,
Molo

 

[jujujulia]

Thanks for sharing!

Hi, and thanks for your responses. The sink is an undermount; it says "Kohler" on it; perhaps the model number is K-5950 (the numbers are hard to read) S2X21. That S might be a 3 or an 8. There is also one set of numbers that might be a date: 11 4 99 and near that (in front, raised) 03. Since I don't know anything about sinks, I can't tell you what material it's made from. I suspect iron because where the ceramic chipped off the metal is totally oxidized (and staining the adjacent cracks) but for all I know it could be steel or that other material you mentioned (does steel rust if it's not "stainless"?). It is cast and gray in color.

Molo, I got a similar response on another plumbing forum:
Author: hj

It is probably cast iron, and if it is oxidized already then it has probably had the flaw for a long time with water getting under the enamel. Eventually the rust will create enough pressure that it will POP the enamel off the sink. It could have been a manufacturing defect, but only fixtures made after Feb. 2000 have the lifetime warranty. A good commercial refinishing company may be able to repair it cheaper than replacing the sink, given that it is undermounted.

Cass, I especially appreciate your comment. These renters seem like people with good intentions. I can't imagine them with a sledge hammer (though dropping a heavy pan then lying was a possibility...)! Probably what happened is that there was a slow, slow infiltration of water through an invisible hairline crack, and with the hot water and perhaps one pan falling, it really did just pop. Now I can go tell the landlady in good conscious. She's been getting over $18K a year from us for the last four years, she can afford a new sink.

Thanks again. Keep on posting if somebody else wants to share an insight or experience.

 

[Geniescience]

URL link to your sink at kohler site

http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?prod_num=5950-5

Time cost of installing an undermount is often higher than purchase price.

david

 

[Laurie Rice]

My ceramic sink just made a popping sound and exploded!I cant believe it,after the pop noise white chips were everywhere and looks like someone dropped a sledgehammer in it. So your tenants weren't lying. I Can't believe it!

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

T

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

TT j h t m! TT w appop h& tt c ee. CC b i! I nn t s art c hh, so yy t w n lying

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

 

[hj]

Is the metal underneath "rusted"? That description appears to be a poor enameling job. That "defect", if that is what it is, may be covered by Kohler''s "limited lifetime warranty" on their cast iron products. Call 1-800-4KOHLER to check on it.

 

[Troubled]

Hi all you plumbers, handymen, and pros! I have this question for you: We had tenants (sub-renters) in a rental house who let their dishes accumulate in the kitchen sink. Finally (after I insisted) they cleaned up, but the next morning we discover there's a huge piece of ceramic missing... probably nine inches long by half an inch wide. It's missing from the center divider of a double sink... kind of the top/side of the divider. I assume they let something very heavy fall on it. They said, "It just popped. Maybe the hot water caused it to pop."
These are young adults and they've moved out... we didn't have a security deposit from them... if it's really possible that it just popped, I'll just tell the owner that, and she will be responsible. If they let something drop on it, it would be their responsibility. I believe the sink is the same age as the house, which is probably around five-seven years old. And I don't know if this is pertinent, but the house had faulty isolation and the builders had to re-do all the walls... there still persists a bad problem of mold under the sink. Have you ever heard of popping ceramic? Thanks so much for your help, and to the sponsors of this website!

 

[Troubled]

I went to work one day kitchen sink clean and empty. When I came had a large chunk of sink coating off of sink. Mine was located top, back right corner . So yes apparently it can happen. I've been at a loss as to tell mgmt as I never heard of this happening. Glad to hear others have experienced it.

 

[Terry]

Porcelain on steel can chip. It's real common to see chipped sinks.

For a while you could buy Americast sinks. Those chipped pretty badly. I wouldn't install one for a kitchen. Way too much can happen.