Kitchen sink strainer sealing question.

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Annalea

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Hi folks,

I really appreciate the help I've gotten on this forum. Our new Drake is installed, and has been awesome. (Only toilet in the house, eight of us (kids from 12 years down to 4 using it), almost a month now and we've had NO clogs, the CEFIONTECT (CeFiONtect) really does cut down on cleaning, and I'm a happy mama. (At least on that point. lol)

Now, I'm putting together the drain & trap for my new kitchen sink (Ikea Domsjo apron-front), and I've read somewhere that stainless strainers with a rubber gasket underneath don't need anything to seal them on the topside. (I read it on the internet, so it must be true, right? :p) The strainer that came with the sink has a generous rubber gasket underneath the sink that seems to really snug up and seal well, and a thin white styrofoam-looking gasket for the inside-the-sink side of things. But. The white gasket leaves a space between the flange of the strainer and the sink surface, as the gasket isn't as wide as the strainer flange. I don't want to leave it that way, as I won't be able to clean under there. (Yuk!) And it just doesn't look nice, with the flange standing proud of the sink surface. But I'm not sure I want to use plumber's putty, either, as it's so stinky and I'll be using the sink to wash/prep bulk produce. I've used plumber's putty before, and so I know how . . . I just want to be sure it's what I really need to do before actually using it.

Fwiw, looking at the way the strainer is constructed, any dripping water that might find its way under the strainer flange would be caught in the gasket and directed down the drain.
 

Chefwong

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The gaskets go underneath the sink locknut.
Plumbers putty under the sink strainer and I prefer teflon paste ontop of the gasket +top threads under the sink.
Most others use putty or some no callback guys even use caulk....

I've seen a new foam type gasket that replaces plumbers putting, but I highly doubt they will supply this in the strainer box as a ~kit~
 

Annalea

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This type of strainer doesn't have a locknut. It's got a deep, conical plastic base under the sink, and is held in place like a tub strainer, with a threaded bolt that's tightened from the top.

I'm *this close* to getting a more standard strainer, though. The one I have has a threaded connection for a tailpiece, but my drain is high enough in the wall that I'm not sure I can afford the length of this one.
 

Kreemoweet

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Ditch the top gasket if you want, but I'd recommend using putty instead of nothing. You actually cannot avoid having putty under the flange, because if you don't use
plumbers putty you'll eventually acquire a "putty" made up of random sink crud which will smell a LOT worse than any plumber's putty.
 

Annalea

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Point well taken, and thanks! ;) Now, if dh will just get back with the parts I still need . . .
 

hj

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The thick gasket prevents ALL leaks between the strainer and the sink. You do NOT need anything between the top ring and the sink, because any water that leaks past it will be trapped in the strainer because the "plug" is preventing water from flowing through the bottom piece.
 

Annalea

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Thanks, hj. I ended up using the strainer that came with the sink, installed the way you described. It works like a charm (unlike the other one I tried--ugh!).

Thanks so much, everyone, for your help. I have a working kitchen sink for the first time in a month!!! :D And now that I have a kitchen sink, I can get the utility sink out of the bathroom, and install the cute vanity & sink I've got for it. Now, if only I didn't have to cook or clean and I could go straight to that project . . .
 
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