Plastic spacers for pedestal sink

[kman1801]

Hi! I have an old pedestal sink that is secured to the wall with two screws, but there are plastic spacers that fit over the screws that the bolt fits tight against. They are about 1.5" long and appx 2" in diameter on the bolt side.

These plastic spacers have broken and need replacement. I cannot get the bolts tight enough to secure the sink without them, but I cannot find them anywhere I search.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jadnashua]

It sounds like those were part of the sink install and not generic parts. A picture of what you have might suggest an alternative way to get it to work.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[kman1801]

Thank you for the reply. Not sure if this picture shows the issue very well. The recessed area under the sink is about 1"-1.5" deep.



I did find an installation kit that includes two white "spacers" but these don't look quite as thick or deep as the ones I had. It would not surprise me if they are 50 years old.

 

[Jadnashua]

Those plastic pieces are to help prevent metal to porcelain contact. You could achieve the same thing with some plastic tubing or say some electrrical tape over the threads and a rubber gasket (or plastic) underneath the metal washers. On the sink I have, they did not supply or recommend either the plastic piece or a gasket or plastic washer...it just called for a metal washer underneath the nut. It has to be tight enough to hold it to the wall and not so tight that it tries to bend the brittle porcelain. Finishing the sink edge to the wall with some caulk will also help to stabilize it after you've got the bolts in place. Ideally, the bolts will screw into solid blocking, and the plastic wall anchors aren't what's trying to hold things in place.

 

[kman1801]

Hi Jim - great suggestion! I was able to locate 1" long, 3/8" ID nylon spacers at Home Depot (kind of a miracle) and some new neoprene and metal washers. I needed an extra 1/2" spacer on one side, so I lucked out by grabbing a set of those. I still managed to make a mess, but my sink is securely fastened again. Many thanks your help!