Installing basement slop sink questions part 2

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Giantsean

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Hi All,

So this post deals more w/ the inlet plumbing of a slop sink.

The supply is 1/2 copper (currently stopped off at the ceiling while I removed the old sink) which will run down the wall. In most cases supply will be under the sink but w/o routing I'll need to leave a gap to allow the pipes to run straight down.

My question is this... if it was YOUR house, would you simply use flexible compression line and small sink shutoffs like most sinks (I can either do 3/8 to 1/2 or 1/2 to 1/2) or would you just forgo that and go full copper with a couple of quarter turn ball valves in line above the sink? I don't imagine I'll be moving it a lot but will be nice to be able to take it apart if absolutely I have to (unlike the cast iron sink which was going NOWHERE... this is the first time it's probably moved in 60 years lol)

On that note, I am also working out a way to better afix it to this block wall, as it's very unstable now w/ 1 1/4" pipe legs and just one bolt each. I will add another bolt to the front legs and thinking to build a ledger shelf to sit the back on to get it tighter to the wall. I looked into various clamps but hard to make it work w/ the sewer pipe so close. In front I was just thinking of tapconning a flange to the floor and threading the legs in.

I thought of other ideas like wood stanchions as it had before, or a PVC or pipe frame, and everything in between. Again if it was yours and you were looking for stability and most efficient use of space, what would you guys do?

Thx!

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Giantsean

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Hey so for this I'm less concerned about the sink placement (I'll figure out how to best get it situated) and more about the choice of inlet lines. Aside from the flexibility to remove (and arguably way easy installation), would it make any huge difference performance wise to use flex vs. straight 1/2 copper?

The only potential limiting factor I can see is flex may be more restrictive (and regardless of nut size the lines all seem pretty much the same), but the difference is probably negligible.
 

Reach4

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Aside from the flexibility to remove (and arguably way easy installation), would it make any huge difference performance wise to use flex vs. straight 1/2 copper?
Soft copper will perform as well. Compression fittings?
 

Giantsean

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Soft copper will perform as well. Compression fittings?

The faucets have 1/2 sweat inlets (albeit screwed on) so figured I'd just leave that alone and run 1/2" all the way to 1/4 turn ball valves above the sink, then 1/2 copper to the supply. The lines dangle from the ceiling joists so fitment isn't an issue... the only problem will be if I need to move it away from the wall (unlikely as it will likely be bolted to the floor) I'll need heat to get it done.
 

ADK_MechETech

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Why not pex? With shutoff valves in-line near the ceiling, you can sweat (or thread) adapters onto the faucet and just crimp on the pex. Far easier than copper either sweat or compression. Much cheaper too assuming you have or can borrow the crimp tool.

I was using the copper ring style but am now using the stainless cinch clamps. They are super easy to remove with the proper tool (or vise grips) if you ever need to.
 

Giantsean

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Actually not a bad idea except I have a lot of leftover 1/2 copper, and my shutoffs are sweat. I do also have a lot of PEX stuff too and it may well work way better for routing... I'll mount first and see what my best bet is. thanks!
 

Tuttles Revenge

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I have the same sink setup at home in the garage. Except my faucet is mounted to the wall. I would install regular angle stops and longish flexible supply hoses to supply the water. You will get plenty of flow from that for regular slop sink duty.

As far as mounting the sink. Does it have a flat flange that points up? Or is the top bent down behind the sink?

With a flat flange its easy to drill holes through the stainless and use pan head screws to mount it.

If it has the "french cleat" style you need to get some form of bracket that the sink half of the cleat will drop into to hold it to the wall... Or drill holes awkwardly through the face of the angle and the back cleat to sink srews into the wall at weird angles.. like someone did to mine before I got it.

Honestly.. mine is free floating and occaisionally the drain comes separated from the wall. But its in the garage so it can't harm anything when a couple ounces of water drip. If it were over wood, I would secure it tight to the wall.
 

ADK_MechETech

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Actually not a bad idea except I have a lot of leftover 1/2 copper, and my shutoffs are sweat. I do also have a lot of PEX stuff too and it may well work way better for routing... I'll mount first and see what my best bet is. thanks!

I totally understand. I like to use what I have also, I just don't have a bunch of $$$ in copper laying around, lol!. Even just sweating in a ~6" section of copper to your shutoffs (I'm assuming you have ball valves already there?) and transitioning to PEX is easy and convenient. Regardless, if you already have valves at the ceiling, I wouldn't bother with the typical shutoffs and supply lines. It's redundant and just another expense. 1/2" PEX is cheap and quite flexible if you wanted to come down near the floor and loop it up to enter the faucet adapters from the bottom even. Another thing hammered into me across multiple disciplines is that the more joints and/or fittings there are, the more points of failure.
 

Giantsean

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As far as mounting the sink. Does it have a flat flange that points up? Or is the top bent down behind the sink?

So no cleats as I think it was always designed to be free standing (unless it was modified). There is a rolled rim around just the basins which ends at the backsplash... originally I wanted to use the original stanchions but they were floating vs. attached to the floor as I thought, and pretty much fell apart once they felt 200 lbs lighter for the first time since probably the 60's lol

I had some ideas on either building a small shelf w/ brackets to rest it on or stringing a 2x4 across the mounting legs and then attaching to the wall. The little legs aren't flimsy but they will twist w/ torque so trying to brace it in the process.

Honestly.. mine is free floating and occaisionally the drain comes separated from the wall. But its in the garage so it can't harm anything when a couple ounces of water drip. If it were over wood, I would secure it tight to the wall.

Yes truth be told the drain on the old sink used to fall off regularly (but with old slip joints and metal pipe it wasn't surprising. The real reason I want to secure it is that I'm so used to a basement sink being immobile that I think I'd freak out a little every time it got jostled lol
 

Tuttles Revenge

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If the sink can't sit against the wall due to the 4" drain running behind, I would build a frame of some sort and face it with plywood or gold sheet metal, whichever is cheaper at the moment. Then if you build it from plywood, paint it.

Still seems odd that it wouldn't have one of the two mounting methods
Stainless Sink.png
 

Giantsean

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I totally understand. I like to use what I have also, I just don't have a bunch of $$$ in copper laying around, lol!. Even just sweating in a ~6" section of copper to your shutoffs (I'm assuming you have ball valves already there?) and transitioning to PEX is easy and convenient. Regardless, if you already have valves at the ceiling, I wouldn't bother with the typical shutoffs and supply lines. It's redundant and just another expense. 1/2" PEX is cheap and quite flexible if you wanted to come down near the floor and loop it up to enter the faucet adapters from the bottom even. Another thing hammered into me across multiple disciplines is that the more joints and/or fittings there are, the more points of failure.

I like working w/ PEX (and I do in fact have plenty of 1/2 PEX for the job) but I do not love the smaller ID which makes me wonder whether max flow is being maintained... it may just come down to how hard it is to make these angles (and of course PEX wins for that). I have old gate valves in the ceiling but they serve the washer and outside hose as well. They DO however leak so it would not be a bad idea to swap out.

I do eventually want to re-do all the 1950's plumbing in the basement and part of that will be redesigning all of this, so I should honestly just be focused on doing what works right now and not worry so much about what's right... waiting for the re-do may actually allow me to best use the copper I have later w/o having to buy more. Thanks for the continued discussion!
 

Giantsean

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If the sink can't sit against the wall due to the 4" drain running behind, I would build a frame of some sort and face it with plywood or gold sheet metal, whichever is cheaper at the moment. Then if you build it from plywood, paint it.

Still seems odd that it wouldn't have one of the two mounting methods View attachment 74371

It does not unfortunately. The backsplash is just bent steel and the back is the inverse of the shape you see. I think it was meant to be a stander.

Tonight I messed around a bit and realized I might be able to make a frame out of 1" steel pipe and sit the rolled edge on it (1 1/4 is a bit too fat). There are probably a dozen "ok" ways to mount it with none of them being perfect. At least my Ramset is in good shape lol.
 
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