Removing a bathroom sink's drain pipe is necessary to remove the sink from the countertop. Removal of the drain pipe can also be advantageous to increase the size of the working space under the sink. With the drain pipe removed, repairs to the water supply tubes are much easier. Thankfully, removing a bathroom sink's drain pipe is an easy and quick process, and does not require the water valves to be turned off.
Instructions
1. Place a bucket underneath the drain pipe to capture any water sitting in the P-trap.
2. Remove the P-trap from underneath the sink. The P-trap is the U-shaped portion of the plumbing. The P-trap retains an amount of water in its base to prevent any noxious gases from entering the bathroom. To remove the P-trap, loosen the slip nuts at both ends of the P-trap. Note that the slip nuts have ridges around them. Use a pair of adjustable pliers to grasp the slip nuts and to turn them in a counterclockwise direction. Once the slip nuts have been loosened, the P-trap can be removed by pulling it in a downward direction.
3. Remove the sink's pop-up drain linkage. The pop-up drain linkage operates to close the drain on the bottom of the sink to allow the sink to fill with water. The pop-up drain linkage is located at the back of the pipe which is connected to the bottom of the sink. The linkage is attached to the pipe with a large plastic retaining nut. Note that the retaining nut has several ridges around it. Use a pair of adjustable pliers to grasp the retaining nut and to turn it in a counterclockwise direction. Once the retaining nut has been loosened, the linkage can be removed by pulling it in away from the sink's drain pipe.
4. Remove the drain pipe from the bottom of the sink. The drain pipe is attached to the bottom of the sink with a large nut. Grasp the nut with an adjustable wrench, then turn the nut in a counterclockwise direction to loosen it. Once the nut has been loosened, pull the pipe straight down to complete the removal.
Tags: drain pipe, bottom sink, sink drain, sink drain pipe, slip nuts, been loosened, counterclockwise direction