The Problem: You fill your sink up with water and it slowly drains away. There is nothing leaking underneath the sink and, therefore, you think the seal on the back of the plug is not working. You may have even spoken to the plumber or fitter – they have advised you it has been fitted correctly and you need to get some new plugs.
The Answer: You firstly need to complete the following test to see if the problem actually lies with a faulty plug seal. We can confidently say that, 99% of the time, the problem is NOT the plug or its seal.
Step One:
Here we explain the basics of what we are dealing with. The plug (also known as the basket strainer waste) is sat into a metal flange. When you push the plug downwards, the seal on the underside of the plug comes into contact with the flange and creates a seal.
Step Two:
Push the sink plug down as you would normally to seal and then fill to just over the top of the plug with water. Be careful NOT to put too much water in. You do not want water to go over the top of the metal outer flange and into the sink.
Step Three:
If the rubber seal on the plug is faulty, the water will now drain away and you will need to order a new plug . If the seal is not faulty the water will remain and, therefore, prove that there is nothing wrong with the plug.
Step Four:
We will now explain exactly what the problem is. Basically, if water is draining away, but not through the plug seal, the sink has not been fitted correctly. The water is actually leaking underneath the metal flange due to a missing waterproof seal. In many cases, the installer has either dry fitted the metal flange providing no watertight seal between the metal flange and the ceramic sink. Or it is possible that the installer has used a fabric or rubber seal that is not adequate.
Step Five:
In most cases, this will suit all types of waste system.
Start by removing the basket strainer waste plug and put to one side. Unscrew the centre bolt and place to one side. You should now be able to pull off/lift up the metal flange. On inspection, you will either see no silicone sealant on the underneath, a broken ring of sealant or nothing at all. All you now need to do is ensure everything is dry and clean. Apply a small bead of silicone sealant to the underside of the metal flange. Carefully place the metal flange back in place and refix the centre bolt back into place.
Step Six:
Leave the sealant to completely dry (please refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations). Once dry you can put the plug back into position. Fill the sink up with water and you should find it no longer drains away.
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