Get help or do it yourself?

It used to be that you had to know a lot about plumbing to do anything yourself. Today, if you are installing a new sink in the same location as your old sink or replacing an existing faucet, flexible water supply pipes enable you to install a sink without having to weld pipes or do other major plumbing processes. However, most homeowners hire professionals to install their sinks. New sinks are often installed as part of a kitchen remodel, so you may already have a general contractor engaged who is managing the entire process. If your project is limited to a new sink and faucets, you can call your regular plumber, or ask for a referral from your retailer or etailer.

Size

The size of the sink relates to its function as well as its appearance. Kitchen and utility sinks need to be large to be functional, while bar sinks can be fairly small. The size of any sink needs to relate to the size and proportion of other elements in a room. Many older homes have a tiny powder room, and a tiny sink that is wall hung seems to fit perfectly. On the other hand, even if you wanted the dish washing functionality of a big three bowl kitchen sink, if you have a small kitchen it would appear odd to have such a large sink, and it would be to dominant a design element. When shopping for a sink, it is important to take careful measurements of all of the dimensions of the space where it will be installed. Don't trust size decisions to memory or approximations.

Singles, Doubles, and Divided Sinks

Most bathroom and kitchen sinks that are sold are single bowl sinks. Many kitchen sinks are manufactured with permanent partitions that create multiple bowls. A two bowl sink permits the user wash dishes with soapy water in one bowl and rinse water in another. A three bowl sink permits the user to have one bowl for soapy water, one for rinse water, and one still free to perform ongoing kitchen tasks even while dishes are being washed.

Most sinks have holes to accommodate faucets. (The exceptions would be vessel sinks or sinks using counter or wall mounted faucets.) If you are replacing a faucet in an already installed sink, you need to either buy and install a faucet that matches your hole configuration, or make sure you can adapt a mis-matched faucet and sink to work together. If you have a sink with multiple holes, it is important to measure the distance between holes: the distance between the holes will be one of several standard configurations and you need to know which type of sink you own.

If you are shopping for a new sink and faucet at the same time, make sure you consider the hole configuration of each. Make sure that you have the right sink for your faucet, and vice versa.

Sink Features

Here are some features that you should consider when you purchase your sink:

Integrated Soap Dispensers: A number of sinks are now available with an extra whole to accommodate an integrated liquid soap dispenser.  Many users find this a convenience, but it is particularly popular in kitchens and children's bathrooms.

Strainer Drain: A strainer drain, particularly in a kitchen sink without garbage disposal, is a very important feature. It prevents pieces of waste going down the drain and clogging your plumbing.

Garbage Disposal: A garbage disposal is not technically a sink feature, it is rather an appliance that is purchased separately and attached to the bottom of a kitchen sink. However, if your ideal kitchen includes a garbage disposal, you should make sure that the kitchen sink you purchase is not too deep, and leaves enough clearance for a garbage disposal.

Faucet Features

Here are some features that you should consider when you purchase your faucet:

Flow control/water conservation: All new faucets are now mandated to deliver no more than 2.5 gallons per minute; some provide additional adjustable flow rate restrictors.

Touchless/sensor faucet: These "no hands" faucets have been popular in public washrooms for years, but they are gaining popularity in the home market. They are particularly helpful in kitchens where your hands might be full or messy, and in children's bathrooms where they reduce the spread of germs.

Dripless faucets: Hardened ceramic discs are replacing rubber washers in this latest faucet improvement. The result? Years, if not a lifetime, of dripless performance.

Hot limiting safety valves: If you have children, seniors, or very hot tap water, consider installing faucets with hot limiting safety valves. You will never have to worry about scalding again.

Pressure-balancing valves: Does hot water burn you while you are showering and someone flushes the toilet? Does cold water dowse you when somebody turns on the washing machine? Well, if you install pressure-balancing valves, your pressure and temperature will be constant, despite how anyone else was using water.

Thermostatic valves: Thermostatic valves enable you to "set" a faucet at a specific temperature. Now you can get your shower temperature perfect every time, and you know longer have to spend half your shower fine-tuning. Many thermostatic valve faucets enable you to make multiple settings, so each bather can lock in their own favorite temperature.

Faucet Handles

Sink faucets are either single or double handle in configuration. The most popular handle styles for double handle sinks are the lever handle (that extend at a right angle from the faucet stem) and the cross handle (where the center of the cross is located on top of the faucet stem). A number of faucets are available with both lever and cross-style handles, so you can select your favorite style.  

The handle of a single handle faucet moves both up and down as well as side to side, so the one lever can control the amount of water flow as well as the water temperature. Single handle faucets tend to look more modern, but a number of manufacturers have incorporated traditional and antique designs into single handled faucets. Single handled shower faucets often rotate to adjust water temperature, and slide toward and away from the wall to adjust water flow.

Faucet Spout

All faucet spouts extend into the sink and angle down so the water is directed into the sink bowl. That's where the similarities end and where your decision process needs to begin. Do you want a spout with a standard arch or a high arch (sometimes called a gooseneck spout)? Do you want the spout to be one seamless piece of metal arcing up from the sink, or a multiple piece spout that has a constructed look? Do you want a spout that has a circular circumference, an oval circumference, or is angular? Do you want the spout to be finished in one material, or more than one? Asking these questions will help you understand your options as you shop. Answering these questions will move you closer to a final decision.

Cost

You can easily spend over $2,000 for a new faucet and kitchen sink, but you can also find many models that are under $200 that will look great, function well, and be quite durable. Look for reputable manufacturers combined with 5-year to lifetime warranties.

Cleaning and Maintenance

You should purchase a sink that is durable enough to maintain its appearance under normal use. Follow the cleaning directions that come with your sink. Some sinks, like tempered glass, polished copper, and black enamel will tend to look dirty more quickly than some other materials. If you are a less rigorous cleaner, you may want to buy a sink that requires less frequent cleaning.

You should purchase a faucet that is durable enough to maintain its appearance under normal use. Follow manufacturer recommendations for cleaning. The finish on most faucets will be damaged, for instance, if you clean them with an abrasive pad. Bright polished metal faucets and very light porcelain faucets require the most regular cleaning to look clean. Antique finished and brushed finishes tend to show dirt less readily.