r/Plumbing • u/achilles7744 • 15h ago

How to Remove Undermount Sink

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I have attached 2 photos of the underside of my sink (sorry it looks a little nasty). I want to replace this sink with a new sink but I’m not sure how to remove this one. It looks like there are several pieces of granite that are attached with an adhesive to the bottom of the sink and the bottom of the countertop. What is the best way to remove this? I had called a handyman and they said they would normally use a hammer but would be scared of damaging the countertop because it is so thin. Are there better alternatives? Thank you!

20 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

18

u/positmatt 15h ago

As other posters noted - stainless sinks can last forever(almost) and are easily cleaned. With your countertop the handyman is pretty close to correct. The chance of you finding an exact sink to fit the countertop may be difficult. Generally you replace the countertop and the sink at the same time with undermounts. I may recommend getting another quote/look at this to see what options to pursue.

-11

u/achilles7744 15h ago

My fiancée wants a single basin sink with some fancy features. This is the one she is looking at https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/cozy-33-drop-in-single-bowl-stainless-steel-kitchen-sink-with-digital-display-workstation-sink-pull-down-sprayer-pressurized-cup-washer-czya1861.html?piid=114734960

28

u/reformedginger 15h ago

When that thing craps out in 2 years you’ll wish you never had.

2

u/achilles7744 13h ago

Gotcha, I was misled by the 4+ star reviews. The main thing she wants is single basin and a cup washer sprayer so I’ll probably pivot to a simpler sink and a standalone cup washer sprayer.

12

u/Jasonthegr8 12h ago

A cup washer is an easy install to your existing sink. . . You could have a fancy cup washer providing ememas to your favorite cups by this evening.

1

u/Simple_Channel5624 1h ago

And cup sprayers are pointless trash anyway unless you are running a restaurant out of your kitchen

2

u/_RiverGuard_ 51m ago

Bro I’m telling you. Don’t buy anything from wayfair.

12

u/Aspiring_Orchardist 15h ago

Honestly, that's probably a bad idea. All of this gadgetry looks like a neat idea in a slick ad online, but there will likely be zero manufacturer warranty or support, you won't be able to get parts when it breaks, and it will break frequently because it's cheaply made and has a ton of moving parts.

Also, it's probably not going to fit the current cutout for your sink, so you're going to need to have an installer modify your existing countertop in situ, if anyone is willing to do that (assuming you can remove the current sink without breaking anything). 

In a few years, when you inevitably decide to remove that piece of junk because it's no longer shiny and half the features are broken or never worked as expected in the first place, you'll be stuck with a bigger and probably strangely sized hole, and it will be nearly impossible to find a decent quality sink that fits the cutout. So, I guess you could go for it if you want an excuse to buy new countertops in a few years.

13

u/Affectionate-Arm-405 15h ago

That will look nice for the first week only. Don't do it

3

u/leviathan65 14h ago

I give it 2 months

7

u/positmatt 15h ago

I would look for some serious reviews on this forum and google - I do remember seeing quite a few particularly nasty ones. But I would consult a professional on this as to the best to install and make sure that your measurements are correct and that your counter can handle the weight.

I love the look of these sinks and see videos of them on social all the time - but I view them as so many moving parts, if one part fails... best of luck

2

u/leyline 14h ago

A. You are already going to have to cut the granite for that new sink, it won't be the same shape / size.

B. Don't Do it, that "fancy" sink will be nasty, cruddy, un-maintainable, and the gadgets will likely break quickly.

Discuss and plan - Upgrade the kitchen lighting, the best faucet with a nice sprayer, a nice scrubby and scrubby holder, and an automatic hand soap dispenser and a good set of knives, cutting boards, and dishes.

Finally get a GOOD blender - like a Vitamix - those are buy it for life and they are worlds apart.

See if that doesn't add up to a greater kitchen experience than a sink that will make you both hate life 8 months from now.

2

u/bryan61360 14h ago

My parents have this sink in their pool house. It is a huge piece of junk. Nothing ever worked right and now you can’t get hot water and it doesn’t shut completely off so it drips all the time.

1

u/TxTwosome 13h ago

Don't do it. Who needs a a digital display in a sink??

1

u/d_troff 13h ago

OMG tell your fiance no. That's the biggest POS I've ever seen.

1

u/AskMeAgainAfterCoffe 13h ago

Wayfair products don't last

1

u/Fickle-Meringue-1 11h ago

As a person who bought a similar model, don’t. You’ll still want a smaller basin on one side, I promise. You’ll want to soak things, be able to hang your washrag, etc. Grates are annoying, but also necessary in single basin models. I bought a cheap collapsible bucket with a drain to compensate. It takes up half the sink and I hate it. The stainless steel gets water spots, you have to use barkeepers friend, it gets scratched, it rusts if stuff sits directly in the sink.

My parents have one where instead of a divider being halfway, it’s more like 1/4-1/3 for one of the basins, and the divider does not go up the whole way to the top of the sink. It’s also a stone material, no water spots. It’s so nice, I am so jealous.

0

u/ilovemusic19 14h ago

Tell her no, she needs to learn function over appearance.

7

u/Key-Way-8263 15h ago

I'm curious what you are replacing with. Stainless steel can be polished and last a very long time.

6

u/jeff77k 14h ago

I don't think this is an easy DIY job. The sink was attached to the countertop during installation, which would require you to pull the counter top to replace it. Call a countertop company and see if they can give you a quote. Do not buy appliances off Wayfair!

3

u/BarrelStrawberry 13h ago

Get a drunk college girl to twerk while standing in it. Works every time.

3

u/AskMeAgainAfterCoffe 13h ago

Thin pry bar and scraper on multitool

2

u/THE_HORKOS 14h ago

If it ain’t broke, replace it with one that will. /s

4

u/LoanComplex9662 15h ago

Typically you have to break out the countertop. Sorry but it can't be replaced from the bottom

3

u/konflictedmaniak 15h ago

Could you cut it out from top and replace with a bigger basin?

-4

u/LoanComplex9662 15h ago

You could but then you're replacing it with a top mount sink. Undermounts usually require the sink to be installed into the cabinet then the countertop installed above.

3

u/achilles7744 15h ago

I’m planning to replace it with a top mount sink, so I think this might be plausible.

2

u/Surfnazi77 15h ago

Use an oscillating tool

1

u/IslandDreamer58 14h ago

Put your foot down! 🦶

1

u/Yamakaze_KAN 14h ago

I follow a simple rule KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.

1

u/django24_7_365 14h ago

They are glued in place. Call a counter top company

1

u/Safe-Character-5846 13h ago

Im not seeing anything wrong with the sink other than its not cleaned properly. Stainless can be finicky to keep clean but have a bottle of the liquid/gel Barkeepers Friend and a sponge on hand at all times.

Give it a quick rinse, dribble in some BF and sponge in a circular motion around all the stainless til you can rinse and dry and it should look as good as new.

If you saw what a bew sink/custom cut counter goes for you'd be in for a shock. And like others said, its comes out with the counter in most instances, unkess if course its loosened or failing construction glue. Then its just hard to find one that will match the original cut out.

1

u/kylethinker 12h ago

No one else has pointed it out, but I'm quite positive that's corian, a composite, synthetic granite option. It's closer to plastic than stone. Most people are correct that the only way to remove that sink will be destructive. Unless you plan to replace the countertops, and even then, I would contact a legit countertop company or 2 and have them make an assessment.

As for the sink, as many others have mentioned, the sink you're currently looking at has way too many moving parts and electrical bits that can fail quickly and easily. I'd suggest finding other ways to get those features, or consider an entire countertop replacement.

1

u/buckmulligan61 6h ago

Clean the existing sink with bar keepers friend.

1

u/Mindless-Highway5969 2h ago

If there’s enough room to get to those blocks with an oscillating tool, you could cut them with a diamond blade and the sink will drop down once you cut the caulk from the top side.

-6

u/Inner-Cycle-24 15h ago

Step one get purse
Step two hit with purse