How To: Rough-In a Laundry Sink
Whether you’re remodeling your home or simply seeking a quick upgrade, adding a laundry room sink can elevate your space. Ideal for hand washing, soaking, and rinsing clothing with ease, this addition brings convenience and versatility to any laundry room.
Discover how to install your new sink with expert advice from Ben Goheen, a master plumber with 12 years of experience. His top tips will help make your project fast, easy, and reliable.
What you’ll need for the install:
- SharkBite Max Fittings
- SharkBite Depth & Deburr Tool
- SharkBite PEX-a Pipe
- HoldRite Washing Machine Outlet Box with Arrestor
- HoldRite Fixture Outlet Box
- HoldRite Hycro Bar
- HoldRite PEXRite™ Turn-out PEX Support
- HoldRite PEXRite™ Galvanized Bracket and Tube Clamp Kit
- HoldRite Stout Bracket™ Galvanized Wide Telescoping Bracket
- Adjustable wrench
- Ratcheting cutters
- PVC pipes and tees
- Fernco
- Spade bit
- Oscillating multi-tool or other power tool
Installation
After one of Ben’s customers discovered mold behind the wall in their laundry room, they decided to upgrade that space with a sink. To prep the installation, unplug the dryer, disconnect the vent and move the dryer out of the way. To disconnect the washing machine, turn the hot and cold handles on the outlet box to the off position and disconnect the two lines with an adjustable wrench. Then, carefully pull out the drain hose.
After disconnecting the water lines, measure and mark the area of sheetrock you need to remove. Then, unscrew the covers of any electrical outlets and use an oscillating multi-tool to cut out the sheetrock. Open up the wall and make a plan for how you need to repipe the area.
Starting with your drain line, mark the area where you need to remove the pipe. More than likely, it’s made of PVC pipe, so use ratcheting cutters to cut the pipe and ensure no one is using any plumbing in the house. After cutting the pipe, use a 2-5/8 in. hole saw bit to drill a line in the studs from the drain pipe to the new sink. Plumb new PVC pipe through the holes and prime the old pipe, the new PVC tee, and the new PVC pipes. Add glue to the connections and connect all the pipes. Then, connect this new line to the existing drain line with more primer and glue and a fernco on the other end. Use more PVC pipes, primer and glue to plumb the connection point for the sink. Add a cap to the end so it’s full roughed-in and ready for sheetrock and other teams to come through.
Once the drain line is done, turn off the water to your home at the water meter. Then, disconnect the old washing machine outlet box and replace it with a HoldRite outlet box with adjustable hyco bars. These outlet boxes are available in PEX-a, CPVC and copper tailpieces, which means you can choose the pipe and connection method that works best for you. In this installation, Ben used the PEX-a tailpieces and connected them to copper pipe with SharkBite Max fittings. To do this, use the depth and deburr tool to measure, mark and deburr the PEX pipe and push your fittings to the mark. Then, secure the outlet box to the studs with hyco bars, which can be adjusted within the wall to fit the exact orientation you need.
Read More: Why You Should Be Using Appliance Boxes During Plumbing Rough-In
If you have copper water lines, take extra time to deburr the inside of the pipe, which will reduce the wear on the pipe. Then, prime and glue PVC pipe from the new washing machine box to the existing line.
Watch: How To: Use SharkBite Max Depth and Deburr Tool
Now you can easily rough-in the new water lines with SharkBite PEX pipe. Use a spade bit to drill your lines through the studs and remove any wood shavings or debris. Run your PEX pipe through the studs and use two SharkBite Max tees to connect the new lines to the existing lines and the washing machine appliance box.
To rough in the hot and cold water supply valves for your new sink, use HoldRite fixture outlet boxes for a fast and easy installation. Start by adding a couple of turn-out PEX supports to curve your PEX pipes according to where you need the water supply valves to line up. Attach your fixture outlet boxes to the studs or HoldRite stout brackets as needed and connect the hot and cold water lines to your new fixture boxes using SharkBite Max fittings. Once your PEX pipes are securely attached to your fixture boxes, thread the protective cover on both fixtures, turn the water back on and test for leaks.