Thank Your Plumbers — For Real!

A Utility Sink Is Useful For Cleaning Up In Your Garage So You Won't Track Dirt Inside

10 November 2022 by Bill Turner

If you use your garage as a workshop and spend a lot of time in there working with tools, you may wish you had a sink to clean up when you're finished so you don't have to walk through your home with grease or dirt on your hands. The perfect solution is a utility sink. A plumbing contractor can install one for you whether you already have plumbing hookups or not. Here's why a utility sink is nice to have and an overview of how it's installed. 

A Utility Sink Is Useful For Many Purposes

A utility sink is usually on its own legs so you don't need a cabinet or vanity for it. Utility sinks are usually much larger and deeper than traditional sinks, so you can wash your dog in it, soak laundry, wash items too big for your sink, and just use it for washing dirty hands.

A utility sink is like any other sink in that it needs hot and cold water along with a drain. The sink hooks into your plumbing system, and it may need a vent to the roof too. Installing a utility sink can be quick and easy if hookups are available or more complex if the plumbing contractor needs to add more plumbing lines.

Hook Up A Drain

A plumbing contractor knows local plumbing codes and how to go about installing a new drain for your sink. They might install a pipe and direct water toward a floor drain. If a bathroom or laundry room is against one wall of the garage, the plumber might hook into a drain in one of those rooms. This might require digging in the garage's foundation.

Another solution might be to leave the drainpipe above the floor but cover it with a step so it's out of sight. However, this installation method could put the drain at risk of freezing. Since your garage may not be heated very well, the plumber has to make sure the water lines and drains are insulated and protected so they don't freeze in the winter.

Connect The Water Lines

Your sink needs hot and cold water lines. The plumber might hook into existing pipes hidden behind a garage wall, or they may need to put in new pipes and connect them to your plumbing system. You'll probably want shut-off valves on each of the lines so you can turn the water off if you plan to be away or if a faucet starts to leak.

Connecting the plumbing is the most difficult part of a utility sink installation since the plumbing contractor won't have to worry about building the sink or vanity. Utility sinks are often ready to go as soon as you buy them, and some come with side shelves so you won't have to worry about adding a table or shelves for storage.

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