Installing Vanity Cabinet Plumbing
Having a Look
Most people do not want to tackle plumbing after looking under their sink. The bathroom can be especially frightening because of the close quarters. Installing vanity cabinet plumbing, like most other aspects of construction is a step-by-step process. When it is viewed as a process, it begins to look like something a homeowner might want to do. Look at it from the floor up to the sink. The waterlines either are coming out of the wall or up through the floor. Then, there are shut-off valves installed onto which the waterlines are connected. Following them up to under side of the sink reveals they are connected to the sink faucet. The same principle applies with the drain. It can be followed up from the floor or wall to the under side of the sink bowl.
Thinking it Through
Starting back at the shut-off valves, their purpose becomes clear. They stop the flow of water to the waterlines so repairs can be done. Looking where the waterline connects to the shut-off valve reveals a nut on the end of a line that can be removed with a wrench. When it is removed, there is a washer inside the nut to help seal the connection and prevents leaks. Up at the underside of the faucet there is another nut that has a washer in it as well. Next, notice the attention that was given to the drainpipes. They are firmly connected at the bottom of the sink bowl by a large PVC nut. Inside that nut is a washer that seals the connection to prevent leaks. Coming down the drainpipe on what is called the tailpiece, there is another nut and washer connecting the tailpiece to the top side of the "P" trap. This is known as a "P" trap because it traps foreign objects from proceeding into the main drainpipe and causing a blockage. The "P" trap dips down and up again and connects to the last piece of the vanity cabinet plumbing that goes into the wall. All of the connections have washers to prevent leaks.
What About the Cabinet?
The vanity cabinet itself is custom fitted for the plumbing in each bathroom. For plumbing that comes up through the floor, measurements are taken from the back wall and from one sidewall to determine where the holes will be drilled to slip the vanity cabinet over the plumbing. In some cases, the are below the bottom shelf. When this happens, a number of options are open to the installer. Some will cut a square or rectangle out of the bottom of the vanity cabinet and build a bottomless box that will slip inside the hole to prevent objects from falling underneath the vanity cabinet. Vanity cabinet plumbing that comes out of the wall is much easier to install a cabinet around than when the plumbing comes through the floor.
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