Kitchen Sink Basket Strainer Replacement – It’s Easy!

A kitchen sink basket strainer replacement should cost you at least $50. It’s important that you get a high quality one, which will save you money in the long run. It should have a durable finish and a reliable stopper mechanism.  The best basket strainer has a spin-lock or a twist and drop styler stopper. The twist and drop style is much easier to use but you would need to get an O-ring replacement.  Try avoiding push in strainers with a plastic knob.

Fist you should test your basket strainer for leaks.

The first step of you kitchen sink basket strainer replacement is to be sure the leak is coming from the basket strainer instead of a pipe joint, test the basket for leaks. Once you confirm that the basket strainer is leaking, begin the removal process by unscrewing the nuts on the trap and freeing the trap from the bottom of the sink. Use some channel locks to unscrew the nut above the strainer but under the sink. If the locknut is rusted in place, spray it with penetrating oil or use a cutting tool to take it off. If you don’t have large enough pliers to get a good grip, loosen the locknut by tapping it with a hammer and an old chisel. (If the locknut won’t move, see the next step, below.) Completely remove the locknut, friction ring and gasket, and lift the old basket out of the sink.

Place the new strainer.

Scrape off the old putty with a plastic putty knife so you don’t scratch the sink. Seal the new basket in the sink with a roll of plumber’s putty surrounding the drain hole. Plumber’s putty cannot be used on certain new sinks, but they will be labeled as such if that is the case. If you can’t use plumber’s putty, use a non-water-based silicone. Excess putty will squeeze out between the new basket strainer and the sink when you tighten the locknut in place. Wipe it off with a rag or paper towel. Make sure to insert the cardboard friction ring between the rubber gasket and the locknut so the locknut spins freely, without catching on the gasket. And thus, you have completed you kitchen sink basket strainer replacement.