Hello agaIn, plumbers (or plumber wannabes).

[wurm]

Another leak, this time under the sink. It's coming from the sink strainer, so that's my little project for tomorrow. It's a black granite sink and I already ordered the replacement strainer from Amazon last night and it should arrive tomorrow. I checked to make sure I had plumbers putty (and I do), but wait...now I discover that because the sink is granite and the top part of the new strainer is plastic, that I shouldn't use plumbers putty. A little research shows people suggesting clear silicone, but then others say silicone is a b!tch to deal with. Some say plumbers putty will be fine. One guy even suggested a big rubber washer.

So what say y'all?

[Racer X]

:popcorn:

[Speedy]

Anything that doesn't set like cement should work.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Alien epoxy.

Plumbers putty is the default. It's hard to say without seeing it come apart.

[Kraniac]

They spec 100% silicone on stone sinks like that because of the possibility of staining 'n coupled with the plastic Basket..silicone is a good choice..

Plumbers putty is an oil base and that oil can stain..though, properly done..not using too much, which is common..it would probably be fine..or, not a disaster..

however..if the basket is a cheapo and not stout..plumbers putty could distort the plastic part if applied unevenly.

Wurm..when you removed the old basket what was there? was the old basket made of plastic too?

I would most likely not pick the rubber washer option..

[STL]

The plumber that installed ours used silicone.

[DP]

Racer X wrote:
:popcorn:

LOL!

[wurm]

Thanks, all.

Kraniac, I haven't removed the old basket yet, but the black paint is chipping off it and it's metal underneath. this is the one I ordered from Amazon and people seem to like it.

With the silicone, do I apply as much of it as I would plumbers putty? And is there a particular one you'd recommend? I have some of this Loctite left over from a previous project. You think it would work or should I just hope for the best with the plumbers putty. I don't care about staining, just leaking.

[testcase]

The stainless steel Franke sink I had installed 10+ years ago came without a basket. When I ordered a Franke basket, I received a PLASTIC part; TOTALLY unacceptable as far as I'm concerned. At Home Depot, I purchased a stainless steel Kohler basket. No problems at all in that 10+ years. :boink:

[Racer X]

That silicone should be fine.