help setting up the stainless steel sink

I got given a garden sink a few years back and I finally have a chance to set it up.  But it has problems.



The thing is, I don't know where to start.

Things that need repair to make it work!

the connector that converts from the faucet size to the hose size leaks like crazy!

It's one of those quick release converters which I never like anyway.

maybe there is some way to change the faucet so it is compatible with the hose?

or a different kind of converter?

The blue pipe died within about a month of sun degradation.  But I can put a pot/bucket under the drain and that works okay.

Something I would like, but don't know how to do this is to run it off the rain barrel instead of the hose.  I'm almost thinking of putting a second rain barrel above the first, painting it black to make the water hot, then somehow plumbing it in.  Then somehow trickle charge the water from the bottom rain barrel to the top one so that it is ready on weekends when I want to use it?

I don't know.

Ideas?

Mostly I need to stop it leeking.

In case the faucet-hose connector leaks at the threads, you can put some teflon tape or greased flax in the threads to seal it.
(Unscrew, wrap tape around in the same direction you would screw the other part on.)

As for the drain, I placed an oversized pipe under the drain and propped it up… not pretty by any means, but it works.

> maybe there is some way to change the faucet so it is compatible with the hose?
The faucet probably has a 1/2 inch pipe thread… maybe you can fit the garden hose directly on it with some hot water to soften the hose?

The only limit is your budget.  You can hook up an RV water pump to pump water from the rain barrel.  Your gravity idea sounds better.

The blue pipe looks very similar to the cheap black sump pump pipe.  Fairly cheap.

Teflon tape and or new hose washer.

The converter itself seems to be leaking, not where it attaches to the sink or hose.  I'll try to get some photos.

Is there a converter for this to the standard garden hose without the quick release?  That way, I can keep a short length of hose on it to hook on to the regular hose (and don't have to get in under the sink each time I want to hook it up).

Adapters suck.  There are absolutely NPT to Hose Thread (or Hose Bib) adapters.  Most every hardware store has them.  Its just a question of which size NPT you need.

The drain pipe ... drains are easily plumbed with rigid pipe.  Probably black ABS drain pipe, 1.5".  You could run it over at a nice angle and then let it dump into a bucket so you can actually use the shelf underneath.  This is REALLY EASY and CHEAP to do.

I worry about connecting your rain barrels to the faucet.  That's a kitchen style faucet with small orifices, and it probably has an aerator as well.  Gravity feed is unlikely to give you enough pressure to do anything like spray wash veggies - sure you can fill the sink with water, but that water isn't very motivated.  Also, unless you have a good filter system for the collection or the outflow you are likely to clog something - probably the aerator first, possibly the valve.  You can remove the aerator, but then (if you have any pressure) you'll have a splashy sink.

Please, try the gravity feed b/c that would be cool.  But to get the pressure you are used to you'll need to get that tank up like 100'.

Edit - I see that's probably a Lee Valley product.  They've provided some of the best customer service experiences in my life - I'd think a call to them complaining about the adapter will see a new set of adapters mailed to you.

Eliot Mason wrote:Adapters suck.  There are absolutely NPT to Hose Thread (or Hose Bib) adapters.  Most every hardware store has them.  Its just a question of which size NPT you need.

I have callipers.  Where do I measure?

One option I was thinking about was to make a 2 - 3 foot length of hose, with an adapter on one end and the regular hose hook up on the other.  Not sure if this is possible.

I gave the bucket system a try today.  It takes three sink fulls to fill one bucket, so that was easy enough.  No need for a drain pipe.

Mostly I want to use this sink for washing wool and fibre arts stuff, so it doesn't need a lot of pressure.  But hot water would be a huge bonus.  

Hard to say for sure without knowing what the thing looks like - and if its a male or female end.

Its PROBABLY just a threaded pipe sticking straight down from the faucet.  Just measure the outside of the threads.  It will be close to a 1/2" or 3/8" I think...

r ranson wrote:One option I was thinking about was to make a 2 - 3 foot length of hose, with an adapter on one end and the regular hose hook up on the other.  Not sure if this is possible.

Absolutely.  Just take any old section of hose and head into the "hose repair" section of your hardware store.  Then you can assemble a double male or double female hose!  Good hose ends (brass) are about $7 each, plastic about half that.  I really prefer brass as the plastic doesn't hold up well with frequent connect/disconnect.

Lee Valley helpfully suggests their version of this ... https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/water-and-irrigation/hoses-and-accessories/110223-universal-leader-hose

The faucet likely has 1/2" male threads under the deck. If you have some 1/2" female threads lying around (an extra plumbing fitting?) give it a try.  It's not hard to bring home a batch of possible adapters and take the ones back the won't do what you want. Sleazy but practical and if you don't trash the product or the package too badly, should be ok.

Per somebody above, shouldn't be hard to find a hose adapter. "Washing machine" hoses are nominally 48" and have a female at both ends. With a hose adapter on the faucet, you can hook the washing machine hose to the faucet and then the usual male hose connector will mate with the other end.

There are also full 1/2" braided stainless steel faucet connector hoses which will screw directly onto the faucet. Then you put an adapter on the other end out where you can reach it easily and hook a hose to that.

DO NOTE: If you hook up one side of the faucet, one way or another, then power up and try turning the faucet on, you can only turn on the side of the faucet you have hooked up. If you turn on both sides at once, the water will just run straight across the faucet and back out the other side that you have not hooked up. Quite shocking the first time that happens! Wet feet. <g>

If you want to hook both sides up at once to the same single hose, there are Wye hoses sold for washing machines. They have three hose connections and you would want to get two adapters and hook up the Wye to both faucet inputs; then connect your hose to the third.

> drain
Any plastic will die in the sun. Paint it, if you use hard pipe. Depending on how far away you want to dump the water, it's likely worth the trouble to connect "permanent" drain. Well, for me anyway - could be I'm lazier than most and anyway I find well filled 5gal buckets weight more than I'm comfortable schlepping these days. But if you  install a run of drain pipe, protect it so that it's not kicked about because once you get a few feet of pipe you get a _lot_ of leverage and somethings going to break if it gets moved much. Not really a problem, but just a PITA you don't really need to experience.

There're lots of ways. But maybe a more important item is locating and installing the sink so that it doesn't move when you bump into it. That's just trouble waiting somewhere down the line.


Cheers,
Rufus

Some photos.

The goal of the sink is to move it to different parts of the farm depending on where needs water.  I can wash the fleece or do whatever, then empty the bucket on a near by plant.  

That sure looks like 1/2" NPT.  You could easily remove the whole faucet too by unscrewing that cream colored nylon nut, and then just take the whole assembly to the store and make sure things fit!

So curious where that leak is ... I have to ask... are you certain it is coming from the gap at the top of the black piece?  I'm thinking its more likely to come from the gap between the green and black piece. Since leaking water sprays and can move UP from the problem place the best way to tell is to turn on the hose and then wrap your thumb and forefinger around the body of the black fitting.  Water on the top of your hand or water on the bottom?    It really doesn't look like water is sneaking past the threads of the faucet, but it might be sneaking past the green threads on the quick release - and that might be address with some thread tape (aka teflon tape... 79 cents or so for a roll) or maybe a replacement gasket.  If its the  black piece ... its probably cracked or something and its time to get a replacement.

Funny thing ... that black piece is your 1/2" to hose thread adapter. You should be able to unscrew the green piece and attach a hose directly to the black piece.  That's also another way to test for the source of the leak....

I'm deeply amused that you need a portable sink to wash fleece.  That need is somehow simultaneously both perfectly appropriate and totally unnecessary.  If I may be so bold, its very you.

Rufus Laggren wrote:DO NOTE: If you hook up one side of the faucet, one way or another, then power up and try turning the faucet on, you can only turn on the side of the faucet you have hooked up. If you turn on both sides at once, the water will just run straight across the faucet and back out the other side that you have not hooked up. Quite shocking the first time that happens! Wet feet.

That's totally true with standard kitchen and sink faucets.  But this sink is designed to run off a single line, so it doesn't have a mixing valve.  Rufus has a totally valid point if you're trying to convert your old sink faucet to a garden faucet, but doesn't apply here.

Rufus Laggren wrote:
Any plastic will die in the sun

I dunno.  White plastic certainly gets eaten by UV, but I think that black ABS pipe is UV stable.  Am I wrong?

The hardware stores are difficult to get in due to COVID - otherwise, I would just take the faucet in.

I'm about 90% sure the leak is coming from the black part as it's a definite spray rather than just an ooze or drip.

I'll see what I can do about unscrewing the black piece and see if that makes a difference.  

If that doesn't work, what words would I feed amazon to tell me what kind of thing I can buy?

Eliot Mason wrote:I'm deeply amused that you need a portable sink to wash fleece.  That need is somehow simultaneously both perfectly appropriate and totally unnecessary.  If I may be so bold, its very you.

It's a lot of fun.  Not something I would have bought myself, but it is turning out jolly useful.  I really like being able to put the grey (or dark brown) water directly on the garden and I think it's going to be great for making more youtube videos.  

I took the black part apart.



that's the main adapter like you said it would be.  I put it back together with 6!!! wrappings of Teflon tape.  Usually, it only takes 2-3 wraps, but the black parts were fitting together pretty loose.  

It works beautifully now!  

So I'll keep the faucet, but I'm going to get some plumbers putty or probably sugru to get it to stay put.  Right now, it's not sitting securely on the sink.   I'm thinking Sugru because it is easier to take apart if I want to change it.  Also, we put the plumbers putty away and now I can't find it.  

Victory!  Glad that part is now working.

Seems like your bucket has the drain solved ... and I gotta say since portability is key, that's the best solution.

Enjoy!

That is a Bee-Ay-UUUU-tiful sink! <G> Congrats!


Rufus

Love the Raven reference.  Cracked me up.

For those looking for a pump, I've used many different pumps and really like the Shur-Flo pumps like this one.  They're outside Atlanta but I used to order from them for shipping to Canada.  These are 60 psi on-demand pumps so they shut off when you shut off the tap.  They have adjustable pressure delivery, you can get them up to 110 psi or so, and in 12V for remote use.  Here's a pic:



Did you get it from Princess Auto?