How to choose a siphon for a sink?

A modern city dweller does not even think how complex his apartment is. Thoughts about it begin to come to mind when something goes wrong and needs to be fixed or replaced. Elements of the water system fail especially often, and the moment comes when you have to look for a faucet, sink or piece of pipe. Now we will talk about how to choose a siphon for the sink.

to contents ↑

What is the siphon for?

Every citizen has seen this pear-shaped container or corrugated hose under the sink more than once. But not everyone knows that without such a thing, it is impossible to attach either a kitchen sink, a wash basin, or a bathtub to sewer pipes. Dirty water gets into this pear or piece of pipe. If there was no container, the used liquid would pour back into the wash basin. This is the main purpose of the siphon.

In addition, it prevents odors that inevitably appear in sewer pipes from entering the room. So the thing is very useful, and even more so - necessary.

to contents ↑

Standard siphon device

Every siphon, regardless of the model, consists of several parts:

• inlet pipe;
• outlet pipe;
• constructions between them.

This device works on the principle of communicating vessels, with water coming from the sink, which is located above, and goes into the sewer located below.

Important! In the structure located between the pipes, there is always water, that is, there is a water plug that prevents odors from entering the apartment from the sewer network. In the same part of the device, dirt is also trapped. Actually, the type of product is determined by where the hydraulic lock is located.

to contents ↑

How does he work?

Every siphon operates as follows:

1. Water flows from the sink.
2. A rather high pressure is formed in the drain.
3. Water is forced into the sewer.
4. The tap is closing.
5. All water flows out of the sink.
6. Pressure equalizes.
7. Water remains in the flask or pipe.

Important! The size of the water plug may vary. In bottle siphons it is maximum, in corrugated and flat - minimal. If you do not use the device with a small plug for a long time, the water layer can completely evaporate, and unpleasant odors penetrate the apartment.

to contents ↑

What are the siphons?

Arriving at any plumbing store, you will see that there are a lot of similar devices on the shelves. How to choose a siphon for a sink in your apartment? To begin with - to figure out how they differ from each other. There are only two options:

• material;
• design.

to contents ↑

Talk about materials

For the manufacture of such devices, several materials are used. They can be divided into two groups:

• plastic;
• metal.

Which siphon is better for the kitchen - plastic or metal? It is not that simple. There are only two plastics that are used for the manufacture of such products:

• polyethylene;
• polypropylene.

They are not much different from each other both in terms of properties and price. Plastic has a lot of advantages:

• does not rust;
• does not decay;
• on the walls, fat and mud deposits accumulate not too willingly, respectively - the diameter of the inner hole practically does not decrease;
• affordable.

This is the reason for the growing popularity of plastics among plumbing manufacturers and their customers.

Metals

With metals, things are much more interesting. In the plumbing industry, several are used. In particular, for siphons are used:

• cast iron;
• brass;
• copper;
• bronze.

Cast iron

Cast-iron siphons are still being produced, and lovers of the Retro style often prefer just such. Such products cost more than plastic ones, but last longer. True, cast iron has a couple of very significant drawbacks:

• fragility;
• a lot of weight.

Important! Cast iron products should not be subjected to serious mechanical stress. If, for example, a sink collapses in a kitchen or bathroom, you will have to part with a siphon.

Copper, Bronze, Brass

Products made from these materials look luxurious. They are especially loved by fans of Classics and Baroque. Such siphons with good care last for a long time, they reliably protect the sink from the penetration of dirty water, do not suffer very much from fat deposits.

But many apartment owners are stopped by a rather high price. In addition, plumbing devices made of these metals need special care - they need to be cleaned with special tools. They do not tolerate abrasive substances and hard washcloths. If copper and bronze surfaces are not properly looked after, an oxide layer appears on them.

Important! Metal siphons are harder to mount than plastic siphons.

to contents ↑

Types of kitchen sink siphons

Siphons differ from each other not only in material, but also in design. At the same time, different devices are usually placed under the kitchen sink and wash basin in the bathroom. There are several types:

• bottle ones, they are bulbous;
• knee or pipe;
• corrugated;
• flat.

Bottle

Flask-like, they are also bottle-shaped, siphons consist of several parts. They have nozzles and a flask. On sale you can find two types of such products:

• with immersion tube;
• with two partitions.

Both options are good, in their functionality they are not much different from each other, and the choice depends entirely on your preferences.

Important! The main advantage of this variety is the large solid particles that enter the kitchen sink quite often, linger in the flask and do not go further down the drain. That is, a system with such a device is less likely to clog - it is much easier to clean the flask than the entire pipe. To do this, just unscrew the bottom of the glass.

Trumpet

The knee, a pipe siphon, is a curved pipe, most often with two bends. They also come in two forms:

• S-shaped;
• U-shaped.

The option depends on the location of the sink. In standard city apartments, S-shaped structures are more common.

Important! The pipe siphons have sockets that allow you to connect household appliances without problems. Such devices are often used in bathrooms, because they are more difficult to clean than bottle ones.

Corrugated

In fact, this is not a separate type, but a pipe version. This differs from other knee siphons only in that the pipe can be bent as you like. A very convenient option for modern small kitchens, especially if there is very little space under the sink.

Important! The design is simple, but its main disadvantage is the lack of a bell for connecting kitchen units that require draining into the sewer.

The model consists of several parts:

• release;
• corrugated hose;
• curved case.

The outlet is connected to the drain, and the structure is attached to the sewer pipe using an adapter. Unfortunately, cleaning such a siphon is rather troublesome - you have to remove it completely.

Flat

In fact, this is also a kind of knee siphons, only more compact. The bend has a U-shape:

• The advantage of this type is that there are models that allow you to connect two kitchen sinks.
• The design is extremely simple, even a novice who has never been engaged in plumbing work can mount.
• There is a special kind of flat siphons - hidden. The bend is hidden in the wall or built-in cabinet.

The main drawback is the rather complicated cleaning. As in the case of other tubular models, in order to remove dirt and grease, the device will have to be completely disassembled. Therefore, flat siphons are most often placed under the bath.

Important! If you have a sink with two sinks or you are planning to connect a washing or dishwasher, it is better to choose a double or even triple model, and for sinks with two drain holes, a model with overflow is suitable.

to contents ↑

What else to look at?

And now you figured out the question of which sink siphon is better. The point is small - to buy and deliver. But in the store it may turn out that, it turns out, not all siphons have the same outputs. Therefore, be sure to pay attention to the diameter of the pipe. If you are going to put it under the kitchen sink, choose a model with a wide nozzle - you will have to clean it less often.

Having estimated which model you need and from what material, you can safely go to the store. Ask the seller to show you some siphons, as well as documentation for them. Inspect the products themselves carefully. They should not be:

• cracks;
• chips;
• thread defects.

Important! Look at the complete set and check the availability of all elements, as well as the quality of gaskets, plugs and generally everything that your model has.

to contents ↑

Change the siphon

Finally, you brought it home decided to try to deliver. Fasteners are included in the package and you, of course, checked it. Do not be lazy and look again. But for installation, you need something else, namely, the most elementary tools:

• screwdriver;
• knife;
• silicone sealant.

Important! It is better to tighten plastic nuts by hand, a wrench in this story can only do much harm. The knife must be sharp enough to cut the burrs on the thread. And silicone sealant is very useful to process the compounds.

Novice Plumbing School

The principle of mounting siphons of different types is approximately the same, but there are some nuances that should be taken into account. So before proceeding with the installation, it is best to carefully read the instructions.

Important! If you have a flask siphon, first assemble the flask. Under the sink, it is better to put a basin in which it will be possible to drain the water plug.

This is what the general working procedure will be:

1. Find all the accessories.
2. Arrange them in the order shown (as they are indicated on the diagram).
3. Close the tap (the riser can not be blocked).
4. Put the grate, if any, in the drain hole of the sink - in some models a wide rubber gasket is placed in the hole, in others - a flat grate, the installation location of which is filled with sealant.
5. Place a gasket on top of the discharge drain (it is already on some models).
6. Press the same pipe to the drain.
7. Tighten the screw into the grill hole.
8. Tighten the screw so that the connection is tight, and the gasket flange should not rotate.
9. Attach the siphon to the pipe.
10. On the free end, screw the plastic bike with the thread down.
11. Put on the same cone gasket, the wide side should be on the side of the nut.
12. Insert the pipe into the siphon hole.
13. Adjust its length.
14. Make sure that the narrow part of the gasket is completely inside the socket.
15. Tighten the nut.
16. Put the nut and the second cone gasket onto the outlet pipe.
17. Connect this assembly to the siphon outlet.
18. Place the free end of the outlet pipe into the sewer socket, after putting on the cuff.

Important! The siphons of the old model do not have a grate, so the flange is attached with a plastic nut directly under the sink.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Some models are assembled even easier than indicated. The fact is that manufacturers are trying to make life easier for consumers and produce products whose parts are already connected in knots.It remains only to collect all this together, which even a novice repairman will cope with.