Fixing conventional Lavatory basins

FIXING LAVATORY BASINS.

Lavatory basins are sanitary appliances used for hand and face washing. Domestic basins are usually fixed in a bathroom with other sanitary appliances or in a bed room. In public places such as toilets, several basins may be fitted in ranges.

Sizes:

Lavatory basins are available in various sizes, but the commonest are between 600mm x 685mm wide and between 400mm and 560mm deep to the back.

Materials:

Domestic basins are usually manufactured from vitreous china, glazed fire clay, and stainless steel.

Supports:

Lavatory basins are normally supported by the following supports:

1. Pedestal stand.

2. Cantilever brackets.  

3. Ranges of basins may be built into special acrylic covered timber units.

4. Basin bolts.

Fixing heights:

The height for bracket mounted basins, the front edge of the basin to the floor can be summarized as in the table below:

AGE	FIXING HEIGHT
Adults	760mm – 860mm
11years-15years	787mm
8years-11years	678mm
2years-8years	610mm

The height of the pedestal mounted basins will be fixed by the pedestal itself.

Water supply:

Cold and hot water supply taps are fitted into the holes built into the top of the basin suitable for a 13mm diameter supply.

Waste fitting:

 Waste fitting is fitted into a hole in the bottom of the bowl which connects to an integral overflow.  Waste fittings are usually 32mm diameter and made of chrome –coated brass with a slot to line up with the integral overflow. They may also be of the pop-up type with a lever for operation fixed into a third hole in the top of the basin or they may have a simple plug and

chain stopper. Some mixer taps are available with a built-in pop-up control needing only one fixing hole in the middle.

					No.	No.
Name of operation		Fitting lavatory basin		Main subject	Fitting sanitary appliances
					Materials, tools, etc.
					Square wash basin (pop-up type) (with a set of accessories), curl plugs, bolts, sealing agent, solder, flux One set of impact drills, motor wrench, water pump pliers, screw-driver, torch lamp, tile chisel, punch chisel, hammer, wire brush (file), one set of inking tools.
No.	Operation Procedure		Essentials		Illustration
1.	Prepare		1. Check and confirm whether the pipes for water, hot water and drain arranged on the wall are positioned dimensionally properly for the wash basin to be fitted.  Check also the directions in which the respective pipes are provided, and correct if there is something wrong. 2. Mark the positions of the back hangers of the wash basin in inking, in the specified positions or in reference to the position of the drain pipe. 3. Confirm the positions of cold water and hot water taps (usually the cold water tap is on the right). 4. Confirm whether all the accessories of the wash basin are prepared.
2.	Fit the back hangers.		1. Make small holes by a tiling punch chisel at the inked positions (oval hole A of Fig. 1), and make plug holes with a size and depth suitable for the wooden screws, by an auger, driving curl plugs. 2. Fit the back hangers, and fit the wash basin temporarily, confirming the horizontality and height (If there is any error, measure the correction value and remove the wash basin). 3. According to the above correction value, ink the positions of the above two round holes of the back hangers. 4. Turn the back hangers upside down, and drive curl plugs to the above inked positions as done in 1, returning the back hangers to the regular positions, to fix them. 5. Fit the wash basin again temporarily.  For adjusting the horizontality of the wash basin, do as shown in Fig. 5. 6. After determining the position of the wash basin, ink the positions of the set screws C of Fig. 1, and remove the wash basin, driving curl plugs at the inked positions.
3.	Assemble the wash basin		1. Fit the cold water and hot water taps to the wash basin. 2. Fit the drain fitting (fig. 2).  Apply a small amount of sealing agent to the thread of the main drain fitting (to prevent leak from the

					No.	No.
Name of operation		Fitting lavatory basin		Main subject	Fitting sanitary appliances
No.	Operation Procedure		Essentials		Illustration
			From the thread during use), and put a U packing at the top and a half round packing at the bottom, tightening with a box nut (do not paint or putty the U and half round packings). 3. Fit the kick box (Fig. 2).  Fit the drag rod.  Adjust the kick bar and the drag rod to attain 10 mm as the opening A of the drain cock and 5mm as the opening B between the handle and the guide, and then stop the support metal by the pin (fig. 4). 4. Determine the direction of the kick box (fig. 3), and lock the kick box by the lock nut (Fig. 2).
4.	Fit the angle valves		1. The angle valves can be fitted, before assembling the wash basin. 2. Fit the angle valves for cold water and hot water, with the feed direction upward.
5.	Fit the wash basin		1. Hook the wash basin on the back hangers. 2. Fix the wash basin by wooden screws at C of Fig. 1. 3. Connect the angle valve and the tap with a Heliuse pipe.  In this case, if the box nut packing of the angle valve does not suit in position, bend the Heliuse pipe for connection.  Finally tighten the tap box nut.
6.	Fit a drain pipe P trap		1. Expand the bore of the discharge port lead pipe on the wall like a trumpet, to make the connection socket of the P trap pipe. 2. Polish the P trap and the lead pipe on the surface to be soldered, by a file or wire brush. 3. Insert the P trap at the drain bottom of the kick box of Fig. 2, and put a protective collar from the tip of the drain fitting.  Then adjust to the drain lead pipe bore, and tighten the two box nuts of the P trap, to fix the P tap, soldering the lead pipe and the P trap together. 4. Move the protective collar to the solder joint, to cover the joint.  The solder joint should as close to the wall as possible.

Remarks: 1. When ordering lavatory basins you must specify whether you need 1, 2 or 3 holes in the top of the basin. 2. All fixing screws for brackets and pedestals should be non-ferrous. 3. Basins can bedded on to the brackets and pedestals with putty, plaster or mastic sealant. 4. P-trap design should be used with basins, which may be tubular or bottle type. The material of traps will depend on the waste pipe itself but polypropylene or polythene is usual. 5. Holes in the underside of the back of ceramic basins allow additional fixing to the wall with basin bolts or screws, but care must be taken not to over tighten the screws or nuts or you could crack the basin. You can use leather or lead washers to act as a cushion.

Assignment: 1. Install a wall hung lavatory basin suitable for junior pupil aged 6years. 2. Measure and mark the fixing height. 3. Measure and mark positions of the fixing brackets. 4. Screw the brackets on to the wall. 5. Check and confirm the level. 6. Measure and mark the position of the waste pipe outlet hole. 7. Make the hole. 8. Fix taps and flexible tubes. 9. Fix the waste fitting. 10.   Assemble and attach a bottle trap on to the waste fitting. 11.   Mount the basin on to the brackets. 12.  Check and confirm level. 13.  Connect water and test for leakages.

	Task No. 1 Fitting lavatory basin
Name of instructor								Evaluation
Date of execution of project				Number of times execution
Evaluation method. Demerit method
Division		Marking item			Marking point		Demerit Unit		Mark		Demerit
Note:  Demerits when a student omits the work shown in “Demerit points” at practical work.
Score		100 – Total demerits =                                         pts.
Scoring range		100 ~ 75			74 ~ 50		49 ~ 25		Below 24
Evaluation code		A			B		C		D (re-do)