A utility sink is essential in many household kitchens these days, the convenience of having a water bowl close to where you are cooking or washing dishes is undeniable. The problem comes when it is not hooked up properly and you can’t use it in the way that you want to. Here’s a guide on how to hook up a utility sink to your garden hose.
Hooking up a utility sink to a garden hose can often be done in the same way as a regular sink. This is to say, you should hook it up to a supply line and drain line. The process can get pretty involved though.
Garden hose faucets are not very easy to work with, especially because they are out in an exposed area of your garden. You may want to use them for filling buckets or watering cans. But there’s an easier way. Hook it up to a utility sink instead of a garden hose spigot.
Table of Contents
Unscrew the Faucet Aerator Counterclockwise to Remove It
- Attaching a garden hose to a kitchen faucet is not complex. A few tools are required, and the amount of time it takes depends on the type of kitchen sink you have. You may have to purchase an adapter kit that can be installed with or without tools.
- Unscrew the faucet aerator counterclockwise to remove it. Flush out any debris that might be in there. If your faucet has a sprayer hose, disconnect it from the spout and set aside.
- Attach the male end of an adapter that connects to your garden hose to the female threads on your kitchen faucet. Make sure that the connections are secure without being too tight. If you don’t have an adapter, purchase one at a hardware store for about $10 and attach it as described above. The adapter allows you to screw on a female connector for your garden hose.
- Screw your garden hose onto the threaded connector on the adapter and make sure that it is securely attached. Turn on both water spigots underneath your sink and check for leaks around the connections.
Turn on the Water Supply.
If you’re installing a laundry sink in an area without plumbing, you can connect it to your garden hose. This is ideal for the garage, basement or utility room. You’ll need a few supplies and tools to make the connections, but once installed, you will have an instant work station to wash and rinse clothes and other items.
- Screw an adapter with a female hose thread on one end and a male pipe thread on the other onto the faucet at the bottom of the laundry sink. Turn the adapter clockwise by hand until you can’t turn it anymore.
- Place a washer over each of the two openings at the end of the garden hose. Insert one end of a 12-inch length of 5/8-inch copper tube into one opening in the garden hose and tighten a compression nut over each end with adjustable pliers.
- Insert a 12-inch length of 1/2-inch copper tube into the other opening in the garden hose and tighten compression nuts over each end. Slide four inches of plastic tubing over each fitting so about two inches extend from each end of both fittings. Tighten a compression nut over each fitting with adjustable pliers.
Allow the Sink Faucet to Run for a Few Seconds before Turning it off Again.
When it comes to sink faucets, the old saying “You get what you pay for” rings true.
Most of the time, when a person wants to attach a hose to a faucet, they want the water to spray out like a garden hose. But when running hot water out of your kitchen sink, it’s better to run it through the faucet and pull it back into your kitchen as needed.
But there are problems with this dispenser method. The first is that it wastes water. When you’re trying to save water, every drop counts. The second problem is that it can be awkward to use.
The solution is a faucet diverter valve that lets you redirect the spray from your kitchen faucet into your sink. It’s a simple installation that takes only seconds and the payoff is tremendous: You now have an effective way to conserve water and get more use out of your plumbing fixtures.
Screw the Adapter onto the Faucet Base and Tighten with Pliers.
- Screw the adapter onto the faucet base and tighten with pliers. Attach the garden hose to the adapter. Attach a rubber washer to the end of the hose, then screw on a sprayer nozzle. If you have a sprayer attachment that came with your sink, it may not need an additional washer.
- Attach a garden hose to your kitchen faucet by screwing it onto the threaded connector on the end of the faucet spout. If your faucet has an aerator on its end, you will have to remove it first before you can attach the garden hose. The aerator has a small screen in it, so be careful not to lose any parts when removing it.
- Take off any old tape from around the threads and apply some new tape by winding it around two or three times clockwise until you reach your starting point. This tape helps prevent leaks.
- Once all these steps have been completed, you should have completed installation and can now use your utility sink.
Put on the Washer, Nut and Rubber Gasket in this Order
1. Hooking up a utility sink to a garden hose is an easy task that can save you from having to lug heavy buckets of water across your lawn for outdoor cleaning purposes. A utility sink is a handy thing to have in the home. By following the steps below, you can quickly and easily connect your sink to a water source to help make outdoor cleaning tasks easier.
2. Attach the faucet spout adapter to the end of your garden hose by screwing it on by hand or using an adjustable wrench.
3. Put on the washer, nut and rubber gasket in this order.
4. Screw the assembly onto the extension tube of your utility sink, tightening with your hand first and then finishing with an adjustable wrench if necessary.
Tighten the Nut, Then Check for Any Water Leaks
Connect the hose to the sink
Attach a garden hose to the faucet. If you need to, you can use an adapter that fits over the end of the faucet and then connects to the hose.
Turn on the water and check for leaks
Turn the knob or lever for the water supply valve so it is in line with the pipe. Turn on the water at your sink faucet and check for any leaks at all of your connections. If there are any, tighten them up until they stop leaking.
Shut off your water
Turn off your main water supply valve and then turn on your sink faucet again to remove as much water from the line as possible.
