Kitchen Plumbing in Ottawa — Sinks, Faucets & Dishwashers

Clear the cabinet under the sink and dry everything with a towel. Then run the tap with the drain closed, open the drain, and finally leave everything off. A drip that appears only when water drains points to the basket strainer, tailpiece or trap. A drip with the tap closed points to a supply hose, valve or the faucet itself. Water that appears during a dishwasher cycle points to the dishwasher hose or its connection.

Tell us what you saw at each stage. That one observation often saves time during the visit. If water is spraying or the cabinet floor is soaked, close the shut-offs under the sink if they turn freely, or close the main shut-off. Do not force a seized valve; old multi-turn valves can break when forced.

Many kitchen faucets can be repaired with a cartridge, O-rings or a new pull-down hose. Repair makes sense when the faucet body is sound and parts are available for the model. Replacement makes sense when the body is corroded, the finish has failed, parts are discontinued or you want a different style or function.

Before buying a new faucet, count the holes in the sink or counter, check whether you need a deck plate, and measure the clearance to the window or cabinets above. Pull-down faucets need room under the sink for the hose and its weight. Touchless faucets need a power source or batteries. The EPA WaterSense resources below explain how to compare faucet water use.

Grease poured down a kitchen sink cools and sticks to the inside of the drain, catching food scraps and coffee grounds until water slows. The City of Ottawa asks residents to keep fats, oils and grease out of drains for this reason. Wipe greasy pans into the green bin and use a strainer in the sink.

If only the kitchen sink is slow, the restriction is usually in the trap or the branch drain behind the wall. If the kitchen sink, dishwasher and nearby fixtures all slow down, the problem may be farther along the main drain. Mention every affected fixture so the right drain clearing method is planned.

A dishwasher needs a hot-water supply with its own accessible shut-off, a drain connection and power. The drain hose is normally routed up to the underside of the counter, called a high loop, or through an air gap device, before connecting to the sink tailpiece or disposer. This helps keep dirty sink water from flowing back into the dishwasher.

When a dishwasher will not drain, check the filter first, then look for a kinked hose. If a new disposer was just installed, the plastic knockout plug in its dishwasher inlet may still be in place. Leaks at the front of the dishwasher are often door seals or leveling, while leaks underneath can involve the supply or drain connections and need the water shut off.

A food waste disposer mounts under the sink and connects to the drain. Installing one involves the mounting assembly, drain alignment, the dishwasher inlet and electrical supply, which may be an outlet or a hard-wired switch. Electrical work beyond plugging into an existing outlet may require a licensed electrician.

A disposer does not make a drain grease-proof. Run cold water while using it and avoid fibrous scraps, bones and large amounts of starchy food. On a private septic system, a disposer adds solids to the tank and can mean more frequent pumping; ask about it before installing. Condo owners should check building rules first.

Fridge ice makers and water dispensers need a cold-water supply. Older installations often used thin plastic tubing connected with a saddle valve clamped onto a pipe. These can crack or leak, sometimes behind the fridge where no one sees the water until the floor is damaged.

A dedicated shut-off valve and a braided stainless or copper line are worth discussing, especially when moving or replacing a fridge. Leave enough line to pull the fridge out without stress on the connection. If the fridge has a filter, replace it on the maker's schedule; a clogged filter can reduce flow and look like a plumbing fault.

A sink replacement disconnects and reconnects the drain, strainers, trap, supplies and any dishwasher or disposer connections. Undermount sinks are attached to the underside of stone or solid-surface counters and are usually installed or reset with the countertop. Drop-in sinks sit on top of the counter and can often be replaced alone if the new sink fits the existing cut-out.

Measure the cabinet width and the existing cut-out before buying. A deeper bowl can put the drain outlet lower than the existing wall drain, which may require adjusting the trap arm. Single and double bowls connect differently. Ask who handles the counter, the plumbing and any electrical work before the old sink comes out.

Moving a sink to an island is one of the most involved kitchen plumbing jobs. The drain needs a proper slope, and because there is no wall above the sink, venting is handled differently, for example with a loop vent or another method allowed for that situation. Supply lines and the drain usually run through the floor below.

Access from a basement makes island plumbing far easier than a slab or finished ceiling. Changes to drain and vent piping can require a building permit under the Ontario Building Code and City of Ottawa process. Plan plumbing before ordering cabinets so the island layout leaves room for the drain, trap and dishwasher.

Every kitchen sink should have accessible shut-off valves for hot and cold water. Older multi-turn valves can seize or leak when finally used. When a faucet or sink is replaced, it is often sensible to replace these valves too, so you can isolate the kitchen in a future leak without shutting off the whole house.

Know where your main water shut-off is as well, usually near the water meter in the basement. Test it gently once a year. If it does not close fully, mention it at your next plumbing visit, because a working main shut-off is the most important tool during any kitchen leak.

Ottawa's municipal water is treated and tested by the City. Some homeowners still add an under-sink filter or reverse osmosis system for taste, and homes on private wells may need testing and treatment. A filter at the kitchen sink needs space under the cabinet, a supply connection and, for reverse osmosis, a drain connection.

If your home may have lead service pipes, which can be found in some Ottawa homes built before the mid-1950s, follow Health Canada and City of Ottawa advice and run the cold tap before drinking after water has been sitting. A filter is not a replacement for addressing lead piping. Our water treatment page covers testing and filtration options.

During a renovation, plan the plumbing before cabinets arrive: sink location, dishwasher position, fridge line route and any island. Ask your contractor which trade handles each connection. A short plumbing visit before cabinets go in can prevent cutting into new cabinetry later.

Condo owners should check with management before planned work that needs a water shutdown, and confirm whether disposers are allowed. Tenants should notify the landlord about leaks and get approval before non-emergency work. Landlords can request written job reports describing the problem and the completed work.

Empty the cabinet under the sink, move items off the counter near the faucet and have product boxes and manuals ready for any new faucet, sink, dishwasher or disposer. Tell us about chemical drain products already used. Make sure the area is lit and pets are elsewhere.

After the work, run hot and cold water, fill and drain the sink, and run a short dishwasher cycle if one was connected. Check the cabinet for drips over the next day. Ask what was replaced and which parts or workmanship terms apply, and keep the invoice with your product manuals.