Need help with a pedestal sink

[Herb G]

We have a pedestal sink in our bathroom. The P-trap has rusted out & I have to change it.
I watched many videos on Youtube on how to install one of these sinks, but nothing on fixing one.

Can I loosen up the lag bolts & jack the sink up to pull the pedestal out and change the P-trap without damaging it?
Has anyone ever done it this way?

I'd hate to have to take the sink out entirely just to fix it.

Any pointers, ideas, or experience doing it this way?

Thanks for any help.

[Phil Thien]

A lot of pedestal sinks are merely resting on the pedestal, the installation instructions call for the sink to be supported entirely by structure in the wall.  In the two I've installed, I could lift the sink a little and pull the pedestal out if need be.

Some of them I've seen are improperly installed, only using drywall anchors to hold the back of the sinks. Removing the pedestal would likely result in a sink on the floor.

So I'd check by wiggling the pedestal around a little and see if it will move.

But don't pull it out unless you know the sink is lagged into structure in the wall and won't rip-off the wall if you remove the pedestal.

[crokett™]

Our last house when I remodeled the guest bath, I left the pedestal sink. I'll never do that again. I had to redo some of the plumbing under it. I used 2x4s to hold up the sink while I removed the pedestal to get access to the plumbing. If you have enough access to the p-trap without removing the pedestal, I strongly recommend doing it that way.

[Herb G]

My plan was to use a small hydraulic floor jack to lift the sink with some 2X4's and prop it up long enough to slide the pedestal out from underneath it.
There is absolutely no way in this world to access the drain from underneath the sink, as it actually sits back inside the pedestal.

If there is an obvious problem doing this, I'd like to know ahead of time.
The sink is shaped like a giant scallop shell, and the bottom of it is rounded over.
There is no flat areas on it to lift or support it, so I have to wing it to make it work anyway.


Feel free to throw in your $.02 here gang.
I can really use the help.

Thanks, as always.

[Bob10]

My plan was to use a small hydraulic floor jack to lift the sink with some 2X4's and prop it up long enough to slide the pedestal out from underneath it.
There is absolutely no way in this world to access the drain from underneath the sink, as it actually sits back inside the pedestal.

If there is an obvious problem doing this, I'd like to know ahead of time.
The sink is shaped like a giant scallop shell, and the bottom of it is rounded over.
There is no flat areas on it to lift or support it, so I have to wing it to make it work anyway.


Feel free to throw in your $.02 here gang.
I can really use the help.

Thanks, as always.

I wouldn't do what you propose as it is too easy to knock the support out from under the sink.  I have to ask have you checked to see if it actually needs the support?  If so don't support it was something as precarious as a jack with something propped on it

[crokett™]

I have to ask have you checked to see if it actually needs the support?  If so don't support it was something as precarious as a jack with something propped on it

pedestal sinks are supposed to be installed so that they are self-supporting.   the pedestal is decoration.  that being said, I wouldn't trust it to hang there without support.  what I did was cut the caulk 'twixt the sink and pedestal and knock in some 2x4 legs either side of the pedestal that were cut a shade longer than it was.  the sink rose slightly, I pulled the pedestal out and got to work.

[EricU]

when I put in a pedestal sink, I put a 2x4 in the wall to hold it up.  I feel like that probably isn't done all that often.  That sink was perfect for the basement bathroom it went in, which basically was just used by me when I was too covered in dirt to take a shower upstairs and when we had guests. I doubt I will have the reason to use one again though.

[Cooler]

If you don't know how it was installed I would make a pair of temporary legs out of 2 x 4 material to support it while you remove the pedestal.  

I favor the all metal varieties, but the plastic ones are much more popular.  I would avoid the corrugated pipe that flexes.  It cannot be very good.