Kitchen sink won't hold water

A kitchen sink that will not hold water usually comes down to the stopper or strainer basket, the seal under the strainer, or a leak somewhere below the bowl. Let's figure out which one you have. Fill the bowl a few inches with the drain closed and watch where the water goes.

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Before you start. Before you take any part of the drain apart, shut off the water supply and keep the faucet off. Kohler's installation guide says to shut off the main water supply. If a shutoff will not turn, do not force it, do not take anything apart, and call a plumber. Never put a hand into a garbage disposal. If water has reached a disposal, a plug, a cord or an outlet under the sink, do not touch it and call an electrician. Turn off the breaker only if you can reach the panel safely. If you cannot, stay away from the area and call an electrician or emergency services. If water is spraying or will not stop, call a plumber right away. Waste King says never to place your hand inside the disposal. If a chemical drain cleaner has gone down this sink, do not take the drain apart. Family Handyman says caustic chemicals that did not clear the clog are a danger to anyone who takes the trap apart. Call a plumber and say what you used.

Every question and answer on this page, in order

Question 1: If anything under the sink is wet or dripping, choose the first answer and do not add water. Otherwise, close the drain and fill the bowl a few inches. Where does the water go?

Before you add any water, look in the cabinet. If you can see a wet plug, cord or outlet, do not add water, do not reach in or touch it, and choose the answer about a wet cabinet. If it is dry, lay a dry towel on the cabinet floor under the sink, then check it after a few minutes. On a double sink, test one bowl at a time.

The cabinet gets wet, or I see drips under the sink: go to question 2
Down the drain. The cabinet under the sink stays dry: go to question 3
The bowl holds water, but it empties slowly or not at all when I open the drain: This is a slow drain, not a seal problem

Question 2: First check under the sink for a garbage disposal or any plugged-in device, and read the note below. Then dry the pipes and parts and keep the bowl filled. Where does the first drip form?

InSinkErator's leak check: spread a sheet of newspaper flat over the cabinet floor and tape it down, put stoppers in the sink, fill it, leave it full for a while, then let it drain and look again. Water leaves a wet spot on the paper. Before you dry anything or add more water, check for a garbage disposal or any plugged-in device under the sink. Bob Vila says to unplug a disposal and turn off its power at the breaker box before testing it for leaks, so turn off its breaker first, but only if you can reach the panel safely. If you cannot, do not add water and call an electrician. If a plug, cord or outlet is wet or sitting in water, do not touch it, do not add water, and call an electrician. Turn off the breaker only if you can reach the panel safely. Keep the disposal off while you look.

Right under the strainer, where it passes through the bottom of the bowl, and there is no disposal on this bowl: Likely cause: a leak where the strainer meets the sink
On or around the garbage disposal: the top where it meets the sink, a side connection or the bottom: Likely cause: a leak at the garbage disposal
Lower down, at the trap, a pipe joint, a hose or a water line: Likely cause: a leak in the pipes or fittings below
I cannot tell where it comes from: Likely cause: a leak in the pipes or fittings below

Question 3: What is in the drain opening of the bowl that leaks down?

Danco describes a kitchen basket strainer with a knob in the middle: you press the knob down to stop the water, twist it to let water drain, and lift it to take the basket out. Kohler and Elkay also describe strainers with a plate or grid that is screwed in place and does not move.

A basket or stopper that lifts out. This includes the bowl with a garbage disposal: go to question 4
A plate or grate that stays in place, with no stopper that moves: Nothing is broken: a fixed strainer plate is not a stopper

Question 4: Lift the stopper or basket out and look at it. What do you see?

If this bowl has a garbage disposal, shut off its power first, by unplugging it or turning off its breaker, which is the order Waste King gives for removing a stopper. Keep your fingers out of the opening. Lift the stopper by its top only. Do not force a stuck stopper.

Food film, grease or grit on the stopper, its rubber seal or the drain rim: Possible cause: grime on the stopper
The rubber seal or O-ring is torn, flattened or missing, or the stopper is missing: Likely cause: a stopper that no longer seals, or is missing
It looks clean and sound, but the water still drains away: Likely cause: a stopper that no longer seals, or is missing
I cannot lift it out: Possible cause: grime on the stopper

Possible results

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