Cast Iron Kitchen and Bath Sinks: Strong and Stylish
A while back, here on our blog, we looked at the differences and characteristics of drop-In and undermount sinks. These styles snd differences in characteristics apply pretty evenly to both kitchen and bathroom setups. Today we are looking at some cast iron sinks in the field. There are a handful of different materials that can be used to make a aink. Cast iron is less common in the industry, yet stainless steel sheet metal is one of the most common of all. We’ll start today by talking about some of the similarities and differences.
To start with some of the obvious details, first off, cast iron is heavy. It’s almost understatement to say “it’s heavy”, it’s more accurate to say it is extremely heavy. Because it’s so heavy, the weight makes it very difficult to work with, the same material characteristics which make it very heavy also make it a really durable sink. When you’re washing dishes, just like with cast iron piping, you don’t hear the clanking noises. Cast iron drain piping, for kitchens and bathrooms, is expensive, but it’s really nice because you don’t hear the noisy waste waters running down through those drain pipes.
This really matters especially as water runs down through other parts of the house. It’s more silent. Plumbing in general is relatively noisy, people don’t think of plumbing as being noisy but in an otherwise silent house, the noise of plumbing pipes, both supply water and drain pipes can really stand out and be annoying. Cast iron though by comparison deadens the sounds and that applies both to piping and to kitchen sinks like this.
The fist sink that we are looking at is a massive drop-in three-compartment sink. Often when people refer to a three-compartment sink, they are referring to commercial kitchen made with three equally large rectangular sinks with super deep reservoirs. This sink is different and not actually made for commercial purposes. Undoubtedly though, this sink is for residential kitchen purposes.
Looking from the underside, upward, you can see the four perforations in the sink that are made for the spout and controls. You can also see one of the sink drain pipes in the middle, for the most shallow sink and on the left hand side, you can see the other side of the drain orifice for the one of the larger sink bowls.
The four openings at the sump or higher area of the sink allow for a spout plus a hot water control and a cold water control and the 4th orifice over to the side can be used for a handful of different optional accessory items. One of the most common types of accessory items added today might be a soap dispenser.
These type of soap dispensers generally have a reservoir underneath of the sink that can be removed and refilled. On top of the sink, there will generally be a dispensing nozzle that can be pumped downward to dispense soap when needed. This fourth hole can also be used for a variety of other things as well. Some of the items that can be used here might include an air gap for a dishwasher.
A dishwasher will generally require a high loop or an air gap to prevent siphoning back of dirty water from the sink to the dishwasher. Dishwasher drains generally discharge into a sink drain or a garbage disposal. But in certain cases, if there’s not an air gap or a high loop, the dishwasher can actually suck the dirty water from the sink back into the dishwasher. The building code generally requires one of these setups and configurations to prevent water being pulled backwards into the dishwasher.
In the picture above, you can see that the drain orifices for the three different compartments of the sink are set up in different types of trims or terminations. The larger bowls at the two sides of the sink are set to connect to a drain with an integral strainer that can be inserted into the drain orifice. The center sink compartment though is much smaller and is set up to allow for the connection of a garbage disposer.
This three compartment sink, unlike a typical commercial kitchen three compartment sink with three sinks of the same depth, has a much smaller sink in the middle. That particular smaller sink is intended for cleaning out the rough food debris from dishes before the dish goes into the compartments at the sides for a final soap cleaning. And this type of cleaning operation, of the large food chunks can be drained down into the garbage disposal in that center sink bowl.
You might still might notice that there are a series of ridges, at the underside of the sink, that run perpendicular to the longer length of the three sinks. These ridges offer support by creating a thickened channel where there is higher resistance to deformation and flexing.
In this coming week’s next blog, we’re going to take a look at a few different angles at the same cast iron sink and talk more about how this particular sink functions and the differences between a configuration like this and a more typical commonplace kitchen sink.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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