If you are stopping by this article then something tells us you might have a leak under your sink which means you want to remove the drain or just the flange and you are second-guessing yourself on how to remove a stuck kitchen sink drain flange? But don’t panic! Here we have explained a very helpful method to help you out with this step to avoid any extra hassle.
Steps to remove stuck kitchen sink drain flange
When it comes to fixing or removing any old kitchen sink accessories then you’ll face the part’s dingy and rusty enough making it impossible to get it out. This rust happens mostly in the sink drainage part, especially in the drain flange which happens to be infected with the hard water buildup. In most cases, you might even have to break it open to remove it from the sink drain. So if you also want to remove your stuck kitchen sink drain flange follow the steps down below:
Tools
- Needle nose pliers
- A large channel lock
- Plumbers putty
- Old towel
- A bucket
Step 1
Take your needle nose pliers or your sink tool to secure the top of the kitchen sink strainer before jumping under the cabinet. Once you have it secured take your large channel locks and stick them onto the strainer flange. This way you’ll be able to disconnect the tailpipe from the strainer.
Step 2
Here your old sink drain flange can be gummed up. This happens because of mineral deposits for years and years. Which makes it pretty tough to remove from the strainer itself. Here you can use any one of the methods we’re going to describe.
- Use a heat gun: to this slowly heat the threads and the slip nuts around the flange. So the rusts will peel off making the threads easier to unthread and expand a little bit. Do not apply heat in one place. Keep the gun moving all around the flange until you can take it apart.
- Use lubricant oil: this method almost works all the time without any fail. Use a spray lubricant on all the threads, nuts, and screws where you can see rust and leave it for one hour. When you come back the threads will be loose and you can pull them apart. Use a toothbrush to scrape off the rusts from the threads and clean them up a bit.
- Use a hacksaw: here you need to get it in between the flange nut and the sink to cut it in. You need to pay attention not to damage the sink. You need to have patience and try several times to fix the saw in place so you can cut properly.
- Basket wrench tool: these come with the sink many times. But you can also buy them from hardware stores. Just get behind the flange and hook it onto the nuts so you can get a grip to twist it.
- A flathead screwdriver: you can try to use a flathead screwdriver and a hammer. Insert the screwdriver into the gap between the flange and the sink. Now use a hammer to tap on the screwdriver to loosen it up.
- Use Dramel’s diamond blade: to cut through the flange in case of emergency you can use this tool. But try to use the smallest bit and be careful of the flange. Only use this tool when you will remove the whole thing and install a new one.
Step 3
Now use your channel locks to unthread the stuck flange. You might need to put some pressure. Now use the same channel lock to unthread the lock nut. Once that lock nut is off you can take the mounting cup off from the bottom and also the old bubbler seal.
Step 4
Once that’s removed then the whole strainer body itself will be easy to just pop up through the sink. With those components out you want to also make sure you clean off all the old plumber’s putty or silicone around the drain around inside out. This way you will get a nice clean metal surface to work with.
Final Verdict
If you’ve read through the whole thing then you probably get your idea of how to remove a stuck kitchen sink drain flange using any of these tools. If you’ve already given them a try then let us know which method worked best for you in the end.
