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Overflow on Vanity Sink

Mule

Platinum Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
1,520
Location
Texas
This is the first time I've ran across this and it got me to thinking. Performed a final plumbing inspection on a new residence today. Went into the hall bath, turned on the hot water, pulled the stopper to fill the bowl. I always do that so that I have a volume of water to check for leaks underneath.

I'm letting the water run... checking other stuff... look back and the sink is about to run over. WHOAAAA NELLY!!! I thought all vanity sinks had overflows.......

I'm thinking... is this a code violation??? Then I walk through and see the kitchen sink.... well golllly dern.. the kitchen sink don't have one..... I knew that but it seems to me all vanity sinks have overflows...... I'm digging in the code but I'll post here.. you guys are smarter.....
 
I've alway figured it was a feature to prevent the kids (and absent-minded adults) from overflowing the sinks and tubs, not a code requirement though.
 
Overflows are not required by code, however if they are intalled then it needs to drain on the house side of the trap. When I was plumbing full time I found lots sinks that did not come with overflows more so in the more exspensive sinks.

have a wonderful 4th and don't do anything I wouldn't do which keeps it pretty wide open. :)
 
Thanks for the replies. It was one of those hmmmmmmm moments!
 
I saw a sink at the home improvement store the other day without an overflow drain, the sink was made flat with a v-shape that drains to the sink drain, cool..... I figured the faucet can only put out so much water and there was no drain stop to fill the sink. Could be wrong in my thinkn'

pc1
 
The one i was inquiring about had a pull stopper in the faucet assembly. That's what started me thinking.......... Don't know why I noticed there wasn't an overflow!
 
Air gap between spout and flood level rim is required, but no overflow drain, especially noticeable on some of these ridiculous new-fangled blown glass and ceramic pedestals that some think are so cool.
 
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