Be wary of ads for free stainless sinks
Not all, but most, stainless steel sinks given away as promotions to sell counter tops do not meet local building code. If you received a “free sink” with your counter top it is possible, and even likely, that it is not certified to meet the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC)®, International Plumbing Code (IPC)® or the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC)®.
All components of the plumbing system are required to be certified by a third party accredited agency to comply with standards listed in these codes. For example, if you go to your local building supply store you will notice there is a label on every pipe listing the standards that the pipe meets. This is the certification information. In the case of stainless steel sinks the standard is ASME A112.19.3.
In the days before the Internet, the components of your plumbing system were sold largely through supply houses. Being in the plumbing industry these organizations understood and self-policed these requirements. Then came the Internet and anybody could buy anything, certified or not.
Many counter top fabricators, when the market slowed, were looking for a promotion to boost sales. They began giving away a free stainless sink with their countertops. The promotion was so successful that in some markets the free sink became the standard. Fabricators looking to stay competitive began looking for the cheapest sink they could find to use as these promotional sinks. Many were not aware of the code requirements, and if they did know, they did not care because after all, it was a “free sink.” When you give away a free sink price will trump quality every time.
Next week, we’ll help you figure out how to tell whether or not your sinks are certified. For more sink and plumbing tips and hints on a daily basis, follow Eclipse Stainless on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.