Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 May 02, 2011 12:48 pm I have an issue with my undermount sink. When I use the hot water, the sink sweats and condensates water underneath both bowls. Sometimes there is so much water it seems like it's seeping through the bowl. The sink is made in china and has a grey spray lining outside, not stainless steel like Franke and other better quality sinks. The plumber has never seen anything like it. He has checked for leaks and says the temperature in the cupboard is ok. The dishwasher is located next to the sink but this happens when the dishwasher is not on. Has anyone had this problem or heard of anything like this? Please educate me on this matter. Of course the supplier doesn't even acknowledge my emails and requests for someone to come out and have a look. Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 4May 03, 2011 12:34 pm Is it only with hot water or does it sweat with cold water as well? If it does it with cold it suggests the material the sink is made from is permeable ie liquid can move through it. If this is the case you might strip away the sound deadening material and smear the entire outside surface of the sink with silicone to seal it all. The silicone will also act as a sound deadener. Does it do it only when the sink is full or does it do it when partially full? If it does it only when full it suggest there may be a leak at higher level of the sink. Don't be worried about the 3m of granite bench. The sink will most likely have an edge that is simply siliconed to the underside of the granite. There may be some cabinet support members in there as well which should be able to be unscrewed. You could then get your plumber to remove the sink and replace it with another er, better quality, brand. barkly Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 5May 03, 2011 1:23 pm Thanks, the sink cannot be removed so it is not an option. As for water leaking through it. It's a stainless steel sink for godness sake, I don't believe that could be happening. Respraying the outer shell may provide a solution, but I want to know why it's happening. It happens when the water is running hot/warm and not necessarily when the bowl is filled with water. Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 6May 03, 2011 1:26 pm That's just terrible! Hope you get it sorted real soon! Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 8May 03, 2011 1:50 pm One thought - it could be the "steam" off the hot water condensing on the granite lip above the sink. If this is the case, look for a break/lack of seal between the top of the sink and the granite slab. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 10May 03, 2011 3:17 pm Could there be moisture coming from the cabinets surrounding it? Condensation would only form on the sink if there was moisture somewhere below it. Maybe there is a leak from the dishwasher and you don't know about it? Or through the walls even? Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 11May 03, 2011 4:19 pm I'd say you have a leak,probably from the tap, or the hoses to the tap. First, fill the sink with hot water from the kettle or with a bucket from another tap. If you don't get the moisture it is the tap. Second. Start filling the sink, get a torch and stick your head up between the back of the sink and the cupboard and see if you can see anything. You may have to remove the shelf. If may also help to stuff a few tissues up in there and see if they get wet. You'll never get the sink out. It will be glued in with a 2-part epoxy cement. Paul Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 12May 03, 2011 5:34 pm Quote: As for water leaking through it. It's a stainless steel sink for goodness sake, I don't believe that could be happening. I gained an impression your sink was not made from stainless steel. Quote: The sink is made in china and has a grey spray lining outside, not stainless steel like Franke and other better quality sinks. Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 13May 03, 2011 8:34 pm The plumber looked for leaks on Friday and checked thoroughly. Hoses and pipes are not leaking and the dishwasher has nothing to do with it. The sink has stainless steel bowls but has the grey lining underside.It's full of watermarks! Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 14May 03, 2011 8:48 pm OK, but you must still fill the sink with hot water from another tap and see what happens. There is other stuff you can do later, but do this first otherwise you are wasting everyones time. Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 15May 03, 2011 10:25 pm I'm pretty sure I have my physics right. You don't get condensation on something hot. You get it on something cold when warm damp air flows over the cold surface eg like the mirror in your bathroom when having a shower. Thus as Builderpaul suggests fill the bowl from a source other than your kitchen tap. If no moisture this suggests that the tap is contributing to the problem. Not the supply pipes as these are under water pressure all the time and so will leak all the time if they have a fault. If there is moisture after filling the bowl from another source it suggests that the bowl has a leak in it as it can't be the tap. cheers barkly Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 17May 03, 2011 10:52 pm Or it could be the waste outlet not sealing properly. And perhaps with hot water there is some expansion that allows leakage at the seal between the waste outlet and the sink. barkly Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 18May 03, 2011 10:59 pm barkly Or it could be the waste outlet not sealing properly. And perhaps with hot water there is some expansion that allows leakage at the seal between the waste outlet and the sink. barkly The plumber has already checked for leaks Quote: The plumber has never seen anything like it. He has checked for leaks and says the temperature in the cupboard is ok. The dishwasher is located next to the sink but this happens when the dishwasher is not on. Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 19May 04, 2011 4:16 pm A Sweaty Sink. Would love to know if you found out what it was. The only thing I could think of was cold air coming from the wall hitting the warm sink. But you probably live somewhere beautifull and hot, and Im completely in the wrong ball park. I live in wet rainy Tauranga in NZ, winter is coming Re: SWEATY SINK!!!!!! VERY WEIRD 20May 04, 2011 7:32 pm 830mm 1+1/2 Bowl Stainless Steel Undermount Kitchen Sink 830mm Deep 1+1/2 Bowl Stainless Steel (satin finish) 1.2mm 304 Grade Modern Undermount Design Square Shape Central Plug Holes Supplied with Designer Waste and Plug Dimensions: L830 x W450 x D250mm Main Bowl Size: L500 x W400mm Second Bowl Size: L250 x W400mm - Mixer tap sold separately Today, I placed a bag of frozen meat in the sink and guess what? a dark patch developed and droplets started to appear. I placed it into the other side and the same thing happened. So u r right Barkly and Kiwichick. It's the cold not the hot in the sink hitting the air in the cupboard. That makes sense because my hot takes ages for it to come through. The temperature in the cupboard is normal, the shelf has been taken out and there is not much stuff in it. Would a thin/cheap grade of stainless steel be contributing to the problem. The climate here is not warm at all. I'll call the company to put a waterproof sealer/or silicone onto it and thicken the lining, other than what that I can't do much else. I made the post thinking that 1 other person might have the same problem but obviously not. Thanks for your contributions. I had an old shower unit that broke on me and when I took it off, there were only 2 water pipes, instead of the normal 2 water pipes and a shower head pipe. S o I… 0 34212 Hi - thanks for your reply. Yes I think 'Ill go for whitish with very speckly bits rather than pure white something like this. PS was actually 2008 I built the… 2 8671 Please google this video regarding the Regulations for a Laundry trough: i-dont-want-laundry-tub-can-i-use-sink-instead 13 12182 |