Soap dispenser can ‘clean up’ the look of your kitchen
Q. I never thought I would enjoy articles about plumbing until I became a regular reader of your column. I would like to add a soap dispenser to my stainless-steel kitchen sink, but my husband says that we don’t have a hole in the sink rim for him to install one. Not giving up, I wanted to check with you on this matter. Is it possible to drill the proper hole needed for a soap dispenser in our existing sink? My husband is pretty handy and I’m tired of having soap bottles falling into my kitchen sink.
A. A soap dispenser can be a nice addition to any kitchen.
Basically, it’s a fancy soap bottle where the soap reservoir is hidden under the sink. As you mentioned, it can really clean up your countertop by eliminating the need for free-standing plastic soap bottles. Some kitchen sinks even have two sink dispensers, one for soap and one for hand cream.
But let’s get back to your question. The good news is that you have a stainless-steel sink, and, yes, they do make special bits that can drill holes through most stainless-steel kitchen sinks. These bits can be expensive and a little tricky to work with, so it’s best to call a licensed plumber for this job.
Usually the homeowner can purchase the soap dispenser. Then the plumber will perform a basic service call to drill the hole and install the dispenser.
When it’s empty, you can easily remove the dispenser bottle from under the sink and refill with liquid soap.
That said, be sure to get an upfront estimate from your plumber to make sure the soap-dispenser labor charges won’t burst your bubble!
Ÿ Master plumber Ed Del Grande is the author of “Ed Del Grande’s House Call” and hosts TV and Internet shows. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande@cs.com.
Scripps Howard News Service