In plumbing, the term ‘waste’ refers to the tube that is attached to the base of a sink, basin, or sanitary device (such as a toilet or bidet). This tube is made of metal and allows wastewater to pass through it, through a siphon, and then into a drain, while also acting as a barrier against possible blockages.
The top of the drain is called the shoulder or flange and this is the metal part you see on the drain, the finish of the flange will usually match the finish on your sink faucets.
Drains are manufactured in standard sizes to fit any sink drain hole and are usually supplied with a specific type of plug, stopper or grate. Bathroom sinks typically have a 32mm (1.25″) diameter drain, while bathtubs, showers and kitchen sinks typically have a 40mm (1.5″) diameter.
There are a number of different types of waste available for sinks and basins, the pop-up drain is just one type.
emerging waste
A pop-up drain, or pop-up assembly, refers to the type of pipe fitting that joins a sink, lavatory or bidet to a waste pipe in the drain. They incorporate a stopper or stopper that is operated with a command. You can also find emerging debris in other sanitary fixtures.
The pop-up drain control is usually a lever that you pull or a knob that you turn. It is often found behind or on top of the faucet fixture, or it may be attached to the overflow that is usually under the faucet in the sink. To operate the pop-up stop, the lever is pulled up to close the stopper and pushed down to open, or the knob is turned one way to open and the other to close.
Other waste systems
Plug and chain scrapers are a traditional style of scraper with a plug attached to a chain that can be used to block the plug hole.
The clicker residues have a stopper that is activated by pushing it. You press once to close it and press again to open it, so it doesn’t have a separate control like the pop-up drain. This waste may also be referred to as push-button waste, click-clack waste, or spring-loaded plug.
Flip Top Drains have a simple design with a disc-shaped plug that can be rotated to open or close the plug hole.
Captive waste has a plug that sits on a bar and remains in the drain. Pull up to open or push down to close. This type of waste is quite common in public toilets since the stopper cannot be removed.
Basket strainer debris is common in kitchen sinks as it has a strainer that will prevent food and other debris from blocking the sink drain by collecting it before it can pass through the debris. The basket stopper on this bin can be actuated similar to the pop-up bin, with a knob to raise and lower it, or it can simply be pulled in and out.
Grated debris is common in showers or sinks where wastewater must flow continuously, as this debris will not fit into a stopper or plug.
Slotted waste or unslotted waste?
Most scraps will be available in both slotted and non-slotted formats. The type of waste you need will depend on whether the sink has a built-in overflow or not. A sink overflow helps with drainage by allowing air to enter the drain when the sink is full. A sink without an overflow will act like a vacuum when full and will drain more slowly, so if it has a built-in overflow it’s a good idea to make sure it’s working properly. Most sinks will have a built-in overflow; these will require slotted scrap. This is so that when the water goes over the overflow it can flow through the holes into the drain. It’s important to make sure the slots in the drain line up with the overflow so the water can run off efficiently. Slotless drains do not have holes and should only be installed on systems without an overflow.