Sink

According to The Building Regulations Approved Document G: Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency a sink is a ‘sanitary appliance’. Sanitary appliances collect and remove water and other waste matter. They are generally grouped into two categories: soil appliances and waste water appliances. A sink is categorised as a waste water appliance. The Scottish Building Standards, Part I. Technical Handbook – Domestic, Appendix A Defined Terms, defines a sink as a type of sanitary facility.

Sinks and other sanitary appliances were traditionally manufactured from porcelain (a ceramic material made from clay that might be described as 'vitreous china' when coated with enamel). Sinks made from this material might be referred to as ceramic, porcelain or china sanitary ware, and are often white. They are also made from a wide range of other materials, including metals, acrylics, glass, enamelled cast iron, stainless steel and treated plastic.

There are many different types of sinks, including: bathroom sinks, utility sinks, kitchen sinks, laboratory sinks, commercial/industrial sinks, medical/surgical sinks, wash troughs and so on.

Generally, sinks consist of a bowl or basin (to hold the water), taps (to control the flow of water), a drain connected to the plumbing systems (to remove the used water) and some sort of support component (possibly in the form of a cabinet, a pedestal, a countertop and so on). There are also freestanding sinks that are supported by legs.

See also: Basin.

NB AR5 Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, Glossary, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines a sink as: ‘Any process, activity, or mechanism that removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol, or a precursor of a greenhouse gas or aerosol from the atmosphere.’

Global Warming of 1.5 ºC, Glossary, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2018, defines a sink as: ‘A reservoir (natural or human, in soil, ocean, and plants) where a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas is stored. Note that UNFCCC Article 1.8 refers to a sink as any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Approved Document G.
• Basin.
• Bath.
• Bidet.
• Lavatory.
• Sanitary accommodation.
• Sanitary pipework.
• Sanitaryware.
• Sink v basin.
• Solid surface wash trough.
• Types of sanitary appliances.
• Waste water.

[edit] External resources

• Gov.uk, Building Regulations Approved Document G: Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency.
• The Scottish Building Standards, Part I. Technical Handbook – Domestic, Appendix A Defined Terms