Adding a soap dispenser to pedestal-question?

15 years ago

I lurk quite a bit here and have been helped by many of your suggestions and photos. Now, I have a question. I thought I bought a Kohler Devonshire pedestal sink with a 4" spread, and a 4" faucet because that's what the spread on the sink said on the display floor.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be an 8" spread and that's all they had. I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. Use the 4" faucet and add a soap dispenser. Looks good, but what to do with the part that opens and closes the drain. There is no place allocated to this because it wasn't intended to be this way. Any suggestions how I might remedy this short of having to open and close the drain from the bottom or buying an 8" spread faucet and giving up the dispenser? There has to be a way to resolve this. Please help me!

Thanks.

Peachie Pie

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Comments (7)

dlseek
15 years ago
We had an old bathroom sink that had a small knob on the sink stop - you pulled/pushed the actual stopper.

I don't know if they still sell anything like that, but it is worth a try.
toadangel
15 years ago
i know they make those sorts of stoppers for tubs - push-pop & the twist kind... maybe they make them for sinks? that or have someone create another hole in your sink.
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Actually, there are many design principles which prefer odd numbers. Three is fine! I'm not big on soap dispensers. I hardly ever used mine in the old kitchen and didn't put one in the new (I like the bottle), but I think in the middle would both look funny and be really inconvenient. It should look fine paired with one of the faucets. Ideally, for looks, I'd like to see it with the smaller faucet. Put the larger faucet on the center line (the diagonal from the opposite corner like Buehl's). Pair the other two, and have them equidistance from the center line on their corner. And I'd put the soap in front of (which is also on the outside of) the faucet it's with to make a low, medium, high progression. It would look fine paired similarly with the bigger faucet if that's a lot more convenient. You just wouldn't get the nice rising levels. The tension from low across to medium and back over for high might actually be more interesting to look at, in the end. Not to worry. Just make sure the controller of the faucet isn't too close to the soap so that it isn't a pain to use. You could also, if the plumbing allowed, put the big faucet in the forward position and pair it with the subsidiary faucet and just put the soap on the other side. That might look really cool, though it might not be very convenient.
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peachiepie
Original Author
15 years ago
I think my question is not clear, but maybe it is and I just don't like what I might have to do :). I have the drain attachment that comes with the sink. I want to be able to open and close the drain in a normal manner but can't figure out a way to do it with my current configuration. Is there a porcelain cutter for making a small additional hole under the faucet placement so that I can include my drain stopper? If not, I will have to get an 8" spread faucet and give up my soap dispenser. Boo Hoo! I don't want to buy a stopper but I guess that's another option.

I guess I want my cake and be able to eat it too. Sigh!

Thanks.

Peachie
dlseek
15 years ago
Well, you could use a faucet that just used one hole.

I think that drilling holes into vitreous china will be really difficult to do without chipping and/or breaking it. Also, you will need to drill two holes - one in the top of the sink, and one underneath.

I guess you have one advantage in that the most-likely terribly ugly hole would be covered with the faucet base.

Personally, I like the look of the 8" spread faucets so much better than the 4" ones that I wouldn't even dream of possibly (or probably) damaging my new beautiful sink in order to have a soap dispenser.

In addition, if I understand your intentions correctly, using a 4" and a soap dispenser would make the spout "off center", and for me [must...have...symmetry] that would be a terrible thing to have to look at every day.

Here is a link that might be useful: kohler single hole faucet
peachiepie
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi dlseek,

I found a great solution on the plumbing forum:

How about replacing the drain assembly with one that operates by hand instead?
http://www.trimbydesign.com/categorydisplay.asp?CatName=LavDrain

Didn't know I could just buy one that's "hand" operated. All of your comments are well taken.

Thank you so much.

Peachie!
dlseek
15 years ago
> I found a great solution on the plumbing forum:

Weird. That's the same advice two of us here gave you as well and it seemed like you said you didn't want to do that... oh well... glad you have a solution.
peachiepie
Original Author
15 years ago
Perhaps, I misunderstood dlseek. I thought the suggestions were for stoppers--the rubber kind. These are more like the drains that came with the sink. I guess the link that showed a visual of what I'd get made the difference.

Anyway, I still appreciate the advice from all. I think I have my answer and I will move on.

Thanks again.

Peachie

Adding a soap dispenser to pedestal-question?

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dlseek

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Adding a soap dispenser to pedestal-question?

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