Restaurant Hand Sink and Prep Sink Repair in Phoenix

Most hand sink calls are one of four things: the drain is slow, the faucet leaks or sputters, the water is too hot or too cold, or the sink is simply not where the county wants it. Each has a different fix, and only the last needs a plan reviewer.

A slow hand sink drain is usually soap, paper towels and food debris in a small trap. A cable clears it in a visit. If the line is slow in other fixtures too, the stoppage is farther down and the right tool is the jetter. Our commercial drain cleaning page explains how a stoppage call runs.

Reachability, temperature and condition decide a hand sink inspection. The county wants a hand sink within about 25 feet of every workstation and ice machine, with no door in the way. It asks for splash guards when the sink is within 24 inches of food contact surfaces or a prep sink. And the FDA Food Code, adopted by Maricopa County, says a handwashing sink must stay accessible at all times and may not be used for other purposes, so a hand sink full of dishes or blocked by a rack is a violation even when the plumbing works.

If a hand sink is not available, see what a restaurant should do when a hand sink stops working. It explains why a prep sink and a bottle of sanitizer do not replace it. The layout side of the rule is in hand sink placement in Maricopa County.

The target is warm, not hot. The county's hot water guideline says tempered water in a food establishment is kept at 100 to 110 degrees F and measured at the faucet, and recommends 100 to 105 degrees F for hand sink faucets. The Food Code requires at least 100 degrees F through a mixing valve or combination faucet and prohibits a steam mixing valve. A metering faucet has to run for at least 15 seconds without being pressed again.

When a hand sink runs scalding or cold, the mixing valve or cartridge is the first suspect. A worn thermostatic valve drifts, scale blocks the small ports and a heater set too low starves the valve. We replace the valve or the faucet and check the temperature at the spout with a thermometer, which is how the county measures. Hot water temperatures in a commercial kitchen lists every number in one place.

If water takes too long to arrive, the cause may be the pipe run. The county guide expects hot water at sinks within 45 seconds, and hot water within 45 seconds and 60 feet explains when a recirculation loop is needed.

A prep sink does not connect directly to the drain. It discharges through a 1-inch air gap above an approved floor sink, with its own rigid line, and the run should not exceed 10 feet. The county says a prep sink cannot drain into a mop sink. That rule exists so a backup in the floor sink cannot rise into a sink full of food.

The repair we see is the one the inspector sees: someone directly connected a prep sink or ice machine to the drain, usually with flex tubing, and the air gap is gone. We restore it, and we clear the floor sink at the same visit. Floor sink versus floor drain versus mop sink shows the difference.

For grease, the answer depends on your city. Surprise says hand sinks stay off the grease device while the three-compartment sink, pre-rinse sink and mop sink go to it. Phoenix and Mesa count fixtures on the grease line, with traps allowed up to four. See grease trap and interceptor service for how we work with the hauler.

A loose aerator, a clogged strainer or a mineral-clogged spout is a ten-minute job for a manager with a wrench. Unscrew the aerator, rinse it, put it back. If the water is still weak, the cartridge or stop is next.

Leave the rest to a plumber. A sink in the wrong place, a missing air gap, a mixing valve and anything involving the drain line have code implications, and a change that alters the plumbing may need review. Call the county's plan review if you are moving or adding a hand sink, because that is a design question, not a repair.

We repair and replace hand sink and prep sink faucets, supply stops, mixing valves and drains, restore air gaps, clean floor sinks and jet the lines they feed. Work happens before opening or after close when we can. We offer 24/7 emergency service, free estimates and upfront pricing before work starts. For the larger picture, see our restaurant plumbing page, hydro jetting and emergency plumber.