What Causes Hairline Cracks in Porcelain Sinks?

Hairline cracks in sinks can be caused by a multitude of variations, one of the most common being from dropped objects. Particularly if something is dropped from a substantial height, likely being from the top of a shelf. Likewise, a can of shaving cream, a glass jar of cotton balls, or a heavy metal shaving razor, can fall into the sink from cabinets above causing the sink to crack. Furthermore, a heavy solid object will crack a porcelain sink fairly easily; so avoid throwing heavy cooking pots into sinks. To protect the sink and increase their longevity, it is safer to place all heavy objects underneath or aside the sink.

Temperature stress can also harm a porcelain sink. Porcelain loses heat fairly quickly when left alone. When extremely hot liquids such as boiling water are rapidly dropped into a cool porcelain sink it creates thermal shocks. These thermal shocks create miniature fractures within the sink that begin to build over time, thus leading to noticeable cracks. To prevent thermal shock you can do either of two things:

• Allow your porcelain sink to gradually heat up by turning on the faucet and gradually increase the heat of the water. Your sink will not experience shock if it’s warmed up to handle boiling liquids. This way is more practical and will only take a couple of minutes all the while saving your sink from fracturing.
• This next step might be inconvenient to some since it will be time consuming. Instead of pouring hot liquids down your porcelain sink, allow the liquids to cool down completely before you pour it. This may take anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Sometimes Fractures can form indirectly for example, forceful contact from behind the sink wall can cause damage. Striking the sink while installing a new kitchen or bathroom appliance can lead to more serious damage. Hammering near the sink during an in-home repair can crack and fracture a porcelain sink even if it was never touched. If the sink is placed on a wall that has contact to another room, and a strong force is emitted from that particular room, the porcelain sink may receive damage. Natural disasters such as the vibrating force of an earthquake have the strength to produce cracks in a porcelain sink.

Normal wear and tear will crack a porcelain sink. Accidents do happen, which can lead to severe damage. In addition, not everyone has the time to regulate water temperature while they are getting ready for work or school. As perfect as your porcelain sink fits just right in your home, it definitely requires soft handling. If in any case you find yourself reviewing options for sinks with added qualities here is a list of some great alternatives for kitchen sinks; Stainless Steel, Fireclay, Granite, Quartz, Composite Material, Copper and  Enameled Cast Iron. Choices are endless and each sink can be customizable to fit your desired theme. Needless to say each sink comes with its own pros and cons, nonetheless, porcelain sinks do come at the top of our list for worst kitchen sinks. Kitchen sinks don’t get enough credit for what they do for our families every day so why not invest in a worry free sink that can take a beating and wont show any signs of damage. Luckily for you plumber can swap out your porcelain sink for a new and improved one in a day! Give your local plumber a call to talk about rates to see if a new sink fits right in with your budget.

Can a Ceramic Sink be Repaired?

How Do You Fix a Sink Drain?