Sinks and Dishwashers

Commercial Hand Sink and Compartment Sink Buying Guide for Seattle Restaurants

Every commercial kitchen needs hand sinks, and health inspectors check them first. A hand sink has to be easy to reach from every prep and cooking station, used only for washing hands and stocked with soap and paper towels.

Many Seattle owners start by looking for a used sink, and many found the original Encore Seattle that way when it sold used restaurant equipment. Today Encore Seattle sells only new Atosa equipment. This guide explains why new is the better buy, then covers sizes, handles, splashes, installation and drain care.

Find Your Hand Sink Fast

New vs. Used Sinks

A used sink is cheap, but the faucet and fittings are what you actually depend on.

What goes wrong with used sinks

• Faucets: worn cartridges drip and leak, and missing handles are common.
• Bowls: dents and pitting hold dirt and bacteria.
• Mounting brackets: often missing, so the sink won't hang straight.
• Drains and strainers: corroded or missing.
• Wrong handles: you may need hands-free handles, and a used sink may have knobs.

The real cost of used

New Atosa Mixrite hand sinks come with a 90-day warranty on workmanship.

12", 15" or 17"

• 12" (SH12, SH12SD): 9" x 9" x 4" bowl, 12" W x 16" D. For tight spaces.
• 15" (SH15, SH15SD): 10" x 12-3/4" x 5" bowl, 15-3/4" W x 15-3/8" D.
• 17" (SH17, SH17SL): 10" x 14" x 5" bowl, 17" W x 15-3/8" D. The roomiest bowl.

Knob or Wrist Blade Handles

• Knob handles come on the 12" models.
• Wrist blade handles come on the 15" and 17" models. You turn the water on and off with your wrist, so clean hands don't touch the handle again.

Check with your local health department for the hand sink rules that apply to your kitchen.

Side Splashes

A side splash is a stainless steel guard on the side of the sink that keeps water from splashing onto food, prep tables or cooking equipment next to it. Models ending in SD have splashes on both sides, and the SH17SL has a splash on the left side. Splash models are also built from heavier 18 gauge stainless steel, while the models without splashes are 20 gauge.

Compare Every Atosa Hand Sink

Every model is 304 stainless steel, NSF listed and includes a gooseneck faucet, a strainer and a Z-clip wall bracket. Faucet holes are 1-1/8" on 4" centers, the drain opening is 1-1/2" and the pipe size is 1-1/4".

Installation

• Use a licensed plumber for hot and cold water and the drain.
• Mount it on a solid wall with the included Z-clip bracket, at a comfortable height for your staff.
• Place it where cooks will use it. Put hand sinks near prep and cooking stations, not behind a door or across the kitchen.
• Stock it. Soap, paper towels and a trash can at every hand sink.
• Hand sinks are for hands only. Don't wash dishes or dump food in them.

Drain Care

Grease, food and soap build up in kitchen drains and cause clogs and odors. The Atosa ATDM drain maintainer is a bio enzyme drain cleaner sold 2 x 1 gallon per case. It helps prevent clogs and odors. Don't mix it with bleach, disinfectants, caustic cleaners or other drain chemicals.

• Use strainers in every sink.
• Scrape plates into the trash, not the sink.
• Never pour fryer oil or grease down a drain.

Compartment and Prep Sinks

Atosa Mixrite SS compartment sinks are 18 gauge, 304 stainless steel and NSF listed, with 3.5" drain baskets. Faucets are sold separately. Buy online, pick up at will call.

• Three compartments are the standard dish sink: wash, rinse and sanitize.
• One compartment sinks make a good prep sink for washing produce and thawing food. Keep it separate from the dish sink and the hand sinks.
• Drainboards give dishes a place to drip dry. Pick no drainboards if space is tight.
• Many health departments require an indirect drain (air gap) on prep and dish sinks, so check with your plumber before you install.

How to Run a 3 Compartment Sink

Health inspectors watch the dish sink closely. Set it up the same way every shift.

1. Scrape food into the trash before washing.
2. Label each compartment and fill it fresh at the start of the shift.
3. Check the sanitizer with test strips and keep the strips at the sink.
4. Change the water when it's dirty, sudsy or below temperature.
5. Air dry dishes on a drainboard or rack. Don't towel dry.

Grease Trap Sizing

Every sink that drains greasy water, including the 3 compartment sink, has to run through a grease trap or interceptor. Your plumber and local sewer authority set the size, but the common flow rate method works like this:

1. Find each bowl's volume in gallons: length x width x depth in inches, divided by 231.
2. Multiply by the number of compartments.
3. Multiply by 0.75, since sinks are rarely filled to the top.
4. Divide by the drain time, usually 1 or 2 minutes, to get gallons per minute (GPM).

Example: a 3 compartment sink with 18" x 18" x 12" bowls holds about 50 gallons. At 75% that's about 38 gallons, so it needs about a 40 GPM trap at a 1 minute drain time or about 20 GPM at 2 minutes. Clean the trap on a schedule so it never fills more than about a quarter with grease and solids.

Floor drains and floor sinks

Ice machines, refrigeration condensate lines, steam tables and many sinks have to drain indirectly, through an air gap into a floor sink, so dirty water can't back up into the equipment. Floor drains and trench drains handle spills and mopping at cook lines and dish areas. Floors should slope toward the drains. Your plumber and local code set the details.

Mop Sinks

Health codes require a separate mop or service sink for dumping mop water. Never dump it in a food sink or hand sink.

• Mop sinks sit on or near the floor so you can tip a heavy bucket into them.
• Plan for a 3" drain, since mop water carries grit and lint.
• Use a service faucet with a vacuum breaker and a hose hookup.
• Mount a mop and broom rack above it to keep tools off the floor.

Free Freight to Seattle and the Lower 48: We Handle the Hard Work

When you order new Atosa equipment from Encore Seattle, we handle the freight for you:

• Free freight on orders of $500 and up to business addresses in Seattle and anywhere in the lower 48 states.
• Liftgate service included. The truck lowers your order to the curb or parking lot, so you do not need a loading dock or forklift.
• Fast delivery. We offer 1-3 day delivery from 12 distribution centers.
• Tracking sent to you. We email the PRO tracking number and the freight company's contact information.
• Delivery Damage Promise. If the box is damaged, write "BOX DAMAGED" on the delivery receipt, inspect the unit and contact us within 48 hours. We deal with the freight company for you.

Delivery is curbside. See the Seattle neighborhoods we serve.

Hand Sink Questions

Does the faucet come with the sink?

Yes. Every Atosa hand sink includes a gooseneck faucet, a strainer and a wall bracket.

Which models have hands-free wrist blade handles?

The 15" and 17" models: SH15, SH15SD, SH17 and SH17SL.

What's the difference between 18 and 20 gauge?

Lower numbers are thicker. The splash models are 18 gauge, and the models without splashes are 20 gauge.

Do you sell commercial dishwashers?

Call or text us at +1 (206) 419-5801 and we'll help you find the right dishwashing setup.

Do the compartment sinks come with a faucet?

No. Faucets are sold separately.

How do I get a compartment sink?

Buy online, pick up at will call.

What temperature should a 3 compartment sink be?

Wash water at least 110°F. Sanitize with chemical sanitizer at the right strength, or hot water at 171°F or above for 30 seconds.

What size mop sink do I need?

24" x 24" fits most restaurants. Small cafes and food trucks can use 16" x 20".

Who handles pricing and checkout?

Pricing and checkout are handled by our partner store, The Restaurant Warehouse. Each product page has a button that takes you to the matching listing.

Setting up a prep area? See our food prep and storage collections.

Questions about the right hand sink for your kitchen? Call or text +1 (206) 419-5801.