Replacing Kitchen & Bath Faucets
By Frank Suster

Ever thought of replacing your old kitchen or bathroom faucet? Well, replacing it with a new one is easy as fixing the one you have now. To replace your old faucet, you must first find a new unit that will fit the existing holes in your sink. This can easily be done by measuring the distance between the center of the handles of your old faucet. Go to the nearest and convenient home improvement center such as City Mill Co. Ltd where you will find a wide variety. Faucets have many features. They come in single handle, double handle, chrome, brass and with sprayer attachments. The most important factor that you should always remember is that you should buy a good quality made faucet. Most American made faucets come with good warranties against manufactures defect and will last a long time.

The first step is to remove your old faucet. Your start by turning off the water at the supply valves located beneath the sink. Using a basin wrench; loosen the upper and lower coupling nuts on the supply tubes and then remove them. When you purchase a new faucet, it is also a good idea to buy a new supply line with proper length and size. This will greatly reduce the chance of a leak during installation if you use your old tubing.

Now, remove the lock nuts and washers that hold the old faucet to the sink and lift it off. After removing the faucet, clean the area of any residue. Next, take out the new faucet assembly from its box and check the parts list to make sure all the parts are there before you throw the box away. Use the instruction sheet that comes with your new faucet to insure proper installation.

Installation usually involves first placing a gasket on the sink and then settling the faucet assembly into the gasket. Some faucets may require plumbers putty instead of a gasket. Secure the faucet with washers and nuts from the underneath. Next, the supply tubing connected to the faucet and tightened with basin wrench. The tubing is now bent into position and fastened to the supply valves with an 8” to 10” adjustable wrench.

Now, turn the supply valves on with the faucet in the OFF position to check for leaks. If there are no visible leaks, take off the aerator and turn on the faucet to flush the supply valve pipes that may have accumulated any debris during installation. Re-install your aerator and now you have a properly installed faucet.

For City Mill, this is Frank Suster saying, “You Can Do-it-Yourself.”