Whether you’re doing a DIY remodel or simply sprucing up your kitchen, replacing your faucet is a great and surprisingly simple way to update your kitchen. If you’ve never done anything like this, it may seem quite daunting. If you’re not the DIY type, you may want to leave this process to a professional, but replacing your kitchen faucet does not have to be difficult. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to replace your kitchen faucet. First, you will need the following materials – a wrench, sealant (a contingency tool), safety glasses, bucket for water when you do the draining, and pliers.
- Shut off valves. You can find the shut-off valves underneath the kitchen cabinet under your sink. Shut them off so that you can fix your faucet without any mess.
- Disconnect drain lines from the faucet. It is best to clean the area first before doing anything so that you can clearly see what the drainage system underneath your sink looks like. You can then proceed to disconnecting the drain lines. Use a basin wrench to unscrew each water line.
- Detach the faucet. There are mounting screws that hold the faucet in place in the sink. Unscrew these nuts with your wrench or pliers, and then detach the faucet.
- Clean sink area. Upon setting aside your old faucet, you can go ahead and clean the area where it once belonged. To effectively clean it, you can use baking soda paste to get rid of rust stains that your old faucet has left.
- Attach your new faucet. Your new faucet should have a gasket that you can slip in the supply lines. If your new faucet does not have a gasket, just apply a sealant. In this step, you can include add-ons to your sink, such as a hot water dispenser, soap dispenser, or a water filter faucet.
- Secure new faucet. You will need to go underneath your kitchen sink again for this step. Tighten the screws or nuts underneath when you have secured the position of your sink. It is essential that you double check your faucet to make sure it is tight. You would not want a faucet that wobbles every time you use it.
- Reattach valves. After securing your sink, you can then reattach the valves to your new faucet’s supply lines. You can use your wrench to secure this.
- Try it out. Check if your faucet is working. Turn on your faucet and check if water comes out. After this step, your new faucet is now ready for use.
Keep in mind that not all faucets are created in the same way. You may have a faucet that would require an additional step in installation. For instance, if your faucet has a pullout sprayer, simply insert the spray hose through the faucet. Make sure that it is visible under your sink. Once you have done this, proceed to attaching the spray hose to the water line. In most cases, you will find a locking clip. Just secure that and you are good to go. After this step will you be able to check your new faucet to see if it works and if it is connected to the water line, so make sure you have assessed what kind of faucet you have prior to attaching it, especially if it is your first time replacing a faucet.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but replacing a faucet is actually easy work. In fact, you won’t have to call an expert to do this for you. Just make sure you have all the tools needed, and that you follow the steps properly. You’ll see that you will be able to replace your kitchen faucet in no time.