Basic Faucet Replacement
Faucet replacement is a very easy task that anyone can do. It is one of those household repairs that don’t really need any professional assistance. Here are the basics that you should know about faucet replacement.
Choosing Your Faucet: Before you go off with the replacement proper procedures, you should be ready and have with you the faucet unit that you want to use to replace your old one. You can drop by your local hardware store and pick out a faucet that you want. Having it on hand before removing the old one would make things easier and faster for you.
With the numerous modern designs now at the market, you have a variety of faucet designs that you can choose from. For your bathtubs and sinks, you can get single or double handled faucet. Generally, faucets have a standard size regarding their hook-ups, depending on their use. For Kitchen Faucets, you can usually find units with an 8 inch hookup. Bathroom vanity faucets usually come in 4 inches, while bathtubs come in 8 inches.
Faucet Measurements: To determine which kind of faucet to get from the store, first you have to do some measurements. Have a tape measure in hand for this task. If you will be using a double handled faucet, you’ll need to take the measurement from the handles center to center and this will be your faucet’s size. If you’ll be using a single handled faucet, you need to measure starting from the the distance in between your water hook-up lines on the bottom of the faucet.
Once you are sure of the style and size of your faucet, you”re already to take out the old one and install your new one!
Tools That You Need
You do not need a lot of tools for this task. All you need to have are wrenches so that you can hold the shut-off valve and take out the supply line that is going to your faucet. Also, you may need to have channel lock pliers or a basin wrench. You”ll be using these to take off large sink nuts, which attaches the faucet to your sink. It would be better if you use a basin wrench, due to its special design that is intended for working in tight spaces, just like where your faucet is mounted to your sink.
Steps To A New Faucet
First, turn off all water supply that is linked to your faucet. Then remove the supply lines coming from both sides of your faucet. After that you should remove the large retainer nuts that are holding your faucet to the sink. When you are done with this, remove the old faucet from the sink. Try to clean up your sink and where the old unit was installed.
Once you are done cleaning up, get your new unit and place it in the holes. You can ask someone to help you with this, so that keeping it centered while installing the retainer nuts below would be easier. When you get the faucet in place and retaining nuts tightly screwed, then you can now get your water supply lines hooked up again. Turn on your water supply and do some tests for leaks and other defects.
If you have some leaks, try re-installing it and make sure all the joints are tight. Also, if you want you can use plumbers putty or thread tape to prevent leaks or dripping on the joints, specifically in between the faucet and sink, or the supply line and the faucet.
