DIY Plumbing Installation/Repair How to Replace a Faucet
How to Replace a Faucet PDF Print E-mail
Written by Tom   
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How to Replace a Faucet
Install New Faucet
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Replace Faucet

If you want to know how to replace a faucet, there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that from a mental point of view, faucet work is pretty easy to accomplish. The bad news is that any faucet, whether you are replacing bathroom faucet devices or replacing a kitchen faucet, will require a fair amount of work. Replacing bathtub faucet parts can be very tricky, but replacing a shower faucet or replacing a bathroom faucet from the sink can be tough as well. Regardless of which faucet in your house you replace, you are going to have to put in a lot of elbow grease. The good thing for you is that people have been fixing faucets for decades and the collective wisdom of their experiences is available for you to follow.

Preparation

The first stage you encounter in replacing a faucet is the preparation stage during which you figure out exactly what your plan of action is. Preparation is a two-fold process, the first part of which involves having the right tools handy. The only tool that is 100% necessary for a job like this one is a monkey wrench. That having been said, there are other wrench types and pliers that are very good for jobs like these that can help you in the tight confines under the sink. While the tools are not necessary, they are recommended if you have them handy or alternatively have the extra cash leftover that you can use to invest in them.

The good news is that these tools come in handy for other DIY projects as well, so it is definitely an investment worth making if you can afford it. Once you have all of the tools you need, the next thing you'll need is the new faucet you want to install. Take your time with the selection process as this is the faucet you are going to be living with until the next time you replace faucets. With so many different makes and models to choose from, selecting a faucet can be overwhelming unless you take it slow. Most of the new faucets also come with instructions for the do-it-yourself crowd and these instructions will ensure that you install everything perfectly. If at any point the instructions of the model contradict something mentioned here, go with what it says in the manual; after all, that manual is specific to the faucet model you want to install.

Old Faucet Removal

Before you can install the new faucet, you need to remove the old one. Before you can remove the old one however, you want to disconnect the water flow so as to avoid getting a nasty surprise when you unscrew everything and get an unplanned shower for your trouble! Turn off both the hot and the cold water supply to the faucet in question and then physically disconnect the faucet from the physical water supply by removing the nuts that attach it to the pipes underneath the sink. Once you've done that, you can then go ahead and remove the entire faucet assembly from the sink area by loosening the nuts attaching them together. Once that is done, make sure you clean the immediate area to get it ready for the new faucet, or you could have some severe rust and grime problems a few months down the road.


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