Are You Remodeling Your Bathroom? Installing a New Faucet Could Transform It
But if you lack confidence in your DIY skills, it may be best to hire a professional plumber instead. Faucets are complex plumbing elements and any misconnection could result in leakage or extensive water damage.
Installing the Faucet
Change up the look and functionality of your bathroom by upgrading its faucet, giving it an entirely new appearance, while solving slow leak issues. Replacing it yourself is also an ideal DIY project if you intend on selling your home soon and wish to leave an excellent first impression with potential buyers.
As your first step, remove the old faucet by unscrewing its water supply lines and unlocking nuts under your sink with a basin wrench. For best results use penetrating lubricant on any nuts that appear rusted.
Installing a new faucet takes less than an hour, and may not even require hiring a professional plumber for this task. All that will be needed to complete it successfully are buckets or pans to collect any leakage when disconnection of supply lines takes place.
Once you’ve uninstalled the old faucet, clean it thoroughly to eliminate any remaining residue and apply some plumber’s putty to help seal off its hole.
Insert a new drain stopper assembly into your sink drain. It should fit snugly over the hole behind the spout of your faucet. Finally, feed the vertical pop-up lever through this hole to raise and lower the stopper as necessary.
Some faucets feature a center-set handle that screws onto the main spout, providing convenient control. These work best with three sink holes close together; however, widespread faucets are available for sinks with far apart holes.
Once your new faucet is in place, reconnected the water supply lines to the valves on your wall and turned the water back on before running the new faucet to check for leaks. Allow time for settling before running any further tests on its performance.
Depending on the model of faucet you buy, you may require replacing certain parts or components for it to function optimally. Please read and follow all manufacturer’s instructions closely so as to prevent any potential problems with its functionality.
Common types of faucets include single-handle, center-set and widespread types. Installation instructions typically accompany them.
Installing a bathroom faucet requires keeping the sink surface as free from debris as possible to create an optimal waterproof seal. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape away any buildup which might prevent your new faucet from sealing fully; metal putty knives could potentially scratch up its finish and compromise its waterproof seal.
Removing the Faucet
Installing a new bathroom faucet is an excellent way to refresh the look of your home and a great DIY project that doesn’t require hiring an expensive plumber. All that’s necessary are some tools – this process should take no more than an hour!
As your first step, it is necessary to remove the old faucet. While this task should be straightforward and effortless, proper disconnection of water supply lines could result in leakage from a new faucet if left improperly done.
To remove an old faucet, start by turning off all water valves under your sink. Use adjustable pliers to disconnect both hot and cold water lines from underside of faucet – if this proves challenging use a basin wrench to loosen seals instead.
Next, reach up behind the sink basin from within a vanity cabinet to gain more room to grab onto mounting nuts securing one of the faucet valve tailpieces under the sink.
Once you reach the nut, turn it counterclockwise to loosen it and do the same with its counterpart. Repeat these steps for both nuts.
Pipe wrenches can also be used to unscrew nuts. Just be sure that they feature a sharp and clean blade to avoid cutting your hands or damaging threads.
A small bucket will come in handy to catch any water that might spill during your work, while it would also be wise to place something absorbent like towels near your sink in order to prevent splashes of water dripping onto the floor as you work.
Final step in installing or replacing a sink drain assembly: Removing it. This may prove challenging if there’s limited access space; to help make things easier it would be wise to apply plumber’s putty underneath the drain flange before starting, as this will prevent it from coming loose while making threading it into its hole easier.
Installing the Handle
If you want to install a new handle for your bathroom faucet, following a few straightforward steps should suffice. While the exact process depends on which model and type of bathroom faucet is purchased, generally speaking you must first remove and install the current handle and then install the new one.
First, check if your sink has enough installation holes for the style of faucet you intend to purchase. Selecting one with too few installation points could make completing this project difficult – therefore it’s essential that you understand your sink’s layout in advance.
Once you know how many holes there are available, select a faucet that complements the current one in size and placement. This will help determine how much work will need to be done as it must fit within existing spaces.
Different options are available, including cartridge-style faucets that control water flow with separate hot and cold valves, or compression-type models featuring one valve controlling both handles.
If you need help determining what kind of faucet your bathroom has, visit its manufacturer’s website or reach out to a plumber. Alternatively, ask a home improvement store representative to help find an ideal model for you.
Next, it is necessary to decide how best to connect the hot and cold water supply lines. There are various approaches you could take; one effective method would be using a braided connector with built-in gasket as this is much safer than using old-fashioned elbows and nuts which may lead to leaks.
Once your connections are in place, turn on your new faucet to test its functioning and ensure that water flows properly before attaching its new handle and enjoying your bathroom faucet!
When selecting your new bathroom faucet, be mindful of its style and color scheme. A modern style can add a spa-like experience while more classic or traditional designs add depth. Incorporating these considerations with other fixtures like light bulbs or towel sets into your decision may create a harmonious appearance in the space.
Installing the Spout
A faucet spout is an integral component of any bathroom’s plumbing system, controlling water flow to sinks or tubs while helping prevent mold growth. A malfunctioning spout may also produce unpleasant odors or tastes in your water; for this reason it should be regularly checked and replaced when necessary.
Before installing your new faucet, it is important to first prepare the area below your sink and spout. Put a bucket under each sink or spout so as to catch any extra water while working and help ensure that both sink and drain remain dry during installation of your new fixture.
Next, identify and locate each faucet’s water supply lines’ shutoff valves. Most of these have football-shaped handles you can turn until they stop, to help avoid flooding your home with excess water should one become blocked up. These valves should prevent flooding if something becomes blocked up with inflow and outflow pipes.
Once you’ve located your shutoff valves, use a wrench to loosen the nuts holding hot and cold water supply lines together at each valve – this will allow you to disconnect old spouts before installing new ones.
If you’re replacing an existing spout, make sure that it is thoroughly cleaned with steel wool so it is free from burrs or sharp edges, before applying a small amount of silicone grease as this will keep it secure and prevent leaks.
Find replacement spouts at your local hardware store or home center. Styles and functions may differ depending on the manufacturer; therefore it’s advisable to read their instructions before making a decision.
Installation of the new spout should not be difficult provided you possess all of the tools required and have experience working with copper pipe. Otherwise, professional plumbers are available as an alternative option to help.
Installing a two-handle faucet requires separate installation of both hot and cold valves – which may prove tricky for those unfamiliar with plumbing. Therefore, hiring an expert is the safest solution to ensure success with this task.