If you are installing a new sink faucet, the first step should be to shut off the water supply. Most valves can be found under your sink and should be easily accessible and turned off.
Step two is to disconnect the water lines, drain, and large nut that holds your faucet on the sink. This may prove to be a challenging process as you must work laying under it with limited room to work with.
Remove the Faucet
Once the water has been shut off, remove both faucet handles so you can access the mounting nuts underneath. Use channel-type pliers to loosen and unbolt these nuts before pulling out both handles and faucet.
Ensure the nut that secures the spout has no screwdriver slots or allenheads to make unscrewing easier; then apply penetrating oil. From here, you should be able to see water supply tubes attached to the faucet; these must now be disconnected from shutoff valves that were previously turned off – use either a basin wrench or another adjustable wrench as necessary.
While you’re down here, take the opportunity to remove the sink stopper – as it may be interfering with getting back up again to complete your project. After you are finished installing your new faucet, turn back on all water valves and test for leaks before moving on with your day – you will thank yourself later when your arm muscles ache less and you don’t feel like killing off your DIY partner!
Disconnect the Water Supply
Before disassembling your sink faucet, it will be necessary to disconnect its water supply lines. Begin by closing both hot and cold valves located under your sink cabinet – turn clockwise on each valve to completely stop its supply of water.
Removing nuts that secure water supply lines beneath your sink requires using a basin wrench, often tightening them with considerable force to get off. These nuts may need to be tightened down further by applying pressure.
As soon as it’s time to reconnect the supply tubes, start by hand-tightening each screw directly on to the faucet threads before switching over to tightening with basin wrench or pliers for further tightening. Now connect all long tubes back into water valves you turned off in Step 1, making sure there is sufficient length of pipe for your new faucet spout and handle (otherwise you risk running out of water before finishing this project.). This ensures there will be enough time for completion without running out of water before finishing this project can even start).
Remove the Handle
Sometimes a faucet handle becomes stuck or difficult to remove, typically as a result of corrosion, mineral buildup or other problems which can be remedied with penetrating lubrication. Before beginning this task, shut off both hot and cold water valves below your sink in order to secure both hot and cold water supplies to it. If turning is difficult for the handle itself, put a towel beneath its assembly in case anything drops underneath and breaks apart.
Locate the small button or hole covering a screw at the base of the faucet handle, and loosen it using a hex key (also known as an Allen wrench). Lever handle pairs should use an Allen wrench with a diameter of 3/32″, while single-handle models typically utilize an 1/8″ key.
If this doesn’t work, use a strap wrench or adjustable pliers to grip and twist loose the handle of the item in question. If you are concerned about damaging it further, try switching out for pair of plastic or non-metallic grip pliers instead of metal ones for this task.
Disconnect the Drain
Step 4b On the underside of your old faucet you should find water supply line connections to both hot and cold pipes. Loosen these with a wrench before disconnecting them completely with an adaptor wrench and taking extra care not to damage or kink the metal when using pipe-bender (or wrench end) tools to bend. If any kinks arise when disconnecting these, carefully bend with pipe bender (or end of wrench). If necessary use pipe bender on it carefully bend gently using end wrench so as not to cause more kinking or damage while reconnecting.
Once again, behind your sink and pipes you will notice a bar with holes called a “clevis strap.” Take off the little clip that holds it together on one end, pull through it through your drain tube, and you are finished!
Once you’ve cleared away a clean and open workspace for installing your bathroom faucet, ensure a bucket or rags are at hand to catch any drips or spills as you work. For older faucets like this one, using WD-40 may help loosen rusty locking nuts while otherwise, using an adjustable wrench such as basin wrench can turn large nuts off from below.