If your bathroom faucet has become old or worn out, replacing it is simple enough – however TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey cautions that inexperienced users may make errors that lead to leaks and other complications.
Begin by closing all shutoff valves, then using your faucet to drain away any remaining water.
Remove the Faucet
Before beginning to disassemble the sink, first turn off its water supply valves. Be sure to have a bucket and paper towels nearby in case any spills happen during dismantlement; and remove any storage units beneath the sink too.
Remove any screws holding the handle(s) and spout in place, using a screwdriver to unscrew them from their mountings on the faucet stem; depending on its age and condition, these may become either rusty or stuck preventing removal from their respective mounts.
Your next task will be to unplug metal hose connectors from shutoff valves (or at least their compression nuts), and use penetrating oil or pry tools as necessary to disengage them. Some flexible connectors can be pried apart while rigid chromed copper tubes must be cut with either a tubing cutter or hacksaw for better access.
Clean the Sink
Before beginning to remove the old faucet, first take steps to ensure its surface and handles are in pristine condition. For best results, soak a sponge in soapy water or mild surface cleaner or soak a paper towel in white vinegar and use this to cover the sink area in order to kill bacteria and remove hard-water stains from its surfaces.
After wiping, switch off both hot and cold water valves under your sink before setting a bucket or towel under them to catch any drips. Get down on your hands and knees under there to disconnect two tubes that connect to these water valves; these will look similar to Fallopian tubes but should be easier than expected to unscrew!
Once the pipes have been disconnected, crawl back under the sink and remove the curved metal piece connecting both drains (it looks like a little torso) by pushing up on it with one hand and pulling down with the other (it should look like it has two arms). Push this tube upward before pulling down.
Choose a New Faucet
Bathroom faucets are a key element of any sink or vanity, serving as an opportunity to express personal style while exploring cutting-edge materials, designs and multi-media features that enhance daily bath life.
Selecting a faucet to complement your space can be a difficult challenge, requiring consideration of your personal tastes, budget constraints and holes located in either your sink or countertop.
Instructions included with your new faucet should provide step-by-step guides to assist with installation. It is crucial that you adhere to these directions, especially since they will tell you whether plumber’s putty is necessary to secure its gasket to the sink, or whether existing gasket can suffice. Furthermore, mounting hole spacing (distance between two outer holes) and spout height should also be determined so you can select an ideal replacement faucet.
Install the Faucet
After purchasing your new faucet, first turn off all water supply valves (usually located under your sink) by turning them clockwise. Remove your old one by unscrewing its spout tee and two short braided lines (connected to hot and cold water valves). If there is also a lift rod attached to a drain stopper that needs disconnecting.
Now it’s time to install your new faucet. First, place a gasket on the bottom of the sink to ensure watertightness. Next, secure a spout tee using a basin wrench. Center the spout so its hole for drain stopper’s lift rod faces back, using plumber’s putty as needed to keep spout in place if necessary. After feeding water supply lines through their holes and tightening lock nuts by hand if necessary, tighten lock nuts by hand for final tightening by hand if necessary.