Replacing bathroom faucets is an incredibly straightforward project that most homeowners can tackle themselves. If your water pressure has dropped significantly or your taps leak or have an unpleasant odor or taste, replacing them may be in order.
First, turn off the water supply by turning the valves under your sink clockwise and remove any hardware holding onto an old faucet.
Removing the Old Faucet
Bathrooms are essential spaces, performing multiple essential functions daily. But daily wear and tear eventually takes its toll, with leaky faucets among the most frequent issues. Replacing an older fixture doesn’t need to be a complicated project: all it requires are some basic tools and patience.
Before beginning work, find and close all water shut-off valves under your sink to prevent accidental water flow while you work. Doing this will reduce any chances of accidents arising while in the process of doing your task.
Once a bucket has been placed beneath your sink to capture any leaks, begin working to uninstall your current faucet using a basin wrench to unscrew one of the mounting nuts underneath which hold one of the faucet tailpieces in place. With this done, pull straight out to uninstall. This may require force if pipes have become corroded; to remedy this situation use heat from a hairdryer as well as penetrating oil before waiting a few hours and trying again.
Installing the New Faucet
Your new faucet should come with detailed installation instructions. If it does not, seek assistance at a home center or plumbing supply store that specializes in fixtures. They have an exceptional selection and knowledgeable staff.
Before beginning work, make sure that the area beneath your sink is free from clutter and storage items if possible; make sure the workspace is clear so you can work comfortably.
Take a look under your sink for any hot and cold water supply valves (hot and cold), and switch them clockwise so as to stop water from running while working on other tasks. This will prevent accidental spillage of liquid from running throughout your day.
Before installing your new faucet, remove and loosen the old one from the sink using pliers or a basin wrench to loosen any large nuts holding it in place. Pull it up out of the sink and unwrap any plumber’s putty left behind; if necessary clean your sink using mild detergent.
Connecting the Water Supply Lines
Before beginning work on the sink, ensure all water valves under it have been closed to avoid an excess of water from flowing and potentially destroying your faucet or countertop, according to TOH.
Once your old faucet has been removed, find one to replace it that matches in terms of color and finish – you should do your best to find something suitable in the shower and bath section of your local hardware store.
If you are replacing a single-hole faucet with a two-hole one, a tubing bender may be required to create an S shape in its supply line and ensure it can connect securely with both valves.
Attach the new supply lines to your faucet by hand at first and later using basin wrench or pliers for more secure connections.
Tightening the Lines
Quality and care determine how long bathroom faucets will last; on average, they typically last 10-20 years with regular replacement being recommended to refresh and prevent any possible issues caused by age or malfunction of parts. Changing them at an optimal time ensures a refreshing update for your bathroom and helps avoid issues caused by aged or worn components.
Start by turning off all of the water supply valves under your sink by rotating them clockwise, before taking other steps to drain. Remove and store away old P-trap for drip collection purposes in a bucket before disconnecting supply lines from underneath using wrench.
Depending on where your faucet valves are, they may require that their supply lines be bent to accommodate. To do this, slide a tube bender with an acorn head over one end of a supply line; carefully bend into an S shape while taking care not to kink the line; when complete tighten by hand and tighten further using an adjustable wrench quarter-turn. Repeat steps 3 through 7 with both supplies lines.