How to Install a Kitchen Faucet

If your kitchen faucet is old, leaking, or simply out of place amongst your new kitchen decor, it may be time to replace it. Here are the basics of how to install a new faucet as well as a few tips on making the task as easy as possible.

Turn Off the Water

To avoid a wet, sloppy disaster, make sure to turn off the water supply to your sink before tackling this task. If your sink doesn't have a specific shutoff valve, you may have to climb up to the roof and use the valve connected to your water tank. Once the water is off, turn on your sink faucet to drain any excess water from the pipes.

Detach the Old Faucet

A basin wrench is essentially for removing an old kitchen faucet and installing a new one. The coupling nuts that connect the faucet to its supply tubes are behind the faucet. Use your basin wrench to unscrew these. Once the supply tubes are disconnected, unscrew the mounting nuts that keep the faucet in place and lift the assembly slightly to reveal the nut attaching the sprayer hose to the faucet. Use your basin wrench to unscrew this nut as well.

Position the New Faucet

Instead of setting the new faucet in place then crawling under the sink to hook it up, connect as many connections to the faucet as possible before setting it in place, and then feed the lines down underneath the sink through the holes. This is usually possible at least with the sprayer hose and sometimes with the hot and cold valves.

Seat the faucet in place, making sure that the gasket is lined up right, and then crawl under the sink and screw on the mounting nuts to keep the faucet in place. Tighten these first with your fingers, then with your basin wrench.

Connection Odds and Ends

Use your basin wrench to attach any connections you weren't able to get to above the sink, such as the shutoff valves, and double check to make sure all connections are as tight as possible. Turn the water back on either from your roof or from under your sink, and check on your new faucet to make sure that everything is running smoothly and there are no leaks. Turn on both hot and cold valves and try out any additional features that may have come with the new faucet. Make sure you are completely satisfied before putting away your tools.

Here are the basics of how to install a new faucet as well as a few tips and tricks

How to Install a Kitchen Faucet rated by Colinw, Answers.com reviewer