back to your online handyman.com

One job that almost anyone can do is replacing an old worn out faucet.  It is not as difficult as you may think.  All it takes is a little know-how, which is readily available, some hand tools and the confidence to try. 

Faucets for the kitchen and bath come from many different manufacturers in many different styles.  The good news is that most install the same way.  There is usually some type of mounting hardware held in place by nuts that hold the faucet in place from the underneath side of the sink.

To begin you are going to need a basin wrench.   Being that you are working in a very confined area between the sink and the wall you will need a very specialized wrench.  A basin wrench is made specifically for this kind of job.

Before you can install a new faucet, you are going to have to remove the old faucet so the first thing that you are going to need to do is turn off the water supply.  This can usually be done by going under the sink and turning off the two valves that you will see on the wall. 

If by some chance you do not have cut off valves under the sink, stop right here - you will need a plumber to install them for you.  Then you can change your faucet.  Its okay to let your plumber install your cut off valves, but unless he’s a relative tell him that you are going to install the faucet yourself.  By doing the faucet yourself you will still save a couple of hundred dollars.

The next step is to go below the sink and disconnect the hot and cold water supply lines that are connected to the valves that you’ve just turned off.  The water supply lines are the flexible or copper tubing connected to the valves that you just closed.  They are connected to the valves by a nut that you need to turn counterclockwise.
  
Once you have the water off and the supply lines disconnected place a pale below the supply lines and open the water supply.  This will allow any remaining water in these tubes to drain out.   It’s now time to separate the old faucet from the sink.  Usually this is the most difficult part of the job.  Depending on the materials that the faucet was originally installed with will determine how easily it will come away from the sink.

Loosen the nuts on the mounting hardware counterclockwise with the basin wrench.  At this point and with some luck your faucet should lift right off.

Now you are ready to install your new faucet.  Begin by taking it out of the box and make sure by checking the instructions that you have all the parts.  Then follow any assembly instructions from the manufacturer.  This step is a lot easier than it sounds.

Place the faucet over the holes in the sink according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Usually this will involve at least placing plumbers putty between the faucet and the sink to create a water tight seal.  Then place any mounting hardware over the valves on the underneath side of the sink  and tighten it all together with the nuts provided with the faucet.   At this point it’s just a matter of reversing the procedure with the hot and cold water supply lines.

Check for leaks, congratulate yourself - and you didn’t think you could do it.